Hosts preparing self-serve jugs
A stated mixing ratio helps you make successive batches consistently. Check the bottle size and declared servings before working out how many bottles to use.
Who is this for?
Hosts comparing the drink as served
Compare nutrition for diluted servings, rather than the front-of-pack claim alone. Tesco Groceries lists 0g sugars per 250ml prepared serving for Robinsons Orange; Sainsbury's lists less than 0.5g for its lime cordial, and Belvoir Farm lists 1.1g for its lemon-and-lime cordial.
Hosts answering ingredient questions
Keep the purchased bottles' ingredient and allergen information available to whoever prepares and serves the drinks. The Robinsons Orange and Sainsbury's lime product information identifies sulphites; Belvoir Farm states that its lemon-and-lime cordial contains no allergens. Recheck the labels on the bottles you receive.
What should you check?
Choose flavours for the drinks station, then check each bottle's mixing instructions and prepared-drink label before planning batches.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Mixing and yield | Read the ratio on each bottle. Tesco Groceries lists one part Robinsons Orange to four parts water and 20 servings per 1L bottle; Sainsbury's gives the same ratio and serving count for its 1L lime cordial. Belvoir Farm gives its prepared-drink nutrition on a 1:10 dilution basis. | I'm making several self-serve jugs and want each batch mixed the same way. |
| Prepared-drink nutrition | Compare the sugars and energy figures for the drink as served, using the stated dilution. Per 250ml diluted serving, Tesco Groceries lists 0g sugars and 3 kcal for Robinsons Orange; Sainsbury's lists less than 0.5g sugars for its lime cordial; Belvoir Farm lists 1.1g sugars for its lemon-and-lime cordial. | I want to answer guests' questions about the poured drink, not assume that “no added sugar” means zero sugars. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check sweeteners and the allergen statement on the purchased bottle. Tesco Groceries identifies sulphites in Robinsons Orange, and Sainsbury's identifies sulphites in its lime cordial; Belvoir Farm states that its lemon-and-lime cordial contains no allergens. | Guests may ask what is in a jug after its bottle has been put away, so I need accurate information at the serving point. |
| Flavour and bottle format | Choose between the listed orange, lime and lemon-and-lime flavours without assuming guests will prefer one. Check pack size and any after-opening instructions when planning the station. | I'd like a flavour choice that works with the water I'm serving, while keeping enough concentrate on hand for later batches. |
What can go wrong?
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Treating “no added sugar” as a prepared-drink nutrition figure
The products' diluted sugars figures differ. For a 250ml serving, Tesco Groceries lists 0g for Robinsons Orange, Sainsbury's lists less than 0.5g for its lime cordial, and Belvoir Farm lists 1.1g for its lemon-and-lime cordial.
Check the nutrition panel's serving size and dilution before comparing bottles.
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Using one mixing ratio for every cordial
Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's specify one part concentrate to four parts water for the cited orange and lime products; Belvoir Farm gives its lemon-and-lime nutrition on a 1:10 dilution basis. One shared measure could make successive jugs inconsistent.
Make a small test jug using each bottle's instructions, then mark the measures needed for that drink.
Using more concentrate than the bottle directs will use up the planned supply sooner.
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Separating the jugs from their ingredient information
Once drinks are poured into unlabelled jugs, guests and servers cannot read the bottle to check ingredients. The cited Robinsons Orange and Sainsbury's lime products contain sulphites.
Keep the current bottles accessible or provide accurate information copied from their labels, with someone available to answer guest questions.
Relevant brand references
These examples show different flavours, dilution instructions and ingredient lists; check the exact product rather than applying one bottle's details to a whole brand.
Robinsons
Tesco Groceries lists Robinsons Orange No Added Sugar Squash in a 1L bottle, mixed one part concentrate to four parts water.
- Tesco Groceries lists 20 servings and 0g sugars per 250ml diluted serving for this orange product.
- Its listed ingredients include sweeteners and sulphites; check the purchased bottle before serving.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists a 1L no-added-sugar lime cordial containing 30% fruit juice from concentrate.
