Hosts serving children
Plan smaller smoothie or fruit-juice servings and keep water available. GOV.UK catering guidance recommends that children limit fruit juice and smoothies to 150ml a day.
Who are you serving?
Hosts planning an alcohol-free toast
Look for a drink explicitly labelled sparkling rather than relying on a smoothie’s fruit flavour to provide fizz. Waitrose & Partners lists sparkling fruit drinks separately from smoothies.
Hosts pouring drinks from larger bottles
Check the stated servings, fridge space and instructions for an opened bottle. Tesco Groceries lists five 150ml servings in one 750ml innocent smoothie bottle and says to keep that product refrigerated at 0–8°C.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether the party needs a still drink, fizz or both; then check the exact bottles for serving and ingredient details.
Still smoothie
Choose when: You want a fruit-and-purée drink to pour in measured servings.
Bear in mind: A smoothie will not meet a plan that calls for fizz; follow its chilled-storage and opened-bottle instructions.
Sparkling fruit drink
Choose when: Carbonation matters more than smoothie texture.
Bear in mind: Fruit-drink recipes vary, so check the ingredients and nutrition panel rather than assuming they match a smoothie.
A choice of drinks
Choose when: Guests may prefer either a still fruit drink or a fizzy one.
Bear in mind: You will need to keep the different bottles and their ingredient labels identifiable.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fizz or smoothie texture | Look for an explicit sparkling or carbonated description. Check whether the product is a smoothie or a sparkling fruit drink, and read its ingredients. | If the toast needs fizz, I want the bottle to say so. For guests who prefer a still fruit-and-purée drink, I can offer a smoothie separately. |
| Children’s servings | Check the serving volume and sugars per 100ml on the exact pack. GOV.UK catering guidance recommends limiting children’s fruit juice and smoothies to 150ml a day and offering water. | With children attending, I want to pour measured smoothie or juice servings rather than leave a large bottle out for unrestricted refills. |
| Chilling and sharing | Compare bottle volume with stated servings, check the required storage temperature and follow the instructions after opening. Tesco Groceries specifies 0–8°C and use within four days of opening for its 750ml innocent smoothie example. | A larger bottle could help me pour several servings, provided I have fridge space and can follow that bottle’s storage directions. |
| Ingredient visibility | Read each drink’s full ingredients list and highlighted allergens; retain its packaging for guests to consult. GOV.UK and the Food Standards Agency recommend keeping packaging available at community and charity events for people checking ingredients. | Guests and parents should be able to identify what is in each drink before it is served. |
What is easy to overlook?
-
Assuming every fruit smoothie has fizz
Waitrose & Partners and M&S list smoothies separately from sparkling or fizzy drinks, so a smoothie purchase may not provide the planned toast.
Choose a drink explicitly described as sparkling for the fizzy option, whether you serve it instead of or alongside smoothies.
-
Using a large smoothie bottle for unrestricted refills
GOV.UK catering guidance recommends that children limit fruit juice and smoothies to 150ml a day.
Pour measured servings for children and make water available as another choice.
-
Taking “no added sugar” to mean sugar-free
innocent says its smoothies have no added sugar, but that wording does not mean they contain no sugars.
Compare the sugars per 100ml and the serving size shown on each drink’s nutrition panel.
-
Discarding packaging before guests check ingredients
Drink recipes can differ by flavour; an M&S pineapple, banana and coconut smoothie, for example, lists coconut milk among its ingredients.
Keep each original bottle or carton available so guests and parents can check its ingredients and allergen information.
Which brand and retailer ranges are relevant?
These ranges help distinguish smoothie choices from sparkling-drink choices; check the individual product before treating it as fizzy.
innocent
A bottled smoothie range to consider when serving a still fruit drink.
- Tesco Groceries lists a 750ml innocent smoothie as five 150ml servings.
- innocent’s no-added-sugar claim does not mean its smoothies are sugar-free; check the nutrition panel.
Tesco
A supermarket range with both larger smoothie bottles and children’s smoothie multipacks.
- Tesco Groceries lists own-label 750ml smoothies and an innocent children’s multipack of 4 × 150ml.
- Those smoothie listings do not establish that the drinks are sparkling.
M&S
A retailer listing ready-made smoothies alongside separate fizzy-drink categories.
- M&S lists smoothies in 350ml and 750ml bottles.
- Its smoothie category is distinct from its fizzy drinks and pressé categories; check the exact drink for carbonation.
Waitrose
A retailer with separately listed smoothies and sparkling fruit drinks.
- Waitrose & Partners lists sparkling apple juice and sparkling grape drinks in its drinks range.
- A product in its smoothie category should not be assumed to be sparkling.
Joybuy drinks for the party table
These Joybuy options include three sparkling fruit drinks for a fizzy choice and one still smoothie. Check each pack’s ingredients, nutrition and serving instructions against the guests you are buying for.
No image available
De Vina Sparkling White Grape 750ml
A sparkling grape drink for the fizzy side of a shared party table, not a smoothie. Check the label for sulphites and keep the packaging available to guests.
No image available
De Vina Sparkling Peach 750ml
A sparkling peach drink for guests who want fizz rather than smoothie texture. The product information flags sulphites; check the pack’s ingredients and sugars per 100ml before serving.
No image available
De Vina Sparkling Apple 750ml
A sparkling apple drink in a bottle intended for pouring. Its product information cautions that the glass bottle is unsuitable for children under 4; handle it accordingly and check the pack’s nutrition panel before planning children’s servings.
No image available
Nootz Coconut Milk Smoothie Passion Fruit 325ml
A still coconut-milk and passion-fruit smoothie for guests who prefer a smoothie to fizz. Follow the pack’s shaking and chilling directions, and check its full ingredients, allergens and sugars per 100ml before serving.
Common questions
Will a fruit smoothie be fizzy?
Do not assume it will. Waitrose & Partners and M&S list smoothies separately from sparkling drinks, so choose a product explicitly described as sparkling when the party calls for carbonation.
How much smoothie should I pour for a child?
GOV.UK catering guidance recommends that children limit fruit juice and smoothies to 150ml a day. Use a measured serving rather than treating a large bottle as unrestricted refills, and make water available.
Does “no added sugar” mean a smoothie contains no sugar?
No. innocent describes its smoothies as having no added sugar, but that does not mean they contain no sugars. Read the nutrition panel for sugars per 100ml and consider the amount being poured.
How can guests check a drink’s ingredients?
Keep the original bottle or carton so guests and parents can read its ingredients and highlighted allergens before drinking. GOV.UK and the Food Standards Agency recommend retaining packaging for this purpose at community and charity events.
Can opened smoothies stay out on the party table?
Follow the instructions on the specific bottle rather than assuming all smoothies store alike. Tesco Groceries says its 750ml innocent smoothie should be kept refrigerated at 0–8°C before and after opening, shaken before opening and used within four days once opened.