Start with plain sparkling water, then add a clearly labelled zero-sugar cola and a non-cola drink where they suit the attendees and service format. Check each exact pack for sugars per 100ml, caffeine, sweeteners, ingredients and storage instructions: a zero-sugar drink is not necessarily caffeine-free.
The useful mix depends on whether drinks will be poured at a staffed table, taken into separate rooms or selected by attendees who need to read the label.
Offer distinct choices rather than several drinks with the same profile: plain sparkling water, a cola option and a non-cola flavour give attendees different starting points. Check which of the flavoured drinks contain caffeine or sweeteners.
Read the nutrition panel per 100ml on each exact variant. A standard drink and its zero-sugar version can have different sugar figures even when they share a brand and flavour.
Keep current pack information accessible, particularly when pouring drinks into cups. The Food Standards Agency says food businesses in retail and catering must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink.
Choose the drink profiles first, then match pack sizes to where and how they will be served. Compare nutrition figures on the same per-100ml basis rather than judging by bottle size.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | Compare sugars per 100ml on the exact pack. Distinguish plain sparkling water, zero-sugar variants and standard fizzy drinks by their labels. | I want a sparkling choice without sugar as well as any standard fizzy drinks on the table. |
| Caffeine and sweeteners | Check the caffeine description and ingredient list separately from the sugar figure. Keep the label available where ingredients matter to an attendee. | A zero-sugar cola would be useful, but I also need a clearly identifiable caffeine-free or unsweetened choice. |
| Flavour range | Check whether each addition offers cola, fruit flavour or unflavoured water, and whether its sugar and caffeine profile differs from drinks already selected. | Not everyone will want cola; a non-cola drink and plain sparkling water give people other options. |
| Serving format | Match shared bottles or individual cans and bottles to the service plan. Read the exact pack’s instructions for refrigeration and use after opening. | For a staffed drinks table, I can plan how to pour shared bottles. Across separate meeting rooms, labelled individual servings may be easier to distribute. |
Pepsi UK lists caffeine in Pepsi Max, while Coca-Cola GB lists caffeine in Dr Pepper Zero. A zero-sugar label answers a different question from a caffeine-free label.
Include a separately identified caffeine-free choice or plain sparkling water, and keep ingredient labels accessible.
Tesco Groceries instructs buyers of its cited 2L sparkling water and cola products to refrigerate them after opening and consume them within three days. Pouring drinks into cups also separates the drink from its pack label.
Plan which breaks will use shared bottles and how attendees can obtain product information. Consider individual cans or bottles for rooms away from a staffed table.
Opened bottles may go unused if the quantity exceeds what those breaks require.
Coca-Cola GB lists 4.4g sugars per 100ml for standard Sprite and 0g for Sprite Zero; its Dr Pepper information likewise distinguishes the standard and Zero variants.
Check the full product name, sugars per 100ml, ingredients and pack size when ordering, then use the current physical label for service information.
These examples show why the variant matters more than the brand name alone; check the label on the product you actually order.
Its original-taste and Zero Sugar lines should be treated as separate choices.
Pepsi Max is a cola option when a zero-sugar drink containing caffeine fits the range.
The standard and Zero versions offer different sugar profiles within a lemon-and-lime range.
A fruit-flavoured route for a drinks table that would otherwise contain only cola and water.
Its standard and Zero products need separate nutrition and ingredient checks.
Its cited own-label products illustrate both a plain sparkling-water route and a caffeine-free cola route.
These options cover plain sparkling water, individually served cola and a lemon-flavoured fizzy drink for conference breaks. Their pack formats differ, so choose against the way drinks will be served rather than treating them as interchangeable.
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A caffeine-free cola in individual cans for breaks where attendees take their own drink. Check the can’s sweeteners and ingredient information when planning alternatives for the table.
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Plain sparkling mineral water in six 1L bottles for a shared drinks table. Plan how opened bottles will be handled and check the pack’s storage instructions.
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Plain sparkling water in individual 500ml bottles for breaks across separate rooms. Keep the bottle label available to the person taking the drink and follow its storage instructions if opened.
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A cherry-flavoured cola in individual cans for attendees who want a flavoured alternative. Check the can’s caffeine and sweetener information, and place a separately identified caffeine-free drink alongside it where needed.
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A lemon-flavoured non-cola option in individual cans. Check sugars per 100ml on this exact variant rather than treating it as a zero-sugar choice, and confirm the can’s caffeine information if that distinction matters.
A clearly labelled sugar-free choice gives attendees an alternative if standard fizzy drinks are also served. The GOV.UK Eatwell Guide includes water and sugar-free drinks among drinks that count towards fluid intake; check the exact product label rather than assuming every variant of a brand has the same sugar content.
The Food Standards Agency says food businesses in retail and catering must provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink. Keep accurate product information accessible, including when drinks are poured from their original packs.
For the cited Tesco 2L sparkling-water and cola products, Tesco Groceries instructs buyers to refrigerate after opening and consume within three days. Follow the instructions on the exact bottles purchased; do not apply that period to every drink.
No. Pepsi UK lists caffeine in Pepsi Max, and Coca-Cola GB lists it in Dr Pepper Zero. If a caffeine-free choice matters, select a product explicitly identified as caffeine-free and check its current ingredient label.