Low-preparation dessert planners
If you want something from the cupboard after the takeaway, ready-to-serve custard avoids making custard from powder. Ambrosia says its Devon Custard can be served hot or cold.
Who this suits
Nutrition-label comparers
If sugar and fat are your deciding factors, compare the values per 100g on the packs. Ambrosia states that its Light Devon Custard 400g can has 30% less sugar and fat than its standard Devon Custard; both contain milk.
Households planning more than one dessert
A larger pack may suit several servings or another dessert occasion, provided you can follow its instructions for storing and using the contents after opening.
What matters when choosing
For a takeaway-night dessert, decide whether immediate serving, using a larger pack or comparing sugar and fat matters most to you. Whatever you choose, check the exact pack for allergens.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Serving after the takeaway | Look for “ready to serve” and check the instructions if you want to warm it. | If I want dessert as soon as the main meal is over, I would rather open custard than prepare it from powder. About 42% of consumers put immediate, low-preparation serving first. |
| Using a larger pack | Compare pack sizes and the opened-pack storage instructions for each product. | When I am serving custard again later, I want a pack I can realistically finish within its storage instructions. For about 33% of consumers, repeat use is the primary concern. |
| Sugar and fat comparison | Compare sugar and fat per 100g on the current packs, and check allergens separately. | I still want ready-to-serve custard, but the sugar and fat values would determine which version I pick. That is the main concern for about 25% of consumers. |
Checks before you buy or serve
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Picking custard powder for an immediate dessert
Tesco lists Bird's Original Custard Powder as a preparation-required alternative, not ready-to-serve tinned custard.
Check for “ready to serve” if you do not want to make custard after the takeaway. If you choose powder, follow its preparation directions.
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Opening more custard than you can use
A larger pack leaves more to store if you only need a small amount that evening.
Choose a pack size around the servings you expect, and read its opened-pack storage instructions before opening it.
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Assuming custard is suitable for a milk allergy
Ambrosia's standard and Light Devon Custard cans contain milk-derived ingredients. A different product name or recipe should not be taken as an allergen assurance.
Read the ingredient and allergen information on the exact current pack before serving.
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Keeping leftovers in the opened can
Ambrosia instructs shoppers to remove remaining custard from its standard and light cans, refrigerate it and consume it within three days.
Transfer any leftovers to a suitable covered container and follow the instructions on the pack you opened.
Brands to consider
Ambrosia
Ambrosia describes its standard and Light Devon Custard 400g cans as ready to serve hot or cold.
- The standard can offers a ready-to-serve option; Ambrosia states that the light can has 30% less sugar and fat than its standard Devon Custard.
- Both named cans contain milk and require refrigeration of any contents left after opening.
Tesco
Tesco lists its own-label Ready To Serve Custard in 400g and 1kg sizes.
- The two pack sizes give shoppers a choice based on how much custard they expect to use.
- Check the ingredients and storage directions on the size you select.
Bird's
Tesco lists Bird's Original Custard Powder as a custard-making option, rather than ready-to-serve tinned custard.
- It is an option when you are willing to prepare custard.
- It adds a preparation step, so check the product directions and allergens if you are considering it for takeaway night.
Joybuy custard selections
These ready-to-serve custards offer different pack sizes and flavours for a dessert after the takeaway. Check the container format if a tin is essential to your cupboard plans.
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Ambrosia Light Devon Custard 1kg
Consider this 1kg pack if you expect to use custard for more than one serving occasion. Check its container format if you specifically want a tin, and follow the opened-pack storage directions. Contains milk.
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Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g
A 400g ready-to-serve option if you want to compare fat values while keeping preparation simple. Check the current label separately for sugar values and allergens; the low-fat name does not establish a sugar comparison. Contains milk.
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Morrisons Ready To Serve Custard 500g
This 500g ready-to-serve custard can be served chilled or gently heated, according to Joybuy's product description. Check the pack format if you require a tin and follow its storage instructions after opening. Contains milk.
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Ambrosia Strawberry Flavour Devon Custard 400g
Choose this 400g strawberry-flavour version if that flavour appeals for dessert; flavour alone does not indicate a nutritional difference. Check the current allergen label and opened-pack storage directions. Contains milk.
Common questions
Can I serve tinned custard straight after a Chinese takeaway?
Ambrosia says its Devon Custard 400g can be served hot or cold, so it need not be warmed first. Check that any other custard you choose is ready to serve.
Can I heat custard in its tin?
Follow the heating instructions rather than heating Ambrosia's custard in its can. Ambrosia directs shoppers to empty it into a saucepan for hob heating or a microwaveable container for microwave heating.
How should I store custard after opening?
For Ambrosia's standard and light cans, remove any remaining custard from the can, refrigerate it and consume it within three days. Follow the exact pack's instructions for other products.
Is Ambrosia Devon Custard suitable for someone with a milk allergy?
No. Ambrosia Devon Custard 400g lists milk-derived ingredients, and its Joybuy product information identifies milk as an allergen. Read the current ingredient and allergen information on any custard before serving it to someone with an allergy.
Where can I check allergens on packaged custard?
Check the ingredients list on the exact pack. The UK Food Standards Agency says prepacked food must have an ingredients list and that allergens present must be emphasised each time they appear in it.