For a first food shop, a glass-bottle cordial makes sense if you want a smaller bottle for occasional drinks, while concentrated no-added-sugar squash is worth considering if you expect to make drinks regularly. Packaging alone cannot tell you how the prepared drinks compare: check the dilution instructions, sugars on the same prepared basis, ingredients and storage directions for each bottle.
If you expect to dilute squash regularly, compare the preparation directions and stated servings before choosing by bottle size. Tesco lists 50 servings for its 750ml Quadruple Strength Orange Squash No Added Sugar when prepared as directed.
A smaller bottle may suit occasional still-water or sparkling-water drinks. Ocado identifies Robinsons Fruit Cordials Lime & Mint as a glass-bottle product containing 14 servings; check whether its flavour and opened-bottle directions fit how often you will use it.
Choose the drink and read its label before considering premium packaging. The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks to give children; check any squash’s ingredients, age guidance and dilution instructions separately.
Start with how often you expect to use the bottle, then compare the drinks as prepared rather than judging the concentrate by its packaging or size.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and ingredients | Compare sugars on the same diluted basis, such as per 100ml of prepared drink. Read the ingredient list if added sugar, sweeteners or particular ingredients matter to you. | I do not want a glass bottle or fruit-led flavour to stand in for checking what is in my drink. |
| Dilution and servings | Follow each label’s mixing directions and check its stated serving size. Tesco lists 50 servings for its 750ml Quadruple Strength Orange squash; Ocado lists 14 for Robinsons Fruit Cordials Lime & Mint. | If I will make drinks regularly, the number of prepared servings matters more to me than concentrate volume alone. |
| Storage after opening | Check whether the opened bottle needs refrigeration and when it should be used. Marks & Spencer says to refrigerate its Raspberry, Rhubarb and Hibiscus Cordial and consume it within two weeks of opening. | For occasional drinks, I want a bottle I can use within its stated opened-bottle period. |
| Bottle and disposal | Confirm glass packaging on the exact product rather than assuming it across a range. Recycle Now advises emptying and quickly rinsing glass bottles, replacing their lids or caps and checking local collection arrangements. | I may prefer a glass bottle, but I also need to know how to handle and dispose of it where I live. |
| Drinks for children | Read the exact product’s age guidance, ingredients and preparation directions. The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks to give children. | If children will drink it, I want to choose on the drink and its label, not on a fruit flavour or premium-looking bottle. |
A glass bottle identifies the packaging, not the sugars or ingredients in a prepared drink.
Read the nutrition and ingredient labels on the exact cordial and squash you are considering, using comparable diluted quantities.
Concentrates can have different dilution ratios, so equal-sized bottles need not make the same number of drinks.
Check the stated ratio, serving size and serving count before comparing bottles for regular use.
An occasional-use bottle still needs to fit its storage directions. Marks & Spencer instructs buyers to refrigerate its Raspberry, Rhubarb and Hibiscus Cordial and consume it within two weeks of opening.
Check the directions for your chosen variant and consider whether you will use it within that period.
Fruit flavour does not settle whether a squash belongs in a child’s everyday drinks. The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks to give children.
Keep the child’s usual drinks in mind, and check the squash label for ingredients, age guidance and preparation instructions.
These examples illustrate different bottles and preparation choices; the details apply to the named products, not every drink from each brand.
Ocado identifies Robinsons Fruit Cordials Lime & Mint as a glass-bottle cordial with 14 servings.
Tesco’s Quadruple Strength Orange Squash No Added Sugar is a 750ml concentrate labelled as 40% fruit from concentrate and 50 servings.
The M&S squash range includes fruit-led options; its Raspberry, Rhubarb and Hibiscus Cordial is one specific occasional-use example.
These concentrates are options if your first shop calls for everyday squash rather than a specifically confirmed glass-bottle cordial. Compare their variants and bottle instructions against how often you will make drinks.
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This 1L pink grapefruit squash is a no-added-sugar option for drinks made at home. Its preparation information specifies one part squash to four parts water; the ingredient information identifies barley and sulphites. Check the bottle’s opened-storage directions before choosing it for occasional use.
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This 1L orange concentrate is an option if you expect to make squash regularly. Its product information lists sweeteners and sulphites and instructs refrigeration and use within four weeks after opening. Check the bottle’s dilution directions before comparing prepared servings.
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This 1.5L blackcurrant concentrate is a larger-bottle option if you expect to use squash regularly. The preparation information specifies 50ml squash with at least four parts water and says to refrigerate after opening and use within four weeks. Its product information says it is not recommended for children under 3; check the label’s preparation basis before comparing nutrition figures with other drinks.
No. Glass identifies the bottle material, not the nutrition of the prepared drink. Compare sugars on the same diluted basis and read the ingredients on each exact product.
Check the dilution directions and stated serving size before comparing concentrate volume. Tesco lists 50 servings for its 750ml Quadruple Strength Orange squash, Ocado lists 14 for Robinsons Fruit Cordials Lime & Mint, and Waitrose & Partners lists 32 glasses of 250ml for Bottlegreen Elderflower Cordial when prepared at its stated 1:15 dilution.
The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks to give children. If you are also buying squash, check the exact bottle’s ingredients, age guidance and dilution instructions rather than choosing by fruit flavour or packaging.
Recycle Now advises emptying the bottle, giving it a quick rinse and putting its lid or cap back on. Check your local council’s collection arrangements for where to put it.
Follow the instructions on the exact bottle, because they differ. Marks & Spencer says to refrigerate its Raspberry, Rhubarb and Hibiscus Cordial and consume it within two weeks of opening.