Bonfire Night hosts comparing sugars
If you are making a jug or several individual drinks, compare nutrition figures for the drink after dilution and mix each concentrate as directed. The NHS advises using per-100ml figures to compare drinks.
Who is this for?
Hosts checking guests’ ingredients
Check the exact bottle before serving guests with allergies, phenylketonuria (PKU) or particular sweetener preferences. The listed recipes differ, and the NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU.
Shoppers choosing by fruit flavour
A fruit-led, no-added-sugar cordial may suit a different flavour preference from lime or conventional squash. Check its total sugars rather than assuming that fruit-based and no-added-sugar mean sugar-free.
What should you check?
Choose a flavour and ingredient list that work for your guests, then compare sugar figures only where the labels describe drinks prepared on the same basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars after dilution | Use sugars per 100ml of prepared drink and follow each mixing direction. Tesco Groceries lists 0.1g for diluted Tesco Lime; Waitrose & Partners lists 0.3g for diluted Vimto No Added Sugar and 1.1g for Belvoir Cherries & Berries diluted 1-to-6. | I want to compare what will be in the glass, not an undiluted concentrate with a ready-to-serve drink. |
| Label wording | Read the no-added-sugar claim alongside total sugars on the nutrition panel. Waitrose & Partners states that its listed Vimto squash contains naturally occurring fruit sugars. | A no-added-sugar option interests me, but I also want to know how much sugar the prepared drink contains. |
| Ingredients | Check sweeteners and the current allergen declaration for each recipe. The NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU; Tesco Groceries lists sulphites in its Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar squash. | Guests’ ingredient restrictions matter more to me than choosing by a front-of-bottle claim alone. |
| Flavour and storage | Consider citrus, mixed-fruit or fruit-juice-led flavours. Check the opened-bottle instructions: Waitrose & Partners says its listed Belvoir cordial should be refrigerated and used within three weeks of opening. | I want a flavour people will drink and a bottle I can use as directed after Bonfire Night. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming no added sugar means no sugar
Fruit-based cordials can contain naturally occurring sugars even when labelled no added sugar.
Read the total sugars figure for the prepared drink as well as the front-of-bottle claim.
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Overlooking sweeteners and allergens
Recipes vary. The NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU, while some listed concentrates contain sulphites.
Check the current ingredients and allergen declaration on the exact bottle before serving guests with relevant restrictions.
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Comparing concentrate with a diluted drink
A figure for cordial as sold does not describe the same quantity of drink as a per-100ml figure after dilution.
Compare prepared-drink figures on the same per-100ml basis, then use each bottle’s mixing instructions.
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Relying only on an online listing
A listing may not reflect the bottle available when you shop, particularly for ingredients and allergens.
Check availability before the event and read the bottle’s current label and storage instructions.
Brand and retailer references
Robinsons
Waitrose & Partners lists several Robinsons no-added-sugar squash flavours, including Orange, Lemon and Apple & Blackcurrant.
- The listed range includes different flavours and bottle formats.
- Check the exact variant: one listing does not establish the ingredients or nutrition of every Robinsons squash.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists a no-added-sugar Lime Cordial with nutrition stated for the drink diluted according to instructions.
- Its listed sugars figure is 0.1g per 100ml of diluted drink.
- The listed recipe contains sweeteners and sodium metabisulphite; check the current label and availability.
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners lists own-label and branded no-added-sugar squash and cordial options, including Robinsons, Vimto and Belvoir products.
- The listed products offer different fruit flavours and recipes to compare.
- Check the individual bottle and local availability rather than treating a category listing as a guarantee for the event.
Belvoir Farm
Its listed No Added Sugar Cherries & Berries Cordial is a fruit-juice-led option sweetened with steviol glycosides.
- Waitrose & Partners states 1.1g sugars per 100ml when diluted 1-to-6, giving a prepared-drink figure to compare.
- It contains naturally occurring sugars and should be refrigerated and used within three weeks of opening, according to the listing.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists a Sicilian Lemon and Mexican Lime Cordial for shoppers considering a conventional citrus cordial.
- Its lemon-and-lime flavour offers an alternative to the listed berry and squash options.
- The listed recipe contains added sugar and declares 4.9g sugars per 100g as sold; that figure is not directly comparable with sugars per 100ml of diluted drink.
Joybuy squash options
These no-added-sugar squash concentrates offer orange, lemon, blackcurrant, tropical and mixed-fruit choices for Bonfire Night drinks. Check each bottle’s prepared-drink nutrition and ingredients before choosing for guests.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
An orange squash option for mixing drinks for a group. Check the bottle’s sugars per 100ml after dilution, mixing directions and allergen declaration before serving.
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Ribena Concentrated Blackcurrant No Added Sugar 1.5L
A blackcurrant concentrate for guests who prefer that flavour. Check that any sugars figure refers to the prepared drink; Tesco Groceries lists sweeteners and sodium bisulphite for this Ribena variant, so read the current label for guest suitability.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Real Fruit Lemon Squash 1L
A lemon-flavoured squash option for a shared jug. Check prepared-drink sugars and dilution on the current bottle; its ingredient and phenylalanine declarations matter if serving a guest with PKU.
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Ribena Pineapple and Passion Fruit No Added Sugar Squash 850ml
A pineapple-and-passion-fruit choice instead of citrus or blackcurrant. Check the prepared-drink sugars and dilution directions before comparing it with other squashes, and read the ingredient and allergen declarations for guests.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Squash 1L
A mixed-fruit squash option for a gathering. Check the current bottle for prepared-drink sugars, sweeteners, allergens and how long to keep it after opening.
Questions about cordial and squash
Does no added sugar mean a cordial contains no sugar?
No. Fruit-based drinks labelled no added sugar can still contain naturally occurring sugars, as the Waitrose & Partners Vimto listing makes clear. Check the total sugars figure for the drink after dilution.
How can I compare sugars in two concentrates?
Compare sugars per 100ml only when both figures describe drinks prepared as directed. Tesco Groceries lists 0.1g per 100ml for diluted Tesco Lime; Waitrose & Partners lists 0.3g for diluted Vimto No Added Sugar and 1.1g for Belvoir Cherries & Berries diluted 1-to-6.
Which ingredients should I check before serving guests?
Read the exact bottle’s sweeteners and allergen declaration. The NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU, and Tesco Groceries lists sulphites in its Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar squash.
How long will opened cordial keep after Bonfire Night?
Follow the storage instructions on the particular bottle. Waitrose & Partners says its listed Belvoir Cherries & Berries cordial should be refrigerated and used within three weeks of opening; Marks & Spencer gives two weeks for its listed Sicilian Lemon and Mexican Lime cordial.