Compare ready-to-serve custards by the salt declared per 100g, then consider how much you will serve. Tesco Groceries lists 0.10g per 100g for Tesco Ready To Serve Custard, and Ocado lists the same figure for M&S Custard; Sainsbury's lists 0.15g per 100g for its Ready To Eat Custard. For Easter lunch, pack quantity, milk ingredients and instructions for heating and storing leftovers may also change which one suits your plans.
If salt is your main concern, compare the declared amount per 100g across ready-to-serve custards, then look at the portion you expect to serve. A familiar brand name or a lighter-sounding variant does not replace a label check.
When several people will have custard, the choice between a 400g can and a 500g pack affects portion planning. Check how you must store any custard left after opening.
If you want warm custard with pudding, read the chosen pack's microwave or hob directions before lunch. Check its instructions for cooled leftovers separately: heating directions do not necessarily permit reheating.
Start with salt per 100g so that different pack sizes do not obscure the comparison. Then plan portions and decide whether the custard needs to be served warm.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Declared salt | Compare salt per 100g on current labels, then account for the portion you will serve. The nidirect low-salt threshold is 0.3g or less per 100g; it does not establish a reduced-salt claim for a particular custard. | If salt is my priority for Easter dessert, I want a like-for-like label comparison before deciding how much to serve. About 50% of consumers put the stated salt figure first. |
| Quantity and leftovers | Check pack weight, suggested servings and the instructions for storing custard after opening. Tesco and Sainsbury's specify consumption within three days after opening; Ocado lists two days for M&S Custard. | When I am serving several diners, I want enough custard without opening more than we can use within the pack's storage window. Pack quantity and leftovers come first for about 30% of consumers. |
| Warm serving | Follow the selected pack's hob or microwave directions and its separate reheating restriction. Sainsbury's says not to reheat its custard once cooled, while Ocado's M&S listing says not to reheat. | If custard needs to be warm alongside pudding, I want to know how to heat the amount needed for lunch. Roughly 20% of consumers prioritise straightforward warm serving. |
A salt declaration and a reduced-salt product claim are different things. The figures listed by Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury's and Ocado allow a per-100g comparison, but do not establish that these custards carry a reduced-salt claim.
Compare the current per-100g declarations and check the pack itself if a specific claim matters to your choice.
Two stated servings from a 400g can are not the same size as four 125g servings from Sainsbury's 500g pack. A per-serving salt figure therefore needs its serving weight alongside it.
Use salt per 100g for the product comparison, then work out the amount for the portion you intend to put in each bowl.
Product instructions differ. Sainsbury's says not to reheat its custard once cooled, and Ocado's M&S listing says not to reheat.
Heat only the amount needed where practical, and follow the chosen pack's directions for cooled custard and refrigerated leftovers.
Bird's Original Custard Powder requires preparation; it is not a ready-to-serve tin. Tesco Groceries also lists Ambrosia custard in formats beyond cans, so the brand alone does not identify the format.
Keep powder separate from a comparison of ready-to-serve custards, and check the exact pack format before planning how to serve it.
Tesco Ready To Serve Custard is a 400g tinned option for comparing declared salt and planning warm or cold servings.
Sainsbury's Ready To Eat Custard is a 500g ambient option with guidance for four 125g servings.
M&S Custard is a 400g canned option listed with two servings.
Ambrosia Devon Custard comes in a 400g can; the brand also appears in other custard formats.
Bird's Original Custard Powder is a make-it-yourself alternative, not ready-to-serve tinned custard.
These Ambrosia 400g ready-to-serve cans offer two variants to consider for Easter dessert. Compare their current salt labels and milk-allergen information before choosing one for the table.
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This ready-to-serve can suits a dessert plan that calls for custard served hot or cold.
The Joybuy listing states 0.11g salt per 100g and 0.14g per 130g portion. It specifies refrigeration and consumption within three days after opening. The product contains milk; check the current pack for heating directions before warming it.
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This 400g ready-to-serve can is another hot-or-cold option when comparing salt declarations for dessert.
The Joybuy listing states 0.12g salt per 100g and specifies refrigeration and consumption within three days after opening. It contains milk. Check the pack's serving guidance to work out the salt in the portion you intend to serve; “Low Fat” is not a reduced-salt claim.
The nidirect guidance gives 0.3g salt or less per 100g as the low-salt threshold. Tesco Groceries lists 0.10g per 100g for Tesco Ready To Serve Custard, Ocado lists 0.10g for M&S Custard, and Sainsbury's lists 0.15g for its Ready To Eat Custard. Check the current pack before relying on a figure; meeting that threshold does not establish a reduced-salt claim.
Yes. The per-100g figure makes products comparable, while the amount served determines the salt in a bowl. Tesco Groceries lists 0.20g for a 200g half-can serving of its custard; Sainsbury's lists 0.19g for a smaller 125g serving. Compare the serving weights before comparing those two per-serving figures.
Follow the heating instructions on the custard you choose. Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury's and Ocado provide hob or microwave directions for the products discussed here, but their reheating restrictions differ. Transfer custard from a can to a suitable container before microwaving it, and check the pack before heating any cooled leftovers.
Use the selected pack's instructions: Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's specify refrigeration and consumption within three days after opening, while Ocado lists two days for M&S Custard. These windows apply to those products, not every custard.
Do not assume that it is. The Tesco, Sainsbury's and M&S custards discussed here contain milk, as do the Ambrosia Joybuy selections. Check the current label and allergy advice for the exact product you intend to serve.