For separate drinks without pouring, Tesco’s Yazoo 6 x 200ml pack provides six bottles; for sharing, Sainsbury’s lists five 200ml servings in a 1-litre Yazoo bottle, so bring cups and keep the opened drink cool. A 400ml Mars bottle provides only two portions, while any chilled milkshake needs a cool bag or box for the picnic.
Count the people who want a drink and decide whether separate bottles or cups for a shared bottle will be easier. Tesco lists six 200ml bottles in its Yazoo multipack; Sainsbury’s lists five 200ml servings in a 1-litre Yazoo bottle.
Check whether your chosen drink is sold chilled or has been opened before you leave. The Food Standards Agency’s picnic guidance says dairy products normally kept in the fridge need to stay cool in a cool bag or box.
Check sugars per 100ml and read the current ingredients for every drink. A “No Added Sugar” label does not mean sugar-free, and the allergens declared for one milkshake may differ from those in another.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Servings | Count bottles or stated portions, not just total volume. Tesco lists Yazoo as 6 x 200ml; Sainsbury’s lists five 200ml servings for Yazoo 1L; ASDA lists two portions for Mars 400ml. | We need a drink for each person, and separate bottles would save us pouring into cups. |
| Cold storage | Check the pack’s storage instructions and whether it is sold chilled. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping dairy products normally refrigerated in a cool bag or box at a picnic. | Our drinks may spend time outdoors, so I need a way to keep chilled bottles and any opened drink cool. |
| Nutrition label | Compare sugars per 100ml on current packs. ASDA lists 6.5g sugars per 100ml for its Mars drink despite the “No Added Sugar” label. | I want to compare the drinks on the same volume basis rather than judging sugar content by a front-of-pack phrase. |
| Ingredients | Read each current ingredient and allergen declaration before serving. ASDA identifies milk and barley in the Mars drink; GOV.UK explains that specified allergens in prepacked food must be clearly labelled. | Someone joining us may need to avoid an ingredient, so I want to check the exact bottles we buy. |
ASDA lists two portions in its 400ml Mars drink, compared with the five 200ml servings Sainsbury’s lists for Yazoo 1L and the six separate bottles in Tesco’s Yazoo multipack.
Count drinkers before choosing a format, and allow for cups if you take a sharing bottle.
ASDA’s Mars listing uses “No Added Sugar” but declares 6.5g sugars per 100ml.
Compare the sugars figure per 100ml on the current nutrition labels.
The Food Standards Agency advises keeping dairy products normally stored in the fridge cool during a picnic. Its heatwave advice also cautions against leaving food out for long when temperatures are higher than usual.
Pack chilled drinks in a shaded cool bag or box with ice or frozen gel packs, and take them out when needed.
A cool bag or box and ice packs add equipment to carry if the drinks need chilled storage.
The Yazoo and Mars listings identify milk, while the Mars listing also identifies barley. Ingredients can change between purchases.
Read the ingredients and allergen declaration on the exact pack before serving it.
Tesco lists a No Added Sugar chocolate drink in six 200ml bottles, while Sainsbury’s lists a 1-litre chocolate bottle with five 200ml servings.
ASDA lists the chocolate milk shake drink in a 400ml bottle containing two portions.
Sainsbury’s lists a 330ml chocolate-flavour milkshake as a chilled, individual bottle.
These Applied Nutrition packs provide separate bottles for a group, but they are adult-focused protein shakes rather than conventional family milkshakes. Check the pack guidance, ingredients and picnic storage instructions before choosing one for your group.
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Eight separate 330ml bottles avoid pouring from one shared container. This is an adult-focused protein shake: check the pack guidance if considering it for anyone under 18, read the milk allergen declaration, and confirm storage instructions for a warm picnic.
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Eight separate 500ml bottles provide a larger bottle size than the 330ml pack. This is an adult-focused protein shake: check the pack guidance if considering it for anyone under 18, read the milk allergen declaration, and confirm storage instructions for a warm picnic.
Use a cool bag or box with ice or frozen gel packs for drinks normally kept refrigerated, including milkshakes sold as chilled, and for opened dairy drinks. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping such dairy products cool at a picnic; check the storage instructions on each pack.
No. ASDA lists 6.5g sugars per 100ml for its Mars Chocolate Milk Shake Drink, which is labelled “No Added Sugar”. Use the current nutrition panel to compare drinks.
Tesco’s Yazoo 6 x 200ml multipack provides six separate bottles. A 1-litre Yazoo bottle has five 200ml servings according to Sainsbury’s, but you will need a way to pour and share it.
Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration on each pack. The Yazoo listing identifies milk, while ASDA’s Mars listing identifies both milk and barley; do not assume different products have the same ingredients.