Who is this choice for?

Hosts serving a sugar-free option

Check the sugars declaration on the exact biscuit you plan to serve. A “free from” label can refer to something other than sugar.

Hosts checking carbohydrate information

Keep the pack available so guests can see total carbohydrate as well as sugars. A sugar-free claim does not describe the total carbohydrate content.

Hosts serving guests with allergies

Check each pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen information. Sugar-free, gluten-free and milk-free describe different product properties.

What should you check?

Choose the type of biscuit first, then check the nutrition and ingredient information for the exact pack you will put out.

Priority What to check Your needs
Sugar-free claim Check sugars per 100 g on the exact product. The sugar-free claim condition published on legislation.gov.uk is no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g of food; “no added sugar” and “free from” are not interchangeable with that claim. I need a biscuit that meets the sugar-free request, not one chosen solely for its packaging wording.
Carbohydrate and sweeteners Read total carbohydrate alongside sugars. Nutz4Nuts lists 68 g carbohydrate per 100 g for Gullon Sugar Free Shortbread; Farmhouse Biscuits lists 67.6 g per 100 g for its Viennese Shorties and warns that excessive consumption may cause laxative effects. If a guest asks about carbohydrate or sweeteners, I want the pack information available without assuming the sugars figure answers their question.
Ingredients and allergens Check the ingredients and precautionary statements on each pack. The Gullon retailer listing includes wheat and milk-derived ingredients; do not infer allergy suitability from a sugar-free claim. With several biscuits on the table, I want guests to be able to tell which ingredient information belongs to each one.
Biscuit type Read the product description as well as its sugars declaration. Nutz4Nuts calls the Gullon product shortbread, while Farmhouse Biscuits calls its sugar-free Viennese Shorties shortcake biscuits. Is shortbread specifically requested, or would a sugar-free shortcake-style biscuit also suit the gathering?

Common buying mistakes

  • Treating “free from” as “sugar-free”

    Sainsbury’s lists 23.5 g sugars per 100 g for its milk- and gluten-free shortbread. The claims address different ingredients or nutritional properties.

    Check sugars per 100 g and the ingredients on the exact product before buying it for a sugar-free request.

  • Assuming sugar-free means low in carbohydrate

    The listed Gullon shortbread and Farmhouse Viennese Shorties contain 68 g and 67.6 g total carbohydrate per 100 g respectively, according to their retailer and manufacturer listings.

    Keep the pack’s carbohydrate information available for guests who need it; do not promise suitability based on sugars alone.

  • Putting biscuits out without their packaging

    The products have their own ingredient information, and Farmhouse warns about laxative effects from excessive consumption of its maltitol-sweetened Shorties.

    Keep packs available and make it clear which biscuits belong to each pack.

Relevant brand references

These examples illustrate why a shortbread label, a sugar-free claim and other “free from” claims need to be checked separately for each product.

Gullon

Nutz4Nuts lists Gullon Sugar Free Shortbread Biscuits 330g.

  • That listing declares less than 0.5 g sugars and 68 g carbohydrate per 100 g.
  • It lists maltitol, isomalt, wheat and milk-derived ingredients; check the particular pack being served.

Farmhouse Biscuits

Its Sugar Free Viennese Shorties are described by the manufacturer as shortcake biscuits.

  • The manufacturer declares 0.2 g sugars per 100 g.
  • The product contains maltitol powder and carries a warning about laxative effects from excessive consumption.

Walker's

Walker's Shortbread Fingers provide a conventional shortbread comparison, rather than a sugar-free option.

  • Walker's also lists a twin-pack format for separately wrapped servings.
  • Its Shortbread Fingers listing declares 16.2 g sugars per 100 g; the twin-pack ingredients also include sugar.

Dean's

Dean's lists traditional shortbread formats, including all-butter varieties, rounds and squares.

  • Check an individual product’s sugars declaration before choosing it for a sugar-free request.

M&S

Its Made Without Wheat All Butter Shortbread Rounds address a different ingredient consideration.

  • M&S declares 20.3 g sugars per 100 g for these rounds and says they are not suitable for people with nut or peanut allergies.

Waitrose

Its Free From Strawberries & Cream Flavour Shortbread is another example of a “free from” product that should not be read as sugar-free.

  • The Waitrose listing includes sugar in the ingredients and declares 21.7 g sugars per 100 g.

Tesco

Tesco lists several shortbread formats in its biscuit range.

  • Use the sugars declaration for an exact product, rather than its place in the shortbread category, when checking a sugar-free request.

Sainsbury's

Its Free From Shortbread 160g is listed as milk- and gluten-free.

  • The Sainsbury's listing includes sugar and declares 23.5 g sugars per 100 g, so this product is not a sugar-free substitute.

Joybuy biscuit options

These Joybuy options are labelled as sugar-free biscuits, but they are digestives and sandwich cookies, not shortbread. Consider them only if a different biscuit type would suit your garden party, and check the pack before serving.

Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g

Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g

A digestive biscuit rather than shortbread. If that change of biscuit type works for your guests, check the pack’s sugars per 100 g, ingredients and allergen information before serving.

View on Joybuy
Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g

Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g

A sandwich cookie rather than shortbread. If you choose it as a separate biscuit option, check the pack’s sugars per 100 g and ingredients so guests can identify what is being served.

View on Joybuy

Questions about serving the biscuits

Does “no added sugar” mean a biscuit is sugar-free?

No. They are different claims. For a sugar-free biscuit, check its sugars declaration against the condition published on legislation.gov.uk: no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g of food.

Does sugar-free also mean low in carbohydrate?

No. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust advises checking total carbohydrate, not just sugars, when reading labels for diabetes-related carbohydrate intake. The listed Gullon shortbread and Farmhouse Viennese Shorties declare 68 g and 67.6 g total carbohydrate per 100 g respectively.

What should I check for guests with allergies?

Check the ingredients and precautionary allergen statements on each actual pack, and keep it available when serving. A sugar-free claim does not establish whether a biscuit is suitable for a guest with a particular allergy.

How should I store shortbread before serving?

Follow the instructions on the chosen pack. Walker's says to keep its Shortbread Fingers in a cool, dry place; another product may give different directions, including after opening.