Black-coffee drinkers
If you want coffee without milk or a sweetened latte format, check the ingredient list and sugars panel. Coffee Friend UK lists fresh coffee and filtered water, with 0g sugars per 100ml, for Sandows Cold Brew Coffee.
Who is each format for?
The useful distinction for brunch is whether you want black coffee, a decaffeinated latte-style drink or a larger drink intended to stand in for food.
Guests looking for a decaffeinated oat latte
Sainsbury's lists Nolo Decaf Classic Cold Brew Oat Latte as plant-based and made without added sugar or sweeteners. Its 250ml can still lists 4.8g sugars, and its oat ingredients matter if you need to check allergens.
People choosing a meal-style drink
Tesco lists 30g protein, 9g fibre, 500 kcal and 23g sugars per 500ml bottle of yfood Cold Brew Coffee. Check the whole-bottle figures if you intend to drink it alongside brunch rather than instead of part of the meal.
What should you check before buying?
Choose the serving format first, then compare the sugars, caffeine and ingredients for the amount you will actually drink.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read both the ingredient list and ‘of which sugars’ per 100ml and per serving. A no-added-sugar claim does not mean 0g sugars: Sainsbury's lists 4.8g per 250ml Nolo can, while Tesco lists 23g per 500ml yfood bottle. | I want to know how much sugar is in the drink I will finish, not just whether sugar was added. |
| Caffeine | Check milligrams for the full bottle or your intended pour, as well as any pack warning. Coffee Friend UK lists Sandows at 40.5mg per 100ml; Tesco lists Grenade Killa Caffè Latte at 150mg per 250ml; Nolo is labelled decaffeinated by Sainsbury's. | For a late brunch, I may prefer a decaffeinated drink. If I am pregnant, I also need to count other caffeine that day against the NHS advice of no more than 200mg daily. |
| Milk, oats and sweeteners | Check the current pack's ingredients and allergen information. Sainsbury's lists oat ingredients in Nolo; Tesco lists milk ingredients and sweeteners in Grenade Killa Caffè Latte. | A dairy-free oat drink may suit my preferences, but I still need to check oats. ‘No added sugar’ alone does not answer whether a drink contains sweeteners. |
| Serving format | Distinguish ready-to-drink bottles and cans from concentrates requiring dilution. For a meal-style bottle, compare nutrition for the whole serving rather than assuming it is equivalent to black coffee. | Am I pouring a coffee with brunch, preparing one at home, or choosing a larger drink in place of some food? |
Common label-reading mistakes
-
Taking ‘no added sugar’ to mean sugar-free
Under the no-added-sugar claim wording published by legislation.gov.uk, sugars or foods used for their sweetening properties must not have been added. The claim does not say that the finished drink contains no sugars: Sainsbury's lists 4.8g per Nolo can, and Tesco lists 23g per yfood bottle.
Compare the ‘of which sugars’ figures on the same serving basis, then read the ingredients to understand what kind of drink you are choosing.
-
Judging caffeine by the words ‘cold brew’
Caffeine figures use different serving bases. Coffee Friend UK lists Sandows at 40.5mg per 100ml, Ocado lists a 20mg-per-100ml warning for yfood, and Tesco lists 150mg in one 250ml Grenade Killa Caffè Latte.
Work from the amount you plan to drink. During pregnancy, the NHS advises no more than 200mg caffeine a day from all sources; Ocado's yfood listing also carries a warning against use during pregnancy or breast-feeding.
-
Assuming plant-based or lactose-free settles an allergy check
An oat latte contains oat ingredients, and lactose-free does not mean milk-free. Waitrose's listing for a lactose-free Starbucks iced coffee explicitly says it is unsuitable for people with a milk allergy.
Check the current product's ingredients and allergen emphasis for the specific ingredient you need to avoid. GOV.UK explains that specified allergens must be clearly labelled when they are ingredients in prepacked food or drink.
