Who is choosing?

Salt-first dessert shoppers

If you want a ready-to-serve tin for a hot pudding, compare declared salt per 100g across tins rather than assuming that a light or low-fat variant has less salt.

Bonfire Night hosts

If you want to serve custard without making it from scratch, check that the pack is ready to serve and that its stated servings suit your group.

Shoppers who prefer to make custard

Bird's Original Custard Powder is an option if you are willing to prepare it with milk and sugar. Its prepared nutrition is stated for a specified milk, so it is not directly interchangeable with a ready-to-serve tin.

What matters when buying?

Start with the required format, then compare salt per 100g; the amount you plan to serve is a separate check.

Concern What to check Who it matters to
Salt in a tin Compare salt per 100g on current labels for ready-to-serve tins; check the amount you intend to serve. If salt is my priority, I need to compare tins on the same basis before choosing custard for the pudding; about 46% of consumers primarily seek the lowest declared salt in a ready-to-serve tin.
Quick serving Check that the custard is ready to serve, along with pack size and heating instructions. When dessert needs to be served without making custard from scratch, I want enough ready-to-serve custard for the group; around 36% of consumers put convenient serving first.
Making it yourself Check whether the product is powder and which ingredients its preparation and nutrition figures assume. If I would rather make the custard myself, I can use powder with milk and sugar when a tin is not essential; roughly 18% of consumers primarily value control over preparation.

What should you avoid?

  • Treating reduced fat as reduced salt

    Tesco Reduced Fat Custard is a 500g UHT carton, not a tin. Its reduced-fat description does not answer the separate salt question.

    If both format and salt matter, identify ready-to-serve tins first, then compare their current salt values per 100g.

  • Comparing serving figures alone

    Serving sizes can differ. ASDA Groceries lists 0.11g salt per 100g for ASDA Creamy Custard but 0.22g for its suggested half-can serving.

    Use per-100g figures for the product comparison, then consider how much custard you expect to serve.

  • Buying powder when you need a tin

    Bird's Original Custard Powder requires preparation with milk and sugar; its nutrition is stated for custard made with semi-skimmed milk.

    Choose powder only if making the custard is acceptable. For a ready-to-serve pudding, check that the product is a tin.

  • Overlooking milk ingredients

    ASDA Creamy Custard identifies milk as an allergen, and the standard Ambrosia Devon Custard ingredients listed by Waitrose & Partners include milk-derived ingredients.

    Check the current allergen declaration on the pack before serving, particularly if someone has a milk allergy.

Brands to consider

ASDA

ASDA Creamy Custard is a ready-to-serve 400g tin relevant to a like-for-like salt comparison.

  • ASDA Groceries lists 0.11g salt per 100g and suggests two servings from the tin.
  • The product identifies milk as an allergen. Its salt figure does not describe every ASDA custard.

Ambrosia

The standard Devon Custard 400g can is a ready-to-serve option for hot or cold desserts.

  • Waitrose & Partners lists 0.14g salt per 100g for the standard can.
  • Its ingredients include milk-derived ingredients. Check each variant separately: light or low-fat wording does not establish its salt value.

Tesco

Tesco Reduced Fat Custard is an alternative format to consider only if a tin is not essential.

  • Tesco Groceries lists 0.12g salt per 100g for this 500g product.
  • It is a UHT carton, and reduced fat is a different product claim from reduced salt.

Bird's

Bird's Original Custard Powder is for shoppers who want to prepare custard rather than open a ready-to-serve tin.

  • The preparation uses milk and sugar, allowing you to make the custard when needed.
  • Bird's Custard lists 0.15g salt per 100g when prepared with semi-skimmed milk; that figure does not establish a lower-salt alternative to the two compared tins.

Joybuy custard selections

These Ambrosia 400g variants are options to check for a Bonfire Night pudding. Compare the salt and allergen information on each current pack; neither variant should be confused with the standard Ambrosia tin in the two-product comparison above.

Ambrosia Strawberry Flavour Devon Custard 400g

Ambrosia Strawberry Flavour Devon Custard 400g

If strawberry flavour suits the pudding, this 400g variant is worth comparing with other custards. Check its current salt value per 100g and allergen declaration rather than applying the standard Devon Custard figures to it.

View on Joybuy
Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g

Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g

If you are considering this 400g low-fat variant for dessert, assess its salt value separately: low-fat wording does not establish reduced salt. Check the current pack for salt per 100g and allergen information.

View on Joybuy

Common questions

Does a low-salt label mean custard contains no salt?

No. ASDA Groceries lists 0.11g salt per 100g for ASDA Creamy Custard, while Waitrose & Partners lists 0.14g per 100g for standard Ambrosia Devon Custard. A low-salt label is not a salt-free statement.

Should I compare salt per serving or per 100g?

Compare per 100g first so different tins are on the same basis, then consider your portion. ASDA Groceries lists 0.11g salt per 100g for ASDA Creamy Custard and 0.22g for its suggested half-can serving.

Is reduced-fat custard necessarily lower in salt?

No. Fat and salt are separate checks. Tesco Groceries lists 0.12g salt per 100g for Tesco Reduced Fat Custard, but that product is a 500g UHT carton rather than a tin.

Can Bird's custard powder replace a ready-to-serve tin?

Not without changing the preparation. Bird's Original Custard Powder requires milk and sugar, and Bird's Custard lists 0.15g salt per 100g when it is prepared with semi-skimmed milk. It is not a ready-to-serve tin.

Are the compared tins suitable for someone with a milk allergy?

Neither is suitable on the listed ingredients: ASDA Groceries identifies milk as an allergen in ASDA Creamy Custard, and Waitrose & Partners lists milk-derived ingredients in standard Ambrosia Devon Custard. Check the current pack's allergen statement before serving.