Managers stocking single-serve lunch drinks
Sealed cans let staff take an individual drink with lunch. Compare can size and pack count with expected demand, and check whether the menu calls for a still or sparkling drink.
Who is buying for the canteen?
Buyers specifying 100% apple juice
Check the ingredient list rather than the apple imagery on the can. Vending Superstore lists its Appletiser case as 100% carbonated apple juice from concentrate; Cawston Press lists 49% pressed apple juice in its 4 x 250ml Cloudy Apple multipack, and Ocado lists 59% apple juice from concentrate in the M&S Apple & Elderflower drink.
Canteens planning portions and customer information
NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day, less than the volume of the cans discussed here. The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland also require food businesses to provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink in their respective jurisdictions.
What should you check before ordering?
Set the menu brief first: 100% apple juice, an apple-led sparkling drink, or a smaller still serving in a carton. Then match the serving and pack formats to how the canteen operates.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Juice content | Read the current ingredients and juice percentage. Vending Superstore lists its Appletiser case as 100% carbonated apple juice from concentrate; Cawston Press lists 49% pressed apple juice in its 4 x 250ml Cloudy Apple pack; Ocado lists 59% apple juice from concentrate in the M&S Apple & Elderflower pack. | If the menu says 100% apple juice, I need that exact composition, not simply an apple-flavoured or apple-led drink. |
| Pack and can size | Compare cans per pack, volume per can and expected lunch-period demand. The listed formats include Appletiser 24 x 250ml from Vending Superstore, Cawston Press 4 x 250ml and M&S 4 x 330ml from Ocado. | For regular service, I need a pack count that fits restocking plans; a small multipack may suit a limited menu trial. |
| Portion information | Check volume and the nutrition panel per can as well as per 100ml. NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day; a 250ml or 330ml can is larger than that amount. | Our menu should not imply that drinking a whole can is the recommended daily juice portion. |
| Still or sparkling | Check carbonation and added flavours. The listed Appletiser, Cawston Press Cloudy Apple and M&S Apple & Elderflower cans are sparkling; Tesco lists Pure Apple Juice in 5 x 150ml cartons as a non-can format. | If a still drink or a 150ml single serving matters more than a can, I can consider cartons instead. |
| Service information | Keep the current pack ingredients and allergen declaration accessible. Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland guidance requires food businesses to provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink in their respective jurisdictions. | Staff need to be able to give customers accurate information about the drinks being served. |
Common ordering mistakes
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Assuming every apple-branded can is 100% juice
The named canned drinks differ in composition: Vending Superstore lists Appletiser as 100% carbonated apple juice from concentrate, Cawston Press lists 49% pressed apple juice in its 4 x 250ml Cloudy Apple pack, and Ocado lists 59% apple juice from concentrate in M&S Apple & Elderflower.
Decide whether the menu requires 100% apple juice or allows an apple-led sparkling drink, then check the ingredients on the pack being ordered.
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Calling a whole can a recommended juice portion
The compared cans contain 250ml or 330ml. NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day and says that amount counts only once towards 5 A Day.
Describe the can volume accurately on the menu and keep water available as another lunch drink.
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Choosing a small multipack without checking throughput
A four-can multipack and a 24-can case require different restocking plans for regular lunch service.
Estimate how many individual drinks the canteen expects to serve before selecting a pack format.
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Relying on a product listing for allergen service
The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland require food businesses to provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink in their respective jurisdictions.
Keep current packaging or supplier information accessible and make sure staff can communicate the relevant details.
Brand and format references
These examples distinguish canned choices from carton and bottle formats; a brand’s inclusion here does not mean every product it makes comes in cans.
Appletiser
A sparkling 100% apple-juice option listed by Vending Superstore as a 24 x 250ml case.
- The Vending Superstore listing describes 100% carbonated apple juice from concentrate and no added sugar.
- It is not still juice. Its 250ml can is larger than the NHS daily guidance amount for juice and smoothies.
Cawston Press
Its Sparkling Cloudy Apple comes in a 4 x 250ml can multipack; Cawston Press also lists 330ml cans in 24- and 48-packs.
- The 4 x 250ml product specification lists pressed apple juice, sparkling water and ascorbic acid.
- That multipack contains 49% pressed apple juice, not 100% apple juice. Check the can size when moving between its pack formats.
M&S
Ocado lists M&S Apple & Elderflower with Sparkling Spring Water as a 4 x 330ml multipack.
- The listing specifies 59% apple juice from concentrate and 3% elderflower extract.
- It is a flavoured sparkling drink rather than plain apple juice, and each 330ml can exceeds the NHS daily guidance amount for juice and smoothies.
Tesco
Tesco Pure Apple Juice is listed as a 5 x 150ml carton multipack for buyers considering a non-can serving.
- Each carton is 150ml, the amount in the NHS daily guidance for juice and smoothies.
- Cartons do not meet a requirement for cans; confirm availability before planning service around this product.
Tropicana
Tropicana UK describes Orchard Apple as 100% pressed juice, not from concentrate, in a bottle format.
- A plain apple-juice reference if bottled drinks are within the purchasing brief.
- The bottle format does not meet a multi-pack can requirement.
Copella
Tesco lists Copella Cloudy Apple as a 1.35L bottle of juice not from concentrate.
- A shared-bottle format if individual cans are not required.
- The Tesco listing says to refrigerate it and consume it within four days of opening, which requires a plan for opened bottles at service.
A Joybuy multipack option
This six-can Appletiser pack is an option for smaller-scale replenishment of individually served, sparkling apple juice. It is a different pack size from the 24-can trade case discussed above.
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Appletiser 100% Apple Juice Lightly Sparkling, 6 x 250ml
Six individual cans may suit a smaller lunch-drink order; compare that pack count with expected canteen demand.
The Joybuy product listing describes 100% carbonated apple juice and gives 26g sugars per 250ml serving. Each can is larger than the NHS guidance amount of 150ml a day for fruit juice and smoothies.
Questions about serving and ordering
Does a whole 250ml or 330ml can count as the recommended daily juice amount?
No. NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day, which counts only once towards 5 A Day. Both can sizes are larger than that amount.
Which of these cans contains 100% apple juice?
Vending Superstore describes its Appletiser 250ml cans as 100% carbonated apple juice from concentrate. Cawston Press lists 49% pressed apple juice in its 4 x 250ml Sparkling Cloudy Apple pack, while Ocado lists 59% apple juice from concentrate in M&S Apple & Elderflower. All three are sparkling, so check the current pack ingredients if the menu requires a particular composition.
Must a workplace canteen provide allergen information for sealed drinks?
Yes. The Food Standards Agency’s guidance for England, Northern Ireland and Wales, and Food Standards Scotland’s guidance for Scotland, require food businesses to provide allergen information for prepacked as well as non-prepacked food and drink. Keep current product information accessible to staff and customers.
Are 150ml apple-juice cartons an alternative to cans?
They are an alternative serving format if cans are not essential. Tesco lists Pure Apple Juice as 5 x 150ml cartons; check current availability before including it in the canteen’s ordering plan.