Organisers with a strict sugar-free brief
Check the sugar-free claim and sugars declaration rather than relying on a gluten-free, milk-free or vegan label. A cream-biscuit alternative may be needed if the custard-cream format is flexible.
Who is choosing the biscuits?
Organisers serving mixed dietary needs
Check sugar and allergen requirements separately, then keep the chosen biscuits’ ingredient and allergen details available when serving them.
Teams seeking familiar custard creams
Conventional custard creams remain an option when sugar-free and relevant free-from requirements do not apply. Check each pack before offering them as a shared refreshment.
What should you check first?
Sugar-free cream-biscuit alternative
Choose when: the sugar-free brief matters more than serving a traditional custard cream.
Trade-off: Tesco’s Diablo example has vanilla biscuits and cocoa cream, and its listing declares wheat, milk and soya.
Free-from custard creams
Choose when: attendees need a custard cream labelled gluten-free, milk-free and vegan.
Trade-off: Tesco and Asda free-from custard creams declare sugars and do not meet a strict sugar-free brief.
Conventional custard creams
Choose when: the meeting calls for familiar custard creams without a sugar-free or relevant free-from requirement.
Trade-off: the Sainsbury’s and Asda examples declare sugars and contain wheat and milk.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Check the exact claim and sugars per 100 g. Legislation.gov.uk lists no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g or 100 ml as the sugar-free claim criterion; a “free from” label refers to a different property. | If the meeting brief says sugar-free, I need to check sugars rather than assume a free-from custard cream qualifies. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients, allergen declaration and any free-from claims for each product. Tesco’s Diablo cookie listing declares wheat, milk and soya. | Before putting biscuits out for everyone, I need to match the packs to attendees’ known requirements and make their allergen details accessible. |
| Biscuit format | Check whether the product is a custard cream, a different cream-filled biscuit or an unfilled biscuit, as well as its stated flavour. | Would a cocoa-cream cookie or a digestive work for this meeting, or are people expecting custard creams? |
Mistakes to avoid
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Reading “free from” as “sugar-free”
Tesco Free From Custard Creams declare 19.9 g sugars per 100 g; Asda Free From Custard Creams declare 25 g per 100 g. Their gluten-free and milk-free positioning does not make them sugar-free.
Check the sugars declaration against the meeting brief before considering other dietary claims.
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Expecting every sugar-free cream cookie to taste like a custard cream
Tesco describes the Diablo option as a vanilla sandwich biscuit with cocoa cream, so it changes the flavour and format of the refreshments.
Name the biscuit accurately on the meeting refreshment list if the distinction matters to attendees.
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Putting out shared biscuits without allergen details
Tesco’s Diablo listing declares wheat, milk and soya. Sugar-free does not mean suitable for people avoiding those ingredients.
Keep the original labelled packs or a clear ingredient and allergen list available beside the refreshments.
Relevant brand and retailer examples
Tesco
Tesco lists two different routes: Diablo sugar-free vanilla-and-cocoa cream cookies through its Marketplace, and Tesco Free From Custard Creams.
- Tesco labels its Free From Custard Creams gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
- Those custard creams declare 19.9 g sugars per 100 g. The Diablo cookie listing declares wheat, milk and soya.
Asda
Asda provides both free-from and conventional custard-cream examples for comparing meeting requirements.
- Asda labels its Free From Custard Creams gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
- Asda declares 25 g sugars per 100 g for the free-from product and 29 g per 100 g for its standard Custard Creams; neither meets a sugar-free brief. The standard product contains wheat and milk.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s standard Custard Creams are a conventional biscuit option when sugar-free is not required.
- Sainsbury’s declares 26.5 g sugars per 100 g, and its ingredient list includes wheat and whey powder from cows’ milk.
M&S
M&S describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as containing custard powder and extra vanilla cream.
- M&S declares 40.2 g sugars per 100 g, and the listed ingredients include wheat, milk and soya.
Joybuy biscuit options
These Joybuy options are labelled for a sugar-free biscuit choice at a meeting: one is a sandwich cookie and the other is a digestive, rather than a custard cream. Check the current pack’s sugars declaration and allergens against the meeting requirements.
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Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g
A sandwich-cookie option if the meeting can accommodate a different flavour and format from custard creams. Check the current sugars declaration and allergen list before serving.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
A 400g digestive-biscuit option if neither custard-cream flavour nor a cream filling is required. Check the current sugars declaration and allergen information against attendees’ needs.
Questions about meeting biscuits
Does “Free From Custard Creams” mean sugar-free?
No. Tesco Free From Custard Creams declare 19.9 g sugars per 100 g, and Asda Free From Custard Creams declare 25 g per 100 g. Legislation.gov.uk lists no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g or 100 ml as the criterion for a sugar-free claim.
Can a sugar-free cream cookie take the place of custard creams?
It can if meeting the sugar-free brief matters more than serving the traditional biscuit. Tesco describes its Diablo sugar-free option as a vanilla sandwich biscuit with cocoa cream, so tell attendees what is being served rather than calling it a custard cream.
Is a sugar-free cookie suitable for everyone at work?
No single sugar-free claim establishes allergen suitability. Tesco’s Diablo cookie listing declares wheat, milk and soya; check attendees’ requirements and the current pack before serving it.
How can I make allergen details available at a meeting?
Keep the original labelled packs or a clear ingredient and allergen list where people can consult them. The Food Standards Agency’s guidance addresses allergen information for food businesses serving both prepacked and non-prepacked food; for any meeting, the practical point is not to rely on memory when answering ingredient questions.