Value-conscious TV-dinner shoppers
You want a ready-to-serve accompaniment and need to know whether the tin’s stated servings fit the dessert you are planning.
Who is it for?
Households wanting a quick warm dessert
You want custard that can be served cold or warmed using the instructions on its pack, without preparing it from powder.
Low Fat label checkers
You are considering a Low Fat variant and want to compare its nutrition per 100g and per serving, while checking the ingredients for milk.
What matters when choosing?
Start with how much custard you will serve, then check the particular tin’s heating, nutrition and storage information.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Serving quantity | Compare the tin size with its stated number of servings. Sainsbury’s describes its Stamford Street Co. 400g tin as two servings. | If dessert is for one, I want to know how much I am opening relative to what I will serve; about 33% of consumers put portion fit first. |
| Serving and heating | Check whether it is ready to serve and follow its hob or microwave directions, including the container and stirring steps. | When dinner is finished, I want custard I can serve cold or warm without making it from powder; about 27% of consumers prioritise that convenience. |
| Nutrition label | Compare the full panel per 100g and per serving, rather than relying on the Low Fat name alone. | If I am choosing a Low Fat variant, I want to see its fat and sugars figures in the portion I plan to have; about 20% of consumers make the nutrition label their primary concern. |
| Leftovers | Read the opened-pack instructions for that product, including whether to transfer the remainder out of the can. | For a solo TV dinner, I need to know what to do with custard left in the tin; about 20% of consumers put opened-pack handling first. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Heating custard in its can
A metal can is not a microwave container. Sainsbury’s instructions for Stamford Street Co. custard call for transferring it to a microwaveable dish and stirring during heating.
Decant the custard and follow the heating directions on the tin you bought.
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Using one storage rule for every opened tin
Opened-pack directions differ between products. Sainsbury’s says to refrigerate Stamford Street Co. custard in a non-metallic container and use it within one day; the reviewed Ambrosia Devon and Low Fat listings give three days after removing the remainder from the can and refrigerating it.
Check the instructions on your tin before storing leftovers.
A tin that leaves more custard than you can use within its stated period may lead to waste.
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Assuming Low Fat means milk-free
The Ambrosia Low Fat ingredient information lists milk-based ingredients. Its name does not establish suitability for someone avoiding milk.
Read the ingredients and highlighted allergen information on the actual can before serving it to someone with a milk allergy.
Brands and ranges to consider
Ambrosia
Its ready-to-serve range includes Devon and Low Fat 400g cans for a TV-dinner dessert.
- The reviewed Devon and Low Fat listings describe hot or cold serving.
- Both reviewed variants contain milk; check the current can’s ingredients and instructions.
Tesco
Tesco Ready To Serve Custard 400G is a tinned option in Tesco’s grocery range.
- The 400G pack gives shoppers a ready-to-serve format.
- Check the current pack for its ingredients, nutrition and storage instructions before serving.
Stamford Street Co.
Sainsbury’s Stamford Street Co. 400g Custard is a ready-to-serve tinned option.
- Sainsbury’s states that the tin contains two servings and provides hob and microwave directions.
- It contains milk, and Sainsbury’s directs that refrigerated leftovers be used within one day after transfer to a non-metallic container.
Bird’s
Bird’s Original Custard Powder is a make-your-own alternative, not a ready-to-serve tin.
- It offers a custard option if you are willing to prepare one.
- It does not provide the same serve-straight-from-the-pack convenience as tinned custard.
Ready-to-serve custard on Joybuy
These Ambrosia 400g variants are options to consider when you want tinned custard for a TV-dinner dessert; compare their labels and serving directions for the variant you choose.
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Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g
Consider this ready-to-serve variant if you want to compare a Low Fat label with other custards. Sainsbury’s lists 1.8g fat and 11.1g sugars per 100g for Ambrosia Low Fat 400g. It contains milk; check the current can’s ingredients, serving directions and opened-pack instructions.
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Ambrosia Devon Custard 400g
Choose this ready-to-serve 400g Devon variant if you want custard that its product listing says can be served hot or cold. It contains milk. Follow the can’s directions for heating and storing any remainder.
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Ambrosia Strawberry Flavour Devon Custard 400g
Consider this 400g strawberry-flavour variant if that flavour appeals more than the standard Devon or Low Fat variants. Check its own label for ingredients, serving directions and opened-pack storage rather than applying another variant’s instructions.
Common questions
Can I microwave tinned custard in its can?
No: transfer it to a suitable microwaveable container and follow that product’s directions. Sainsbury’s instructions for Stamford Street Co. custard specify a covered dish and stirring halfway through heating.
How long can I keep custard after opening the tin?
Follow the instruction for the particular custard. Sainsbury’s gives Stamford Street Co. custard one day after transfer to a non-metallic container and refrigeration; the reviewed Ambrosia Devon and Low Fat listings give three days after removing and refrigerating the remaining contents.
Does Low Fat tinned custard contain milk?
Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g lists milk-based ingredients, so its Low Fat name does not mean milk-free. If serving someone with a milk allergy, check the ingredients and allergen information on the actual can.