Shoppers who want fizzy squash
Mixing squash with sparkling water lets you adjust the strength of the drink. You will need both the concentrate and the water before dinner.
Who is each option for?
Shoppers comparing sugar information
No-added-sugar squash and ready-to-drink fruit drinks are different products. Check the nutrition panel for total sugars and the ingredients for juice, sugar or sweeteners.
Shoppers who want to pour and serve
A ready-to-drink sparkling pressé or fruit drink needs no dilution. Check the bottle size and its instructions for storage after opening if you are buying for one meal.
What should you check?
Decide whether you want to mix the drink or serve it straight from the bottle, then compare labels on the same nutrition basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fizz | For a ready-to-drink option, look for ‘sparkling’ or carbonated water on the label. For squash concentrate, follow its dilution directions and use sparkling water if you want fizz. | I want a fizzy drink with dinner, but need to know whether I can pour it immediately or must mix it first. |
| Sugars | Compare ‘of which sugars’ using the same per-100-g or per-100-ml basis, and read the ingredients. Marks & Spencer lists 4.1 g sugars per 100 g for its light elderflower pressé and 6.6 g per 100 g for its no-added-sugar apple and elderflower sparkling drink. | A ‘light’ or ‘no added sugar’ label is not enough for me to judge total sugars. |
| Preparation | Check whether the product is a concentrate or ready to drink. If choosing squash, check the pack dilution directions and have sparkling water to hand. | Some evenings I would rather open a bottle; on others, I want to adjust the strength of a mixed drink. |
| Ingredients and storage | Check the current allergen label and instructions after opening. Marks & Spencer lists sulphites in its standard elderflower pressé and says to refrigerate it and consume it within 3 days of opening. | If I am serving just one person, I want to know whether I can use the rest of the bottle within its stated opened life. |
Common buying mistakes
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Expecting squash concentrate to be fizzy in the bottle
A squash concentrate needs diluting, while a ready-to-drink sparkling pressé is already carbonated.
If you choose squash for a fizzy serve, have chilled sparkling water ready and follow the bottle’s dilution directions.
Sparkling water is a separate item to arrange for the meal.
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Reading ‘light’ or ‘no added sugar’ as ‘sugar-free’
Marks & Spencer lists 4.1 g sugars per 100 g for its light elderflower pressé and 6.6 g per 100 g for its no-added-sugar apple and elderflower sparkling drink.
Compare the sugars line on a consistent per-100-g or per-100-ml basis, and check the ingredients for juice, sugar and sweeteners.
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Overlooking the label and opened-bottle instructions
Marks & Spencer lists sulphites in its standard elderflower pressé and instructs shoppers to refrigerate it and consume it within 3 days after opening.
Check the current label for allergens and storage instructions, particularly if a bottle will last beyond one dinner.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show concentrate and ready-to-drink ranges; they do not describe every drink sold by each retailer.
Robinsons
Tesco and Sainsbury’s list Robinsons squash concentrates, including no-added-sugar and double-strength options.
- Concentrate gives you a choice of dilution strength.
- Add sparkling water if you want a fizzy serve.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label Quadruple Strength squash alongside other concentrates.
- Its listed flavours include lemon, orange and apple combinations.
- Check the individual bottle for its dilution directions and sugar information.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists squash and cordial concentrates from Robinsons and other brands.
- The listed range includes regular and no-added-sugar options.
- A concentrate needs mixing with sparkling water to make a fizzy drink.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists ready-to-drink sparkling elderflower pressés and an apple and elderflower sparkling drink.
- Its product pages identify carbonated spring water in these drinks.
- Sugar content varies between products; its elderflower pressés list sulphites.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists ready-to-drink sparkling juice drinks and pressés, including Bottlegreen, Shloer and Appletiser products.
- The listed range offers alternatives to mixing squash.
- Check each product’s own nutrition and allergen label before choosing.
Joybuy drink options
These options include ready-to-serve fizzy drinks and one squash concentrate for mixing with sparkling water. A ready-to-serve soft drink is an alternative for the meal, not sparkling squash.
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De Vina Sparkling Mango
A mango-flavoured sparkling option if you want to pour a drink rather than dilute squash. Check the current pack for its ingredients and sugars.
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Sprite, 8 × 330 ml
An eight-can soft-drink pack for serving with dinner instead of mixing squash. Check the current cans for ingredients and nutrition information.
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Tango Apple Sugar-Free, 24 × 330 ml cans
An apple-flavoured canned soft drink for serving without mixing. Check the current can for its ingredients and sugar information rather than relying on the product name alone.
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De Vina Sparkling Pineapple Coconut, 750 ml
A ready-to-pour sparkling drink with a pineapple-and-coconut flavour, rather than a squash concentrate. Check the current label for ingredients and sugars.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Squash, 1 L
A summer-fruits squash concentrate for mixing to the strength you prefer. Use sparkling water and follow the pack’s dilution directions if you want a fizzy drink; this is not ready-carbonated.
Questions about sparkling squash
Is ordinary squash already sparkling?
Do not assume it is. Squash concentrate needs diluting; for a fizzy serve, follow its label directions using sparkling water. If you want to pour straight from the bottle, choose a drink labelled sparkling or carbonated.
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean a sparkling drink has no sugars?
No. Marks & Spencer’s no-added-sugar Juicy Apple and Elderflower Sparkling Water lists 6.6 g sugars per 100 g and contains apple juice from concentrate. Check the total sugars line on the drink you choose.
What is simpler to serve with one TV dinner?
A ready-to-drink sparkling product needs no dilution. If you open a larger bottle for one meal, check how soon it must be used: Marks & Spencer says its standard elderflower pressé should be refrigerated and consumed within 3 days of opening.
What should I check on an elderflower pressé label?
Check the ingredients, allergens, sugars and storage instructions. Marks & Spencer lists sulphites in its standard and light elderflower pressés; use the current pack label when choosing a drink.