Free UK delivery on all orders · At-home saliva test · Secure checkout
Free UK delivery on all orders
Greggs Empire Biscuit: calories, sugar, saturated fat and nutrition
How many calories are in a Greggs Empire Biscuit? It contains 265 kcal, 9.5g of fat (4.5g saturated), 21g of sugar and 0.35g of salt, one of the lower-calorie items in this range.
Try it: nutrition calculator
Use the calculator to compare sweet treats across the range, and see how each item compares to daily guidelines for calories, saturated fat, sugar and salt.
Greggs nutrition calculator
How does this item fit your day?
Choose any item from this range and see calories, saturated fat, sugar and salt against daily guidelines for your age and gender.
Selected item--
Calories
--
--
0--
--
Saturated fat
--
--
0--
--
Sugar
--
--
0--
--
Salt
--
--
0--
--
Nutrition information
Nutrition information: Empire Biscuit (70g)
Energy
265 kcal
Fat
9.5g
of which saturates
4.5g
Carbohydrate
43g
of which sugars
21g
Fibre
0.8g
Protein
3g
Salt
0.35g
Source: Greggs UK nutrition information. Figures are per item as sold.
A Greggs Empire Biscuit (70g) contains 265 kcal, which is 13% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 9.5g of total fat, of which 4.5g is saturated, 43g of carbohydrate (21g sugar), 0.8g of fibre, 3g of protein and 0.35g of salt.
At 4.5g, the saturated fat content is relatively low for a bakery item, representing 23% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.
A traditional Scottish biscuit, the Empire Biscuit consists of two shortbread layers sandwiched with jam and topped with fondant icing and a cherry or jelly sweet decoration. It is one of the more complex multi-component items in the biscuits sub-range of sweet treats.
A moderate choice on calories and saturated fat
A Greggs Empire Biscuit (70g) contains 265 kcal and 4.5g of saturated fat, 23% of the adult daily saturated fat guideline of 20g. A traditional Scottish biscuit, the Empire Biscuit consists of two shortbread layers sandwiched with jam and topped with fondant icing and a cherry or jelly sweet decoration. It is one of the more complex multi-component items in the biscuits sub-range of sweet treats.
Reference Intakes are EU-wide guideline daily amounts for an average adult (2,000 kcal). The free sugar limit of 30g is the NHS/SACN guideline, which is stricter than the 90g total sugars RI as it excludes naturally occurring sugars in whole foods and dairy.
Sugar, salt and protein by age group
The table below shows how the sugar, salt and protein in a Greggs Empire Biscuit compares to daily guidelines for different age groups.
Sugar, salt and protein by age group: Greggs Empire Biscuit
Age group
Sugar (g / % limit)
Salt (g / % limit)
Protein (g / % target)
Age 4 to 6
21g / 111%
0.35g / 12%
3g / 15%
Age 7 to 10
21g / 88%
0.35g / 7%
3g / 11%
Age 11 to 17
21g / 70%
0.35g / 6%
3g / 7%
Adult
21g / 70%
0.35g / 6%
3g / 6%
Sugar and salt % shown against NHS/SACN daily limits. Protein % shown against estimated daily targets. Red = 75%+ of limit, amber = 20-74%, green = under 20%. Protein is beneficial and has no upper limit, shown for reference only.
Sugar
Empire Biscuit contains 21g of sugar, 70% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g and 88% of the limit for a child aged 7 to 10 (24g).
This is high for a single item, and on its own accounts for more than 88% of a child's entire daily free sugar allowance.
Salt and protein
Empire Biscuit provides 3g of protein and 0.8g of fibre. For comparison, a general guide for adult daily protein intake is around 50g, so this item provides 6% of that target, and 3% of the adult daily fibre target of 30g.
Empire Biscuit contains 0.35g of salt, 6% of the adult daily limit of 6g. This is a moderate contribution, leaving room within the daily limit for other meals.
Ultra-processed food: what is really in it
A Greggs Empire Biscuit is made from 4 main components: two sweet shortbread biscuits, raspberry jam layer, white fondant icing and glacé cherry or jelly decoration. Each is prepared separately, often using centrally produced ingredients, before being assembled and baked in shop ovens.