- The product page states 20 servings at one part cordial to four parts water.
- The listed recipe contains sucralose and sulphites. Sainsbury's advises checking the bottle label because ingredients can change.
Belvoir Farm
Belvoir Farm describes a 500ml no-added-sugar Sicilian lemon-and-lime cordial sweetened with steviol glycosides from stevia.
- Belvoir Farm states that this product contains no allergens and gives nutrition on a 1:10 dilution basis.
- Belvoir Farm lists 1.1g sugars per 250ml diluted serving, so “no added sugar” should not be read as zero sugars.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists branded and own-label no-added-sugar choices in its squash-and-cordial category.
- The category includes different flavours and bottle formats to inspect individually.
- A category listing cannot establish a chosen bottle's ingredients or suitability for an allergen-sensitive guest; use its product details and physical label.
Joybuy squash options
These Robinsons no-added-sugar squash options cover orange, lemon and summer-fruits drinks for a wedding buffet. Check each bottle's instructions before preparing jugs; the flavour and pack size alone do not establish its diluted nutrition or serving yield.
No image availableRobinsons Orange No Added Sugar Squash 1L
For orange self-serve jugs, Tesco Groceries lists one part concentrate to four parts water, 20 servings per bottle, and 0g sugars and 3 kcal per 250ml diluted serving for this product. Its ingredient information identifies sulphites; keep the purchased label available for guests' questions.
No image availableRobinsons Summer Fruits No Added Sugar Squash 6 × 1L
The six-bottle pack offers a summer-fruits flavour for repeated buffet batches. Check the bottles' dilution instructions before calculating servings and use their prepared-drink nutrition panels for any sugars comparison. Check the ingredient and allergen information before serving.
No image availableRobinsons Real Fruit Lemon Juice No Added Sugar Squash 6 × 1L
This six-bottle lemon option suits a station where several batches are planned. Read the dilution and serving information on the purchased bottles before setting jug measures, and keep the ingredient label accessible; the product information identifies a source of phenylalanine.
No image availableRobinsons Real Fruit Lemon Juice No Added Sugar Squash 1L
This single 1L lemon bottle is an alternative to the six-bottle format. Use the purchased label for the mixing ratio, prepared-drink nutrition and ingredient information before putting it on the buffet.
No image availableRobinsons Summer Fruits No Added Sugar Squash 1L
The single-bottle summer-fruits format offers another flavour without choosing the six-bottle pack. Check its own dilution, prepared-drink nutrition and after-opening instructions rather than applying those of another Robinsons variety; retain the label for ingredient and allergen questions.
Frequently asked questions
Does “no added sugar” mean the diluted cordial has no sugars?
No. Per 250ml diluted serving, Tesco Groceries lists 0g sugars for Robinsons Orange, Sainsbury's lists less than 0.5g for its lime cordial, and Belvoir Farm lists 1.1g for its lemon-and-lime cordial. Compare the nutrition panels for the drink as prepared.
How do I keep wedding-buffet jugs consistent?
Use the instructions on each bottle and make a small test jug before preparing larger batches. Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's specify one part concentrate to four parts water for the cited orange and lime products; Belvoir Farm gives its lemon-and-lime nutrition on a 1:10 dilution basis. Do not transfer one bottle's measure to another.
How should a wedding caterer share allergen information?
For a caterer operating as a food business, Food Standards Agency guidance from February 2025 calls for accurate, accessible information about any of the 14 mandated allergens used as ingredients in non-prepacked food. Keep the current bottles or accurate written details accessible and arrange for someone to answer questions. GOV.UK guidance distinguishes an occasional event provided by someone who is not a food business.
Can I assume every no-added-sugar cordial suits guests with allergies?
No. Tesco Groceries identifies sulphites in the cited Robinsons Orange product, and Sainsbury's identifies them in its lime cordial; Belvoir Farm states that its cited lemon-and-lime cordial contains no allergens. Check the exact bottles served and make their ingredient information available at the drinks station.