Who is each format for?

The practical choice depends on whether you want to hand over a finished drink or prepare each cup at the stall.

Sellers who need quick service

Individual ready-to-drink coffees avoid measuring and mixing at the stall. M&S describes its cold-brew lattes as ready from the fridge; plan how you will transport and hold chilled stock in line with its label.

Organisers planning a larger number of cups

Concentrate lets you prepare drinks to a chosen recipe, but a carton’s stated yield is not a count of finished drinks waiting to be sold. Solo Coffee states 20–40 servings per 1 L carton, depending on how the drink is prepared.

Sellers mixing drinks on site

If you add milk or an alternative, or decant a product into cups, keep ingredient information for the drink as served. The Food Standards Agency says food businesses must provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink; your setup also needs appropriate handling for ingredients that require chilling.

What should you check before buying?

Set the intended number of finished cups and how you will serve them before comparing pack counts or concentrate yields.

Priority What to check Your needs
What “80” counts Check whether the figure describes individual drinks, pouches or a concentrate’s estimated yield. Confirm that the preparation method is cold brew if that is what you intend to sell. I want to plan 80 finished cold-brew drinks, not assume that any coffee product marked “80 servings” meets that requirement.
Concentrate yield Fix a cup size and mixing recipe before calculating cartons. Solo Coffee states 20–40 servings per 1 L carton; the upper end is conditional on the recipe used. If I mix drinks at the stall, I need a repeatable measure so the number of cups I can serve does not change unexpectedly.
Serving setup Check whether drinks are ready to hand over or need water, ice, milk, cups and a suitable dispensing method. M&S describes its cold-brew lattes as ready from the fridge. Quick handover matters to me, but I must also be able to carry and store the individual drinks. If I choose concentrate, I can make time and space for preparation.
Chilled storage Follow each product’s storage instructions, including any conditions after opening. The Food Standards Agency’s MyHACCP guidance calls for suitable refrigeration and temperature monitoring where necessary for the food operation. I need a way to transport and hold chilled drinks or ingredients at their required temperature throughout the sale.
Allergen information Keep labels and ingredient details available, and account for anything added to or changed in the drink. The Food Standards Agency requires food businesses to provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink. If I serve a latte or add milk or an alternative, I want customers to be able to identify the ingredients in the cup they receive.
Selling as a food business Check whether your activity is a food business before trading. GOV.UK and Food Standards Agency guidance says food businesses must register with their local authority, including those operating from temporary stalls or vans. Before I sell refreshments, I need to establish with the relevant local authority what applies to my planned activity.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Treating a serving range as an 80-drink box

    Solo Coffee states 20–40 servings per 1 L concentrate carton. Two cartons therefore correspond to 40–80 servings within that stated range, not a guaranteed 80 finished cups.

    Choose the cup size and mixing ratio, test the recipe, then calculate the concentrate and other ingredients needed for that specific serve.

  • Buying pods solely because the pack says “80 servings”

    Costco UK lists an 80-serving Costa Tassimo Americano pod multipack. It is a pod product for the Tassimo system, not a cold-brew product.

    If cold brew is the requirement, check the drink and preparation method rather than the serving count alone. Only consider pods for a different coffee-serving plan that can accommodate the compatible machine and its operating needs.

    A pod-serving setup also needs a compatible machine, power and the supplies used to prepare and serve the drinks.

  • Holding chilled lattes without temperature control

    M&S describes its classic cold-brew latte as ready from the fridge and says it contains semi-skimmed milk. The Food Standards Agency’s MyHACCP guidance calls for refrigeration and temperature monitoring where necessary for the operation.

    Follow the product label during transport and sale, using suitable chilled equipment rather than relying on the outdoor temperature.

  • Using the original label for a drink you have changed

    Adding milk or another ingredient changes what is in the served cup. Food Standards Agency guidance requires food businesses to provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked drinks.

    Keep the original product information and the details of added ingredients together, so the allergen information describes the drink you actually hand over.

Relevant brands and retailers

These examples illustrate different cold-coffee formats; a brand’s inclusion does not establish an 80-unit pack or a product’s availability at your chosen shop.

M&S

M&S describes individual cold-brew latte drinks, including a classic latte made with semi-skimmed milk and an oat latte it describes as dairy-free.

  • The ready-to-drink format avoids dilution at the stall.
  • For an 80-drink plan, account for the number of individual units, their transport and the storage instructions on their labels.

Tesco

Tesco lists a Finest Unsweetened Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate in a 500 ml bottle.

  • The concentrate format is an option for a stall set up to prepare drinks.
  • Check the bottle’s directions and your intended serving recipe before calculating how many bottles you need.

Sandows

Sandows says it makes cold-brew coffee in its London brewery.

  • It is a cold-brew-focused brand to consider when comparing formats.
  • Confirm the specific product’s pack count, serving method and storage instructions before planning an event purchase.

A Joybuy cold-brew option

This portioned cold-brew coffee liquid is an option for mixing drinks at a car boot sale, rather than a box of 80 ready-to-sell drinks.

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

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

For a stall where you can mix each drink on site, this pack provides 10 portioned pouches, not 80 finished servings. Plan for water and cups, and check the product’s storage instructions and ingredient information before selling drinks made from it.

View on Joybuy

Questions about serving cold brew

Does an 80-serving coffee pack give me 80 cold-brew drinks?

Not necessarily: the count must refer to the product and serving method you intend to use. For example, Costco UK’s 80-serving Costa Tassimo Americano pack contains pods for a Tassimo machine, while a concentrate’s number of finished drinks depends on the recipe. Check the format, preparation instructions and yield before buying for a cold-brew stall.

Could two 1 L cartons of concentrate make 80 drinks?

They could reach 80 only if your recipe produces 40 servings from each carton. Solo Coffee states a range of 20–40 servings per 1 L carton, so two cartons correspond to 40–80 servings within that range. Set and test one recipe before using the upper figure to plan stock.

Do I need to register to sell coffee at a car boot sale?

If your activity is a food business, GOV.UK and Food Standards Agency guidance says you must register with your local authority; its scope includes businesses trading from temporary premises such as a stall or van. Ask the relevant local authority how that applies to your planned activity.

What allergen information should I have when serving cold coffee?

Food businesses must provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink, according to the Food Standards Agency. Keep product labels and ingredient details available; if you add milk or another ingredient, make sure the information reflects the finished drink.

How should I handle chilled ready-to-drink coffee at the stall?

Follow the product’s storage instructions during transport and sale. M&S describes its cold-brew latte as ready from the fridge, and the Food Standards Agency’s MyHACCP guidance calls for suitable refrigeration and temperature monitoring where necessary for the food operation.