Reading the ingredient detail closely, a Greggs Empire Biscuit contains flavourings and colourings. These are not used to add nutritional value. Flavourings restore or enhance taste that may be reduced during industrial preparation and freezing. Colourings standardise the appearance of the product.
None of this means the ingredients are unsafe; all additives used are approved for use in UK food. What it indicates is the degree of industrial formulation involved. A home-baked equivalent, made with fresh pastry and a freshly made filling in one kitchen, would typically involve far fewer steps and far fewer additives. The version sold at Greggs reaches a comparable end result using centrally produced pastry and fillings, baked fresh in shop ovens, with a number of functional additives designed to keep the product consistent across thousands of shops.
What's in it: Empire Biscuit
Two sweet shortbread biscuits
Wheat flour, butter, sugar, milk, salt
Raspberry jam layer
Raspberry jam: fruit pulp, sugar, glucose syrup, gelling agent, colour
White fondant icing
Sugar, glucose syrup, water, vanilla flavouring
Glacé cherry or jelly decoration
Cherry or jelly sweet: sugar, glucose syrup, colour, flavouring
Looking at the ingredient list rather than just the nutrition panel tells a different story. Even where individual macros look moderate, the number of separately manufactured components and the additives used to bind, thicken, colour and flavour them place almost every item in this range in the most processed food category under the NOVA classification system.
Processing (NOVA classification)
A Greggs Empire Biscuit falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed food. The NOVA classification system groups foods by the extent and purpose of the processing involved, rather than by their individual nutrients. Group 4 covers products that are formulated mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods, plus additives, using a series of industrial processes with little or no whole food remaining recognisable in the final product. In this item, that includes flavourings and colourings, on top of the laminated pastry and centrally prepared filling typical of the range. This classification applies to almost all bakery items at Greggs, and indeed to most bakery and convenience food generally; it is not a finding specific to this item.
Allergens at a glance
Allergen information: Empire Biscuit
Wheat
Contains
Rye
Not present
Barley
Not present
Oats
Not present
Sesame
Not present
Soya
May contain traces
Milk
Contains
Eggs
May contain traces
Fish
Not present
Crustaceans
Not present
Celery
Not present
Mustard
Not present
Molluscs
Not present
Lupin
Not present
Greggs prepares food in kitchens where allergens are present and equipment is shared. "May contain traces" reflects cross-contact risk. Greggs cannot guarantee any item is completely allergen-free.
Frequently asked questions
A Greggs Empire Biscuit contains 265 kcal, which is 13% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake.
A Greggs Empire Biscuit contains 4.5g of saturated fat, 23% of the adult daily guideline of 20g, and 35% of the guideline for a child aged 7 to 10 (13g).
Yes. A Greggs Empire Biscuit falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed food. It contains flavourings and colourings, used to bind, thicken, preserve or standardise the product, on top of the laminated pastry and centrally prepared filling. This is a description of how the food is made and formulated, not a statement that it is unsafe to eat.
A Greggs Empire Biscuit contains 21g of sugar, 70% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g.
A Greggs Empire Biscuit contains wheat and milk. May also contain traces of eggs and soya from shared kitchen equipment.
At 265 kcal, the Empire Biscuit is among the lower-calorie items in this range.
Track how this fits your day
See exactly how this fits your day.
The Boone app tracks calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt and 30 plus micronutrients in real time. Log meals by scanning food or searching, and see instantly how a bakery item fits into your day, adjusted for your exact age and goals.
Download the Boone app and start tracking your nutrition today.
Nutrition and allergen information from Greggs UK official sources (greggs.com product pages and allergen guide) and convergent UK-specific estimates where official breakdowns were not available. Figures are per item as sold and may vary slightly by recipe updates or location. Seasonal items may not be on the permanent menu. Reference intakes: EU Reference Intakes for an average adult (2,000 kcal); NHS/SACN free sugar and saturated fat guidelines. For guidance only, not medical advice.
