For a mixed conference group, choose a range rather than relying on one cola: a regular cola, a zero-sugar option and a non-cola flavour give attendees distinct choices. If a caffeine-free drink is needed, check that its label explicitly confirms it; plan bottle quantities around your cup size and the other drinks being served.
A shareable 2-litre format helps with group service, but one flavour will not cover every preference. Regular cola, zero-sugar cola and a non-cola drink provide different choices without assuming what each attendee wants.
Clearly labelled zero-sugar cola and non-cola drinks can sit alongside a regular option. Check ingredients as well as the front label: zero sugar does not mean free from sweeteners.
Keep the delivered bottles identifiable so attendees can check ingredients and other label information. For UK food businesses, GOV.UK says customers must be told when a drink contains one of the listed allergens as an ingredient.
Set the drink range first, then calculate quantities and check the labels of the products you intend to serve.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour range | Check whether the selection includes cola and a non-cola flavour, such as lemon-lime or orange. Treat a distinctive fruit flavour as an additional choice rather than a substitute for the whole range. | I would like people who do not want cola to have another fizzy drink to choose from. |
| Sugar information | Compare the nutrition labels on the same per 100 ml basis. Tesco Groceries lists Coca-Cola Original Taste at 10.6 g sugars per 100 ml and Fanta Zero Orange at 0.4 g per 100 ml; check ingredients separately for sweeteners. | A regular option can sit alongside a clearly labelled zero-sugar choice, so attendees can make their own selection. |
| Caffeine and ingredients | Check the exact variant, not just the brand or its sugar description. Tesco Groceries lists Pepsi MAX No Caffeine No Sugar as a distinct 2-litre cola; standard Pepsi MAX lists caffeine. Read warnings on the delivered bottle. | If someone wants to avoid caffeine, I need a drink whose own label confirms it is caffeine-free. |
| Serving quantity | A 2-litre bottle gives eight 250 ml measures; Tesco Groceries uses that serving reference for its Coca-Cola Original Taste and Pepsi MAX listings. Recalculate for your cups and likely refills. | Our cups may not hold 250 ml, and water, tea or coffee may also be served, so eight pours per bottle is only a planning reference. |
| Order and service | Confirm the pack size and availability for the required delivery slot. Keep labels accessible and check the best-before information on the bottles received. | I need the drinks delivered in time and their ingredient information available at the self-service table. |
A regular cola alone leaves no zero-sugar or non-cola fizzy choice. Zero-sugar drinks also need ingredient checks: the listed options contain sweeteners.
Build the range around distinct choices, then add a caffeine-free variant if it is needed and its label confirms that status.
Eight servings from 2 litres assumes 250 ml per serving. Cup capacity and refills change how far the bottles go at an event.
Calculate quantities using the cups you will provide and account for the other drinks on the menu.
A listed drink may not be available for the required delivery slot, which matters if the range depends on that particular flavour or variant.
Confirm availability and pack size when ordering, and decide in advance which substitutions would still meet the brief.
Attendees may need to check sweeteners, caffeine or ingredient warnings. An older product description is not a substitute for the drink being served.
Keep labelled bottles available during self-service and check the information on the delivered products.
These examples describe particular UK-listed 2-litre drinks, not every product made by each brand.
Coca-Cola Original Taste provides a regular cola option. Tesco Groceries lists its 2-litre bottle as eight 250 ml glasses.
The Tesco Groceries listings distinguish standard Pepsi MAX No Sugar from Pepsi MAX No Caffeine No Sugar, both in 2-litre bottles.
Sprite Zero Sugar is a 2-litre lemon-lime alternative to cola in the Tesco Groceries listing.
Tesco Groceries lists 2-litre orange-flavoured Fanta Orange and Fanta Zero Orange as distinct variants.
Tesco Groceries describes its 2-litre Dr Pepper as a sparkling fruit-flavour drink, making it a distinct additional flavour.
Tesco Groceries lists own-label 2-litre sparkling lemonade and sparkling diet lemonade.
These multipacks offer regular and zero-sugar cola routes for a shared drinks table. Add a non-cola drink separately if the conference range calls for one.
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Six 2-litre bottles provide a zero-sugar cola option for group service. This is one flavour rather than a complete drinks range; keep the delivered label available for caffeine, sweetener and phenylalanine information.
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Eight 2-litre bottles provide a regular cola choice for a shared table. Include a separate zero-sugar or non-cola option if attendees need those choices, and retain the label for sugar, caffeine and ingredient information.
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Six 2-litre bottles offer a zero-sugar cola option for group service. The product description and a safety statement conflict on caffeine, so check the delivered label before offering it as caffeine-free; retain the label for sweetener and phenylalanine information too.
There are eight 250 ml measures in 2 litres, the serving reference used in Tesco Groceries’ Coca-Cola Original Taste and Pepsi MAX listings. Use your actual cup capacity when working out how many bottles to order.
Offering both gives a mixed group a choice rather than assuming one sugar preference. Check the exact bottles: Tesco Groceries lists Coca-Cola Original Taste at 10.6 g sugars per 100 ml, while its Pepsi MAX and Sprite Zero Sugar listings identify zero-sugar options that contain sweeteners.
Tesco Groceries lists Pepsi MAX No Caffeine No Sugar in a 2-litre bottle as a caffeine-free variant. Do not assume another cola is caffeine-free because it is zero-sugar; check the exact product label before serving it for that purpose.
GOV.UK says any of the 14 listed allergens present in a prepacked drink must be clearly labelled in its ingredients list, and food businesses must tell customers when a drink they provide contains a listed allergen as an ingredient. Keep the delivered product’s information accessible during service.
Follow the storage directions on each delivered bottle and check its best-before information before service. Keep bottles identifiable so their labels remain available when the drinks are put out.