Who is this for?

Organisers serving around 240 guests

Work out how many finished drinks each pack provides, then consider the space and staff needed to serve them. A count of bags, pouches or bottles is not necessarily a count of prepared drinks.

Caterers checking ingredients for guests

Check the label of the exact drink being served, particularly when guests need an option without milk. The words “cold brew” do not establish a drink’s ingredient or allergen information.

Hosts planning the service

Decide whether guests will take individual chilled drinks or staff will prepare glasses from concentrate. Those approaches call for different amounts of measuring, mixing and chilled storage.

What matters when choosing?

Ready-to-drink cold brew

Choose when: You want an individual cold drink without measuring each serving.

Allow for: Enough individual units, appropriate storage and an ingredient check for the exact drink.

Cold coffee concentrate

Choose when: Staff can mix drinks to a consistent recipe during service.

Allow for: Measuring, other drink ingredients, ice where the recipe calls for it and the opened product’s storage instructions.

Portioned coffee bags

Choose when: Hot brewed coffee is acceptable in place of cold brew.

Allow for: Brewing time; confirm cold-water instructions before treating any bag as a cold-brew product.

Priority What to check Your needs
Format and yield Identify whether the count refers to finished drinks, concentrate portions or dry bags. Marks & Spencer lists a 250 ml ready-to-drink latte; Tesco says its 260 ml Starbucks concentrate makes eight glasses using 30 ml per glass. Tesco lists coffee bags in packs of 10 and 20, while Costco UK lists a 60 × 8 g pack. I need enough finished servings for the guest count, not simply a package with a large number on it.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current label for the exact drink and keep its ingredient information available during service. Marks & Spencer’s listed latte contains semi-skimmed milk; the Food Standards Agency provides allergen-information guidance for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink. If guests need a drink without milk, I need to identify and check a separate option rather than assume every cold brew is suitable.
Preparation and storage Check the serving recipe, equipment and storage instructions. Tesco specifies 30 ml of its Starbucks concentrate with 150 ml of semi-skimmed milk for each stated glass, and says to refrigerate the bottle after opening and consume it within 14 days. Can we mix drinks consistently while serving afternoon tea, and do we have the chilled space the chosen product requires?

What could go wrong?

  • Assuming 240 bags mean 240 cold-brew drinks

    Tesco and Costco UK list conventional coffee bags by pack count and weight; those listings do not establish a cold-water recipe or finished-drink yield.

    Ask for the exact bag’s brewing instructions, dosage, steeping time and number of finished servings before ordering for a cold-coffee service.

  • Choosing a latte without checking its ingredients

    Marks & Spencer’s listed cold-brew latte contains semi-skimmed milk and sugar, so the word “cold brew” does not make it an option without milk.

    Check the delivered label and arrange a separately checked alternative if guests need one.

  • Planning concentrate by bottle count alone

    Concentrate needs measuring and mixing to become a finished drink. Tesco’s listed Starbucks product also requires refrigeration after opening and consumption within 14 days.

    Calculate from the stated recipe, then plan the other drink ingredients, measuring tools, staff time and chilled storage.

  • Relying only on an online listing for allergen information

    The product served on the day needs to match the ingredient information available to guests and staff. The Food Standards Agency’s guidance covers allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink.

    Check the delivered packaging or current supplier specification and keep that information accessible during service.

Relevant brand references

M&S Food

Marks & Spencer lists a 250 ml Classic Latte Cold Brew Coffee intended to be enjoyed straight from the fridge.

  • An individual ready-to-drink serving simplifies counting drinks for a cold-coffee service.
  • This latte contains semi-skimmed milk and is not a box of portioned coffee bags; check the exact label and the quantity available for your event.

Starbucks Coffee At Home

Tesco lists a 260 ml Starbucks caramel-flavoured iced-coffee concentrate with a stated yield of eight glasses when prepared to its recipe.

  • The stated 30 ml concentrate and 150 ml semi-skimmed milk per glass provide a basis for planning that particular drink.
  • It needs preparation and refrigeration after opening; the listing does not establish that it is a cold-brew coffee bag or an unsweetened drink.

Sandows

Sandows describes brewing cold brew in London, while Coffee Friend UK describes a 200 ml ready-to-drink Sandows product.

  • Coffee Friend UK describes that product’s ingredients as coffee and filtered water.
  • Check the current label, pack size, storage instructions and ordering quantity for the specific product before using it for an event.

Joybuy product options

This portioned coffee liquid is an option for staff-prepared drinks; check its preparation directions before using it to meet a cold-brew brief.

J.ZAO Extra-Strong Americano Cold Brew Coffee Liquid, 10 pouches of 25 ml

J.ZAO Extra-Strong Americano Cold Brew Coffee Liquid, 10 × 25 ml pouches

The individually portioned liquid may suit a service where staff can prepare each drink. The title states 10 servings per pack; on that stated basis, 240 servings would require 24 packs. Check the pack’s mixing instructions, whether its preparation meets your cold-brew brief and whether the required quantity can be ordered.

View on Joybuy

Questions about serving cold coffee

Is a box of coffee bags automatically suitable for cold brew?

No. The coffee-bag listings from Tesco and Costco UK give pack counts but do not establish cold-water brewing instructions. Confirm the exact product’s brewing method, steeping time, yield and storage directions before planning to serve it cold.

How much concentrate would make 240 glasses?

Use the recipe for the specific concentrate. Tesco says its 260 ml Starbucks concentrate makes eight glasses using 30 ml concentrate and 150 ml semi-skimmed milk per glass; at that stated serving size, 240 glasses would take 30 bottles. Allow separately for the milk, ice and any change to serving size.

What allergen information should be available during service?

Keep current information for the drinks actually served, including any ingredients added while mixing. The Food Standards Agency’s guidance addresses allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink in retail and catering.

Does a cold-brew latte suit guests who need a drink without milk?

Not if it contains milk: Marks & Spencer’s listed Classic Latte Cold Brew Coffee contains semi-skimmed milk. Check the delivered label and provide a separately checked alternative where needed.

How should opened concentrate be stored?

Follow its own label. Tesco instructs users to refrigerate the opened Starbucks concentrate and consume it within 14 days; do not apply that period to a different product without checking its instructions.