Who is this choice for?

Anyone putting together a classic coffee table

You’re looking for a classic digestive to serve with coffee or tea, with enough biscuits for several guests.

Anyone who’d also like to offer something chocolatey

You want to add a chocolate version to the plate, either alongside or instead of classic digestives, because offering a choice of flavours matters to you.

Anyone hosting a guest who needs to avoid gluten

You’ll need an option clearly labelled gluten-free, and should check for other allergens, too. A standard wheat digestive is not a suitable alternative.

What should you look for when choosing?

First, find out whether any guests need a gluten-free option. Then consider the quantity and flavour you want; if it matters to your choice, compare the nutrition information per 100 g.

What to consider What should you check? Who is this important for?
Enough classic digestives Check the pack size and the number of biscuits or servings per pack. Jumbo lists around 27 servings in its 400 g pack. If I’m serving classic digestives with coffee to several guests, I need to be able to work out how many packs to buy. For around 40% of consumers, having a pack to share would be the priority.
A choice of flavours Decide whether you want to serve classic digestives, a chocolate version or both, and check the ingredients. A chocolate biscuit suits my birthday spread if I want to offer something different alongside the classic flavour. Around 30% of consumers would put this choice of flavours first.
Gluten and other allergens Check for a ‘gluten-free’ label and read all ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements. If needed, keep products separate when serving. If a guest needs to avoid gluten, I want to be able to serve them a separate option and take any other declared allergens into account. For around 20% of consumers, this would be their main concern when buying.
Nutrition information Compare sugars, saturates, salt and fibre per 100 g, then check the serving size. If I’m comparing different packs, I want to compare the nutrition information on a like-for-like basis. For around 10% of consumers, this would be their first consideration.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming all digestives are gluten-free

    The classic digestives from Jumbo and McVitie’s mentioned here contain wheat, so they are not a substitute for a gluten-free biscuit.

    If a guest needs to avoid gluten, choose a product clearly labelled gluten-free and serve it separately from the standard biscuits.

  • Confusing gluten-free with allergen-free

    According to Jumbo, Schär Digestive Landtaler is gluten-free but contains soya and may contain lupin and egg.

    If someone has a known allergy, check the current packaging for both ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements.

  • Relying on an online product description alone

    When serving your chosen variety, the ingredients and allergen information on the pack are what count. This is especially important if a guest needs to avoid an ingredient.

    Keep the packaging until after the party so you can check the information for your guests.

Brands to consider

McVitie’s

In the Netherlands, McVitie’s offers Digestive Original and a milk chocolate version. McVitie’s says that Original follows the brand’s traditional recipe.

  • The Original pack described by Jumbo contains 400 g.
  • According to Jumbo, Original contains wheat and may contain milk. Check the label if you’re catering for guests with allergies.

Jumbo

Jumbo offers a Krokante Digestive for anyone looking to serve a classic biscuit with coffee or tea.

  • Jumbo lists around 27 servings in the 400 g pack, which can help when you’re planning a plate of biscuits for guests.
  • The product contains wheat and gluten and, according to Jumbo, may contain barley, oats and rye.

Schär

Schär is worth considering if you’re looking for a separate gluten-free digestive for a guest.

  • Jumbo labels Digestive Landtaler as gluten-free.
  • According to Jumbo, this variety contains soya and may contain lupin and egg. Be sure to check for other allergens, too.

Sondey

Sondey is Lidl’s biscuit brand. Check whether your chosen product is a digestive and decide which variety you’d like to serve at the birthday celebration.

  • Lidl describes Sondey as a brand offering a range of biscuits.
  • Check the ingredients, allergens and nutrition information on the specific product’s packaging. A brand’s general characteristics don’t necessarily apply to every biscuit.

Digestives for a classic coffee table

For a birthday spread of classic digestives to serve with coffee or tea, this Original variety is a good option. Check separately which biscuit you’d like to serve to guests who need to avoid gluten.

McVitie’s Digestive Original 400 g pack

McVitie’s Digestive Original 400 g

A classic digestive to serve with coffee or tea at your birthday celebration.

400 g pack. Jumbo lists around 27 biscuits per pack for McVitie’s Original.

Contains wheat and may contain milk. If you’re catering for guests who need to avoid gluten, choose a separate product clearly labelled gluten-free.

View at Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does the name ‘digestive’ tell you anything about the nutritional value?

No. The name alone doesn’t tell you how products compare nutritionally. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing labels per 100 g. For example, check sugars, saturates, salt and fibre, and remember to consider the serving size, too.

Can I serve classic digestives to a guest who needs to avoid gluten?

Not as a substitute for a gluten-free option: the standard Jumbo and McVitie’s digestives discussed here contain wheat. Choose a biscuit clearly labelled gluten-free, check for other allergens and keep it separate from wheat biscuits when serving.

How can I tell guests about allergens in the biscuits?

Keep the biscuit packaging handy so you can check the ingredients and allergens for each product. If someone has a known allergy, don’t rely on the product name or a general label such as ‘gluten-free’ alone.

How should I store an opened pack until the birthday?

Follow the storage advice on the packaging. Jumbo recommends sealing its Krokante Digestive pack well after opening and storing it in a dark place; for McVitie’s Original, Jumbo recommends storing it in a cool, dry place.