-
Picking a meal-style coffee when you wanted a drink with brunch
Tesco lists 500 kcal, 30g protein and 23g sugars for the full 500ml yfood Cold Brew Coffee bottle. Those are whole-bottle figures worth considering if you will also have a brunch meal.
Decide whether the bottle is intended to accompany food or take the place of some of it before comparing it with a black coffee or a smaller latte.
Brand and product-line references
These examples show how differently cold-brew drinks can be formulated; each description applies to the named product, not every drink from that brand.
Sandows
Coffee Friend UK lists Sandows Cold Brew Coffee as a ready-to-drink black coffee made with fresh coffee and filtered water.
- The listing gives 0g sugars and 40.5mg caffeine per 100ml.
- It is caffeinated and does not provide a latte-style serving.
Nolo
Sainsbury's lists Nolo Decaf Classic Cold Brew Oat Latte as a decaffeinated, plant-based 250ml drink without added sugar or sweeteners.
- It offers a decaffeinated oat-latte format.
- The can lists 4.8g sugars and contains oat ingredients.
yfood
Tesco lists yfood Cold Brew Coffee as a 500ml meal-style drink rather than a conventional black cold brew.
- The bottle lists 30g protein and 9g fibre.
- It also lists 500 kcal and 23g sugars; Ocado carries a high-caffeine warning of 20mg per 100ml.
Grenade
Tesco lists Grenade Killa Caffè Latte as a 250ml cold-brew coffee latte containing milk ingredients and sweeteners.
- The listed serving contains 21g protein and 1g sugar.
- The same serving contains 150mg caffeine.
M&S Food
M&S lists chilled oat and caramel cold-brew lattes, illustrating why the words ‘cold brew’ are not enough to establish a no-added-sugar choice.
- The product listings provide ingredient lists for checking each drink.
- Sugar appears in the ingredient lists of both the Plant Kitchen Chilled Cold Brew Oat Latte and Caramel Latte Cold Brew Coffee.
Joybuy coffee options
This Joybuy option is a black coffee concentrate for preparing a cold drink at home. Unlike the ready-to-drink bottles and cans discussed above, it needs diluting before serving.
No image available
J.ZAO Extra-Strong Americano Cold Brew Coffee Liquid, 25ml × 10 pouches
For a black coffee prepared at home, dilute a pouch with water; the product directions allow hot or cold preparation. The Joybuy listing identifies water and coffee ingredients and lists 0g sugars per 100ml. This is a concentrate, not a ready-to-drink bottle. If caffeine per prepared serving or cold-brew extraction matters to your choice, check those details on the current product information before buying.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean a cold brew contains no sugar?
No. The no-added-sugar claim wording published by legislation.gov.uk concerns sugars or foods added for sweetening; it does not establish that the finished drink has 0g sugars. Sainsbury's lists 4.8g sugars in a 250ml Nolo can, while Tesco lists 23g in a 500ml yfood bottle. Check the nutrition panel as well as the claim.
What should I choose for a black coffee with brunch?
Look for a coffee-and-water ingredient list and check the sugars and caffeine figures for your serving. Coffee Friend UK lists those ingredients and 0g sugars per 100ml for Sandows Cold Brew Coffee, alongside 40.5mg caffeine per 100ml.
What matters when choosing cold brew during pregnancy?
Check the drink's caffeine and account for other sources: the NHS advises no more than 200mg caffeine a day during pregnancy. Ocado's yfood Cold Brew Coffee listing warns that the product is not recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding women, while Tesco lists 150mg caffeine in a 250ml Grenade Killa Caffè Latte. Sainsbury's labels Nolo Decaf Classic Cold Brew Oat Latte as decaffeinated; check its current pack when choosing a drink.
How do I check allergens in a cold-brew latte?
Read the current pack's ingredients and allergen emphasis rather than relying on ‘plant-based’ or ‘lactose-free’. Sainsbury's lists oat ingredients in Nolo, and Tesco lists milk ingredients in Grenade Killa Caffè Latte. GOV.UK explains the labelling requirements for specified allergens in prepacked food and drink.