For about 2 litres of actual cold brew, two 500ml bottles of Tesco Finest concentrate make about 2 litres when mixed with the equal volume of cold water specified by Tesco Groceries; you will need to prepare and dispense it. If serving without mixing matters more than serving cold brew specifically, two 1-litre Arctic Coffee iced-coffee bottles provide a ready-to-pour alternative, but check the exact ingredients and arrange suitable chilled transport.
If you want about 2 litres of cold brew without adding milk, Tesco Groceries specifies a 1:1 cold-water preparation method for its unsweetened 500ml concentrate. Two bottles make about 2 litres before ice is added; allow for mixing and dispensing.
NESCAFÉ GB describes its 500ml espresso concentrate as 16 servings of 30ml. Tesco Groceries gives a recipe using 150ml cold milk with each serving. This offers individual preparation from one concentrate bottle, but it is espresso rather than cold brew, and the mixing liquid must be supplied separately.
Sainsbury’s lists Arctic Coffee iced coffees in 1-litre bottles, while Waitrose & Partners lists 750ml Starbucks iced-coffee formats. These avoid mixing at the stall, but reaching about 2 litres takes multiple containers; check the chosen drinks’ ingredients and storage instructions.
Work out the finished volume first, then decide whether the stall can accommodate mixing, measured servings and chilled storage.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Finished volume | Tesco Groceries specifies equal amounts of cold water and cold-brew concentrate, making about 1 litre from a 500ml bottle. Sainsbury’s lists Arctic Coffee in 1-litre ready-to-drink bottles. Count prepared drink or complete bottles, not concentrate volume alone. | I need about 2 litres to serve, even if that means bringing more than one container. |
| Coffee and ingredients | Check whether the exact drink is cold brew, espresso concentrate or a ready-to-drink latte. Tesco Finest concentrate is described as vegan; M&S Food lists semi-skimmed milk in its 250ml cold-brew latte. | For a black, dairy-free starting point, I would choose a suitable concentrate mixed with water rather than assume every cold-brew drink is milk-free. |
| Chilled storage | Tesco Groceries says to refrigerate its concentrate after opening; its NESCAFÉ listing says to refrigerate the opened espresso concentrate and use it within 14 days. Food Standards Agency MyHACCP guidance calls for suitable cooling and temperature monitoring where needed. | I’ll be serving outdoors, so I need a way to store opened products and chilled drinks appropriately during transport and service. |
| Measured servings | Measure espresso concentrate against the product’s serving instructions rather than free-pouring. NESCAFÉ GB states approximately 87mg caffeine per standard 30ml serving of its named unsweetened espresso concentrate; do not apply that figure to other drinks or serving sizes. | If I make drinks to order, I want consistent portions and the exact product information to hand when customers ask. |
| Selling drinks | The Food Standards Agency says food businesses must register with their local authority at least 28 days before trading or food operations begin. GOV.UK and Food Standards Agency guidance sets out allergen-information duties for food businesses in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Check how these rules apply to your activity. | If I sell drinks rather than share them privately, I need to establish my obligations and give accurate ingredient and allergen information where required. |
A 500ml bottle of concentrate is not necessarily 500ml of refreshments. Tesco Groceries’ 1:1 recipe makes about 1 litre of prepared cold brew from that bottle; the NESCAFÉ recipe instead makes individual drinks with a measured shot and a separate liquid.
Calculate the total from the exact mixing instructions, and bring enough water or other mixing liquid, serving equipment and containers.
Cold-brew concentrate, espresso concentrate and ready-to-drink latte are different products. A customer asking for cold brew may not expect an espresso-based or milk-based drink.
Use the exact pack description when preparing a menu or speaking to customers, and check ingredients for each variant.
Milk is an allergen. GOV.UK and Food Standards Agency guidance requires food businesses in England, Northern Ireland and Wales to provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink; Food Standards Agency hygiene guidance also addresses suitable cooling where needed.
Keep ingredient labels available, describe the drink as served and use appropriate chilled transport and storage. Check ingredients and handling before describing an option as dairy-free.
A car boot sale location does not, by itself, establish whether a seller is operating a food business. The Food Standards Agency says food businesses must register with their local authority at least 28 days before trading or food operations begin.
Before buying drinks to resell, ask the organiser about trader conditions and the relevant local authority how your planned preparation, frequency and sales activity will be treated.
Tesco Groceries lists an unsweetened cold-brew concentrate for making a black drink with cold water.
NESCAFÉ GB describes a 500ml unsweetened espresso concentrate for mixing individual iced coffees.
Sainsbury’s lists Caffè Latte and Caramel Latte iced coffees in 1-litre bottles for ready-to-pour service.
Waitrose & Partners lists several Starbucks large or multiserve iced coffees in 750ml formats.
M&S Food lists Classic Latte Cold Brew Coffee as a 250ml individual drink.
These options cover two ways to provide car boot sale refreshments: cold-brew concentrate in individual pouches for mixing with water, and separate ready-to-drink espresso iced-coffee bottles. Neither is a single 2-litre ready-to-drink cold-brew bottle.
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The individual concentrate pouches suit drinks mixed as needed, provided you can bring water and prepare them at the stall. The pack contains ten 25ml pouches and is described as zero sugar; it is not a ready-to-drink 2-litre bottle. Follow the pack’s mixing directions to calculate the finished volume, and check its caffeine information before serving.
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Separate ready-to-drink bottles avoid mixing at the stall: twelve 200ml bottles total 2.4 litres. This is espresso iced coffee, not cold brew, and the product details identify milk and sugar. Check the exact pack label for ingredients and caffeine information, and follow its chilled-storage instructions.
The named examples from Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose & Partners and M&S Food are smaller formats, not a single 2-litre ready-to-drink cold-brew bottle. Tesco Groceries lists a 500ml cold-brew concentrate that makes about 1 litre at its stated dilution, while Sainsbury’s lists 1-litre Arctic Coffee iced coffees. If one container is essential, check the exact product type and pack size before buying.
Use two 500ml bottles at Tesco Groceries’ stated ratio of 100ml concentrate to 100ml cold water. That makes about 2 litres of prepared cold brew before any ice is added; bring the water and suitable mixing equipment.
Follow each product’s storage directions and provide suitable chilled storage for opened products and drinks that need it. Tesco Groceries says to refrigerate its cold-brew concentrate after opening and its listed NESCAFÉ concentrate after opening; Food Standards Agency MyHACCP guidance calls for appropriate cooling, refrigerated storage and temperature monitoring where necessary.
For food businesses in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, GOV.UK and Food Standards Agency guidance requires allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink. Milk is a listed allergen. Keep the exact labels for the coffee and every added ingredient, and provide information for the drink as served; ask the relevant local authority about your setup.
If your activity is a food business, the Food Standards Agency says you must register with your local authority at least 28 days before trading or food operations begin. Whether your particular activity is a food business depends on its circumstances, so check with the relevant local authority and ask the organiser about trader conditions before selling.