Who is each format for?

Festival-food operators serving diluted drinks

Bottled cordial suits a staffed point that can provide water, measure the dilution and follow the chosen product’s storage instructions after opening.

Shoppers seeking individual cans

A ready-to-drink canned multipack provides separate portions without a dilution step. Check the product name rather than assuming a canned soft drink is concentrated cordial.

Event planners checking ingredients and packaging

Check the exact drink’s label for ingredients and dietary statements, and obtain the event’s packaging rules before choosing bottles or cans.

What should you check before ordering?

Bottled cordial concentrate

Choose it when: A staffed serving point can provide water and prepare drinks to the bottle’s dilution instructions.

Allow for: Cups, preparation and the chosen cordial’s after-opening storage instructions.

Ready-to-drink cans

Choose them when: The plan calls for individual, pre-mixed portions and the festival permits cans.

Bear in mind: A canned soft drink does not replace concentrate where the serving plan specifically requires cordial.

Priority What to check Your needs
Drink format Check whether the product is concentrate for dilution or a pre-mixed drink. Confirm the container type and number of portions. If I need cordial to mix at a serving point, a ready-to-drink canned soft drink will not meet that requirement.
Dilution and yield Read the exact bottle’s ratio and stated yield. Waitrose & Partners lists Robinsons Ginger & Orange at 14 servings with 1 part cordial to 6 parts water, and Belvoir Lime at 18 servings with a 1:8 dilution. For a staffed stall, I need to estimate servings from the cordial I actually buy and prepare each drink consistently.
After-opening storage Follow the chosen label’s refrigeration and use-within instructions. Waitrose & Partners lists three weeks after opening for Belvoir Lime and refrigeration below 5°C with use within one month for Waitrose No.1 Elderflower. I may open bottles gradually if demand is uncertain, while keeping opened stock as its label requires.
Ingredients and dietary statements Read the current label for ingredients, sweeteners, allergens and any vegetarian or vegan statement on the exact flavour. When serving people with different requirements, I cannot apply one cordial’s ingredient list to another.
Event packaging Check the organiser’s written rules for bringing in and handling cans or bottles, including glass where relevant. Before ordering drinks for an event, I need to know which containers its organiser will accept.

What can go wrong with the format?

  • Treating ready-to-drink cans as cordial

    A pre-mixed canned soft drink cannot be diluted and served as concentrated cordial. Conversely, concentrate needs water and a way to prepare portions.

    Decide whether the serving plan calls for concentrate, individual cans or both before comparing products.

  • Overlooking instructions after opening

    Storage and use-within directions vary by cordial. Waitrose & Partners lists refrigeration and use within three weeks for Belvoir Lime, while its Waitrose No.1 Elderflower listing specifies below 5°C and use within one month.

    Plan portions using the exact bottle’s stated yield, open bottles as needed and follow their labels after opening.

  • Assuming cordials share one ingredient profile

    Ingredients and dietary statements depend on the exact product and flavour, so a claim on one bottle does not describe every cordial.

    Check the current label for ingredients, allergens and any dietary statement before selecting a drink for service.

  • Ordering bottles before checking event rules

    A festival’s rules for containers may affect whether a chosen bottled cordial can be brought in or used at the serving point.

    Get the organiser’s written packaging requirements first. If the chosen container is restricted, look for an approved format without assuming canned cordial is available.

Which cordial brands are relevant?

These are references for comparing bottled concentrates; their inclusion does not establish that a canned cordial multipack is available.

Robinsons

Waitrose & Partners lists Ginger & Orange as a 500ml cordial concentrate.

  • The listing states 14 servings when diluted 1 part concentrate to 6 parts water.
  • It needs dilution rather than serving directly from a can.

Belvoir Farm

Its Lime Cordial is listed by Waitrose & Partners in a 500ml bottle.

  • The listing states a 1:8 dilution and 18 servings.
  • It requires refrigeration after opening and use within three weeks, according to the listing.

Bottlegreen

Tesco Groceries lists Bottlegreen cordial, while Waitrose & Partners lists a 500ml Elderflower bottle.

  • The Waitrose Elderflower listing states a 1:15 dilution and 32 glasses, based on 250ml glasses.
  • That listing calls for refrigeration after opening and use within one month.

Waitrose No.1

Waitrose & Partners lists its Elderflower Cordial as a 500ml concentrate.

  • At the listed dilution of 1 part cordial to 4 parts water, the bottle makes 2.5 litres.
  • The listing instructs refrigeration below 5°C after opening and use within one month.

Ready-to-drink cans on Joybuy

This canned soft drink is an option for individual, pre-mixed portions, not cordial for dilution. Check the festival’s rules on cans before ordering.

Tango Apple Sugar-Free Can 24 x 330ml

Tango Apple Sugar-Free Can 24 x 330ml

A ready-to-drink apple soft drink for individual portions, supplied as 24 cans of 330ml. It is not cordial concentrate; check whether the event permits cans.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Is a canned soft-drink multipack the same as cordial?

No. Cordial is a concentrate diluted with water, whereas a ready-to-drink canned soft drink is pre-mixed. Tesco Groceries’ reviewed cordial listings show bottled products; they do not establish that cordial multipacks in cans are available.

How much drink does a bottle of cordial make?

Use the exact bottle’s dilution and yield. Waitrose & Partners lists 14 servings for Robinsons Ginger & Orange at 1 part cordial to 6 parts water, 18 servings for Belvoir Lime at 1:8, and 2.5 litres for Waitrose No.1 Elderflower at 1 part cordial to 4 parts water.

How should opened cordial be stored during an event?

Follow the label for the product being served. The Waitrose & Partners listings instruct refrigeration and use within three weeks for Belvoir Lime, and refrigeration below 5°C with use within one month for Waitrose No.1 Elderflower.

Do festival venues need to separate waste?

In England, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs workplace recycling guidance includes temporary-event venues such as festivals and says workplaces must separate waste before collection. Check the applicable requirements for the event’s location and the organiser’s instructions; that England guidance does not establish one rule for every UK nation.