Take concentrated cordial and chilled sparkling water if you want to make several drinks and adjust their strength as you serve them; check the dilution instructions and bring enough water to match. A ready-to-drink sparkling presse avoids mixing, but its stated serving yield and opened-bottle instructions may suit a different picnic plan. Check ingredients on the pack and keep drinks that require chilling cool.
The practical divide is whether you can mix drinks at the picnic or need to pour them straight away.
Concentrated cordial can make several drinks from one bottle if you bring sparkling water and cups. Check the particular cordial’s dilution ratio before deciding how much water to pack: the Robinsons, Belvoir and Waitrose examples listed by Ocado and Waitrose & Partners use different ratios.
A ready-to-drink sparkling drink removes the mixing step. Check its bottle volume and stated servings against your group size; Waitrose & Partners lists three servings for its 750 ml No.1 Sparkling Elderflower Presse.
Read the current pack for allergens, dietary labelling and nutrition on the relevant serving basis. For example, Ocado lists sulphites in Robinsons Lime & Mint cordial, while the requirements of other flavours and drinks may differ.
Choose the serving format first, then work out quantities using each drink’s own instructions rather than comparing bottle sizes alone.
Choose it when: You want to mix drinks for several people or adjust the strength as you pour.
Allow for: Bringing sparkling water as well as the cordial and following that bottle’s dilution instructions.
Choose it when: Pouring without measuring or mixing matters more to your picnic setup.
Allow for: Carrying the drink at its ready-to-serve volume, with no option to change its prepared dilution.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Serving format | Check whether the bottle is a concentrate for mixing with sparkling water or a carbonated drink ready to pour. For cordial, follow its stated dilution instructions. | I can bring water and mix drinks as people arrive, or I need something ready to serve straight away. |
| Number of drinks | Use stated servings and prepared-drink volume, not concentrate bottle size alone. Ocado lists 14 servings at 1:6 for Robinsons Lime & Mint; Waitrose & Partners lists 22 servings of 250 ml at 1:10 for Belvoir Elderflower & Rose and three servings for its 750 ml sparkling elderflower presse. | How many people am I serving, and can I carry enough sparkling water if I choose cordial? |
| Ingredients and nutrition | Read allergens on the exact pack. Compare sugar figures only on a like-for-like prepared-drink basis, noting each product’s stated serving size. | I want to check what guests can drink and compare the drinks as they will actually be served. |
| Keeping drinks cool | Follow the pack’s chilled-storage and after-opening instructions. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping picnic items normally stored in the fridge cool in a shaded cool box or bag with ice or gel packs. | I need a way to keep chilled items cool while we travel, serve drinks and spend time outdoors. |
Cordial needs diluting; a sparkling presse is already mixed. Comparing their undiluted bottle volumes will not tell you how many prepared drinks each provides.
Decide whether mixing is practical, then compare the stated yield and serving size of the drinks you are considering.
With cordial, you also need to bring sparkling water if you want a fizzy drink.
Instructions differ: Ocado lists 1:6 for Robinsons Lime & Mint, while Waitrose & Partners lists 1:10 for Belvoir Elderflower & Rose and 1:4 for Waitrose No.1 Elderflower Cordial.
Follow the ratio and stated yield on your chosen bottle, then plan water and cups for your group.
The reviewed cordial examples include sulphite declarations, and recipes or label information can change. An ingredient detail from one flavour does not establish what is in another.
Check the physical label of the exact drink before serving it to anyone with an allergy or dietary requirement.
The Food Standards Agency advises keeping foods normally stored in the fridge cool, shading the cool box and returning remaining food to it after serving.
Pack chilled items with ice or gel packs and, where practical, keep frequently accessed drinks separate from perishable food.
These ranges illustrate concentrate and ready-to-drink choices; check the label of the particular drink you select.
Robinsons lists fruit cordials including Elderflower and Lime & Mint.
Tesco Groceries lists concentrated cordials alongside ready-to-drink sparkling options in its adult-soft-drinks range.
Sainsbury’s lists branded and Taste the Difference cordials, including Sicilian Lemon & Mint and Ginger & Lemongrass variants.
M&S lists cordials intended for dilution with still or sparkling water.
Waitrose & Partners lists both No.1 Elderflower Cordial and No.1 Sparkling Elderflower Presse.
These sparkling drinks fit a picnic plan that avoids mixing cordial with water. They are ready-to-drink options, not concentrated cordials; check each pack’s ingredients and serving information for your group.
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This ready-to-drink sparkling option avoids mixing at the picnic. The listing says to serve it chilled, refrigerate after opening and consume within three days. Check the current pack if coconut, possible traces of soy or wheat, or sugar per serving matter to your group.
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The listing describes a fizzy drink served chilled and names picnics as a use case. The pack contains 12 bottles of 600 ml each, so consider how you will carry and chill them. Check the current labels for ingredients, nutrition and after-opening instructions.
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This fizzy elderflower drink comes in a 330 ml can and needs no cordial-mixing step. The listing says to serve it chilled and to keep opened contents cold and consume them within 24 hours. Check the can’s nutrition information if comparing it with drinks in different serving sizes.
Take cordial with sparkling water if you can mix drinks and want to adjust their strength; take a ready-to-drink presse if immediate pouring matters more. Check stated servings before packing: Waitrose & Partners lists three servings for its 750 ml sparkling elderflower presse, while its No.1 Elderflower Cordial says it makes 2.5 litres when diluted as directed.
Yes, for cordials whose instructions allow it. Ocado suggests sparkling or still water for Robinsons Lime & Mint at 1:6; Waitrose & Partners lists sparkling-water directions of 1:10 for Belvoir Elderflower & Rose and 1:4 for Waitrose No.1 Elderflower Cordial. Follow the ratio on the bottle you buy.
Follow the exact product’s storage instructions, as they differ. Waitrose & Partners says to refrigerate its No.1 Sparkling Elderflower Presse below 5°C and consume it within three days, while its Belvoir Elderflower & Rose Cordial listing says to refrigerate and use within three weeks.
Check the physical label of the exact drink before serving. Ocado lists sulphur dioxide or sulphites in Robinsons Lime & Mint, and Waitrose & Partners lists sodium metabisulphite in its No.1 Elderflower Cordial; do not assume another flavour has the same ingredients.
The Food Standards Agency advises keeping foods normally stored in the fridge cool in a cool box or bag with ice or gel packs. Keep the box shaded, return remaining food after serving and, where practical, use separate cool boxes for drinks and perishable food.