For a conference, plain sparkling water is a straightforward main option when you want an unsweetened drink; add a clearly labelled flavoured choice if variety matters, or choose branded bottles when the service format calls for them. Check each flavoured drink’s ingredients rather than treating “no added sugar” as a promise that it contains no sweeteners, and keep current product information available for attendees’ dietary questions.
Plain sparkling water gives attendees a choice without relying on a flavoured drink’s sugar claim. If you add flavoured bottles, check their ingredients for sweeteners and acids before describing the choices on the drinks menu.
Keep the labels for the drinks actually supplied accessible to staff. Food Standards Agency guidance says food businesses must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink; Food Standards Scotland provides guidance for businesses in Scotland.
Individual bottles may suit place settings, while larger bottles can be set out for shared service. Check the pack size and how opened bottles must be stored before deciding which format fits the event.
Set the main drink choice first, then compare labels and serving formats for any alternatives.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Plain option | Check the exact product’s ingredients and sugar declaration. Sainsbury’s lists its plain sparkling spring water as spring water and carbon dioxide; Tesco lists the Highland Spring 6 × 1 L pack as having no sugar. | I want an unsweetened sparkling drink that can serve as the main option, with flavour offered separately. |
| Flavoured option | Read both the nutrition declaration and ingredient list. Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar lemon-and-lime water contains sucralose; its Maison Perrier Forever lime listing describes a distinct product with 0 sugar and 0 sweeteners. | Some attendees may want flavour, while others want to avoid particular sweeteners. I need the choices labelled distinctly. |
| Drinks throughout the day | Offer still water alongside fizzy choices. Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust warns that fizzy and diet drinks can cause tooth wear; a sugar-free label does not establish a dental benefit. | At a long event, I want attendees to have a still-water choice as well as sparkling drinks. |
| Dietary information | Check the labels on the delivered packs and make allergen information accessible. Food Standards Agency guidance covers prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink; consult Food Standards Scotland’s guidance for service in Scotland. | If an attendee asks about a drink’s ingredients or allergens, staff need information for the product being served. |
| Serving format | Compare bottle volumes and pack quantities against table or shared service. Follow each pack’s instructions after opening: Tesco’s Highland Spring 6 × 1 L listing says to refrigerate and use within seven days. | I need portions that fit the way drinks will be served, without assuming every opened bottle has the same storage instructions. |
These are different claims. Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar lemon-and-lime water lists sucralose, while M&S sugar-free lemon-and-lime water lists steviol glycosides.
Check the ingredient list for each flavoured option and identify sweetener-containing drinks separately from plain water.
Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust cautions that fizzy and diet drinks can cause tooth wear. A sugar claim alone does not support a dental-health claim.
Keep menu wording neutral and offer still water alongside sparkling drinks.
An online description may not reflect the label on the bottles delivered for the event. That matters when staff answer questions about a particular drink.
Check the received packs and keep their current labels or supplier information available to the service team.
These examples show how ingredients and serving formats can differ; check the particular product rather than applying one label claim to an entire range.
A branded mineral-water option for individual bottles or table service.
Perrier lists glass-bottle, slim-can and plastic-bottle formats for its carbonated mineral water.
A sparkling spring-water option available in a 6 × 1 L pack listed by Tesco.
An own-label sparkling-water option for organisers considering larger packs.
Its listed options include plain sparkling spring water and a flavoured no-added-sugar multipack.
A flavoured option for individual 500 ml servings.
These options cover plain sparkling water in individual and shared-service packs, plus one lemon-flavoured soda-water alternative. Choose by the ingredient and serving information relevant to your event, and confirm dietary details on the delivered packs.
No image available
Six 500 ml bottles suit individual or table service. The listed ingredients are natural mineral water and carbon dioxide, with 0 g sugars and 0 kcal per 100 ml. Check the delivered label for service.
No image available
Eight individual bottles provide a plain sparkling option. The product information lists carbonated natural mineral water and states 0 g sugars and 0 kcal per 100 ml. It says to refrigerate after opening and consume within three days; check the delivered pack instructions.
No image available
The 1 L bottles provide a plain sparkling option for shared service. Tesco describes this 6 × 1 L product as carbonated spring water with no sugar and no calories, and advises refrigeration after opening and use within seven days. Check the delivered label and storage instructions.
No image available
This lemon-flavoured drink offers individual portions rather than a plain-water option. Its product information reports 0 g sugars and 0 kcal and lists water, carbon dioxide, flavouring and sodium bicarbonate. If avoiding sweeteners or checking allergens matters, confirm the current pack label before serving; refrigerate after opening and consume promptly as directed.
No image available
Four bundles of eight 500 ml bottles provide 16 L in individual portions for a larger event. Check the current pack’s complete ingredients and nutrition declaration if these are needed for your drinks information. The product description advises using opened bottles within seven days.
Plain sparkling water is a straightforward main option when you want an unsweetened drink; offer flavoured water separately if variety matters. Check the flavoured product’s ingredient list, since sugar claims do not tell you whether it contains sweeteners or acids.
No. Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar lemon-and-lime sparkling water lists sucralose, and M&S sugar-free lemon-and-lime sparkling water lists steviol glycosides. Read the ingredients for the exact drink you plan to serve.
A sugar-free claim does not establish that. Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust warns that fizzy and diet drinks can cause tooth wear, so keep dental-health claims off the drinks menu and offer still water too.
Food businesses must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink, according to Food Standards Agency guidance; Food Standards Scotland provides guidance for Scotland. Keep current information for the products served where attendees and staff can access it.
Follow that bottle’s storage instructions rather than applying one period to every brand. Tesco’s Highland Spring 6 × 1 L listing says to refrigerate after opening and use within seven days; check the delivered pack and the venue’s food-safety procedures.