Workers packing several lunches
Separate cans or bottles let you set aside an unopened drink for each workday, rather than carry a partly used shared bottle.
Who is choosing for office lunches?
Shoppers keeping track of caffeine
If coffee, tea or cola is also part of the day, compare the caffeine in the whole can or bottle and consider those other drinks too.
Shoppers comparing sugars
Regular and sugar-free variants need to be checked individually. A brand name or pack size does not tell you the sugars in the serving you plan to drink.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the container you would pack for one lunch, then compare its label and storage instructions—not just the total volume in the shopping basket.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine per serving | Check the whole container size and its caffeine amount, whether the label gives it per container or per 100ml. Include other caffeinated drinks when considering the day. | I want to know how much caffeine is in the can or bottle I plan to drink at lunch, particularly if I also have coffee or tea. |
| Sugars by variant | Compare sugars for the exact regular, sugar-free or zero-sugar variant, using the whole can or bottle as well as any per-100ml figure. | If I am choosing between variants, the amount in my actual lunch portion matters more than the name on the multipack. |
| Portion and storage | Count the separately sealed servings; check the size of each one and any refrigeration or use-by-opening instructions. | For several workdays, I would rather pack an unopened portion each day than rely on storing a partly used bottle at work. |
What can go wrong with a larger pack?
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Treating 2 litres across a multipack as one day's portion
Four 500ml cans add up to 2 litres, but that is the pack volume, not a serving suggestion. Ocado's Relentless Origin listing states 32mg caffeine per 100ml; the four cans together would contain 640mg.
Plan around one container at a time and consider caffeine from coffee, tea or cola as well.
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Assuming regular variants contain similar amounts of sugar
Red Bull UK lists 27g sugars for a 250ml can of Original Red Bull. Ocado lists 35g for a 500ml can of Monster Rio Punch and 19g for a 500ml can of Relentless Origin. These are different products and serving sizes.
Read the nutrition panel for the exact variant and compare the amount in the container you intend to drink.
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Opening a bottle without a storage plan
Ocado's Lucozade Energy Orange listing instructs shoppers to refrigerate the bottle after opening and drink it within four days.
If you cannot refrigerate an opened bottle, consider a sealed portion you can finish at lunch and follow its own label instructions.
Which brand formats are relevant?
These brand examples describe particular listed products and formats, not every drink each brand makes.
Red Bull
Tesco and Sainsbury's list 250ml-can multipacks, which provide separately sealed portions for different lunches.
- Red Bull UK states that its Original 250ml can contains 80mg caffeine and 27g sugars.
- Check the specific variant before comparing it with a sugar-free option; several cans in a pack are still several servings.
Monster
The reviewed supermarket listings include 500ml-can multipacks, so the size of an individual can matters as well as the pack count.
- An individual 500ml can gives a defined container size for one lunch.
- Ocado lists 160mg caffeine and 35g sugars for the specific Monster Rio Punch 500ml can; those figures should not be applied to other Monster variants.
Relentless
Relentless Origin appears in reviewed 4 × 500ml listings: 2 litres in total, divided among four cans.
- The separate cans can be allocated to different lunches.
- Ocado lists 32mg caffeine per 100ml and 19g sugars per 500ml can for Origin. The full pack is not one portion.
Lucozade Energy
The reviewed listings include individual bottles and 380ml-bottle multipacks for shoppers who prefer bottles to cans.
- Multipack bottles can remain sealed until their allotted lunch.
- Ocado's Lucozade Energy Orange listing says to refrigerate after opening and drink within four days; check the instructions on the variant purchased.
Joybuy options for separate lunches
These energy-drink multipacks contain separate cans or bottles for several office lunches, rather than one 2-litre bottle. Choose by the size of each container and the exact variant you want.
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Red Bull Energy Drink, 12 × 250ml
Twelve separate 250ml cans can be allocated across different packed lunches. Check the label of this pack when comparing caffeine and sugars per can.
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Red Bull Sugarfree Energy Drink, 12 × 250ml
Twelve separate 250ml cans offer a Sugarfree variant for lunches on different days. Check its own label for caffeine and nutrition information rather than using figures for Original Red Bull.
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Monster Energy Original Green, 9 × 500ml
Nine separate 500ml cans suit a plan to keep lunches individually portioned. Compare the whole-can caffeine and sugars on Original Green's label; figures for Monster Rio Punch describe a different variant.
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Lucozade Energy Orange, 8 × 380ml
Eight separate 380ml bottles offer a bottled portion for each of several lunches. Check caffeine on the bottle label, and plan to refrigerate a bottle if you do not finish it after opening.
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Lucozade Energy Original, 8 × 380ml
Eight separate 380ml bottles can be set aside for different workdays. Read this variant's label for caffeine and sugars per bottle; its product guidance says to refrigerate after opening and consume within four days.
Questions about portions and storage
Is a 2-litre energy-drink bottle necessary for several office lunches?
No. A multipack of separately sealed servings can cover several lunches without requiring you to store an opened shared bottle. The Tesco and Sainsbury's energy-drink listings reviewed show cans, smaller bottles and multipacks rather than a 2-litre energy-drink bottle; they do not establish what every UK retailer sells.
Does a 2-litre multipack mean a 2-litre serving?
No. A 4 × 500ml pack totals 2 litres across four containers. Plan the drink around the individual can and check its caffeine amount alongside any coffee, tea or cola you also have.
Can I use sugar figures from one energy drink to compare another?
No. Compare the exact variant and the amount in its whole container. Red Bull UK lists 27g sugars per 250ml can of Original Red Bull, while Ocado lists 35g per 500ml can of Monster Rio Punch; neither figure describes every product made by those brands.
What if I do not finish a bottle at lunch?
Follow that bottle's storage instructions. Ocado's Lucozade Energy Orange listing says to refrigerate after opening and drink within four days, so check whether you will have suitable chilled storage before planning to keep an opened bottle.
Is the proposed under-16 energy-drink restriction already in force?
Do not assume so from the policy announcement alone. In July 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed a planned ban in England on sales to under-16s of drinks, other than tea or coffee, containing more than 150mg caffeine per litre. Check the current commencement position and the retailer's age policy when purchasing.