Organisers serving a mixed group
Plain still water in individual bottles is a starting point when you do not know whether attendees want bubbles, fruit flavour or sweeteners. Keep any alternatives distinct so people can choose.
Who is choosing the water?
Facilities teams preparing meeting rooms
Match bottles and cups to the room setup, while keeping workplace drinking-water provision accessible. The Health and Safety Executive identifies access to drinking water as a workplace facility; meeting refreshments are a separate choice.
Organisers adding a flavoured choice
Check the exact ingredients rather than relying on the word “flavoured”. Volvic UK lists sweeteners, acid and a preservative in its Strawberry Sugar Free water, while describing its regular Touch of Fruit range as sweetened with some sugar and stevia leaf extract.
What should you check?
Choose a plain-water serving format for the room first, then decide whether a separate flavoured or sparkling option is wanted.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Plain-water default | Check that the bottle is plain still water. Compare the stated bottle sizes with the number of people and how drinks will be handed out. | I want an option that does not assume everyone likes bubbles or added flavour. |
| Flavoured alternative | Read the exact product’s claim, nutrition panel and ingredient list. Volvic UK distinguishes its sugar-sweetened Touch of Fruit range from Strawberry Sugar Free, which declares 0g sugars but lists sweeteners and other ingredients. | Some attendees may want fruit flavour; I would keep it separate from plain water and check ingredients they might wish to avoid. |
| Serving format | For seats or movement between rooms, consider individual bottles. For shared large bottles, plan a reachable station, suitable cups and replenishment. | I need to know whether people will collect a drink, pour one at a table or take a bottle between rooms. |
| Sparkling option | Check that it is plain sparkling water if avoiding flavoured ingredients, and keep still water available when preferences are unknown. | There is a request for bubbles, but I do not want carbonation to be the only choice. |
| Workplace access | For workplaces covered by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, Regulation 22 requires adequate, wholesome drinking water that is readily accessible at suitable places, with suitable drinking vessels where applicable. | I want meeting refreshments without confusing them with the workplace’s continuing drinking-water provision. |
Common buying mistakes
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Treating every flavoured water like plain water
Volvic UK describes regular Touch of Fruit as containing some sugar, whereas its separately named Strawberry Sugar Free declares 0g sugars and lists sweeteners.
Use the exact product name, nutrition panel and ingredients when selecting a flavoured bottle; keep plain water available too.
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Reading “no added sugars” as “no sweeteners”
The Advertising Standards Authority explains that the claim concerns added sugars and foods used for sweetening. It does not, by itself, tell you whether a drink contains non-sugar sweeteners or other ingredients.
Check the ingredient list if those distinctions matter to attendees.
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Putting out large bottles without a serving plan
Shared bottles need somewhere accessible to pour drinks. Regulation 22 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 also specifies suitable drinking vessels for covered workplace drinking-water provision, unless people can drink easily from a jet.
Set out suitable cups and arrange for the station to be replenished, or choose individual bottles where a station will not work.
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Confusing meeting refreshments with workplace provision
For workplaces covered by Regulation 22, an adequate, readily accessible supply of wholesome drinking water is required for people at work. Buying branded bottles for one meeting does not, on its own, describe the workplace’s wider provision.
Keep the general drinking-water supply accessible and choose meeting bottles according to the room and attendees.
Brand ranges to compare
These range details help distinguish plain, sparkling and flavoured choices; they do not indicate which products are available for a particular order.
Highland Spring
Its plain still-water range includes individual and larger bottles, alongside a separate flavoured still-water range.
- Highland Spring lists 330ml, 500ml and 750ml still bottles, as well as 1.5L and 2L sizes.
- Highland Spring’s April 2026 announcement describes its five flavoured waters as sugar-free; check the exact pack’s ingredients before including one in a meeting order.
Evian
Evian offers natural mineral water in core bottles and a glass-bottle range.
- Evian says it does not add ingredients to its natural mineral water for taste; its glass range provides another serving format for a catered table.
- Check the selected bottle size and pack format against the meeting’s serving setup.
Volvic
Volvic has plain natural mineral water and distinct regular and sugar-free flavoured ranges.
- Volvic UK’s Strawberry Sugar Free product declares 0g sugars and provides a documented flavoured option.
- Regular Touch of Fruit is described by Volvic UK as containing some sugar. Strawberry Sugar Free lists sweeteners, flavouring, acid and a preservative, so check the particular product.
Buxton
Buxton offers plain natural mineral water in still and sparkling formats.
- Its still-water range lists 500ml, 750ml, 1L and 1.5L bottles.
- Buxton says its natural mineral water is not available in fruit flavours; choose a different range if flavour is specifically requested.
Tesco
Tesco’s water catalogue includes own-label and other brands’ plain-water formats.
- Its listings include own-label still water in 5L and 12 × 500ml formats, alongside individual-bottle multipacks from other brands.
- Check the particular product page and pack label for ingredients and format before ordering.
Joybuy options for meeting refreshments
These options cover individual plain still bottles, a shared-bottle format, and separate flavoured and sparkling choices for a work meeting.
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Buxton Still Water 8 × 500ml
Eight individual 500ml still-water bottles suit distribution at seats or between rooms. This is a plain-water choice, not a flavoured alternative.
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Volvic Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free 6 × 500ml
Six individual 500ml flavoured-water bottles provide a separate choice for attendees who request one. Check the exact pack’s ingredient list for sweeteners and other ingredients before serving.
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Highland Spring Still Water 6 × 1.5L
Six 1.5L bottles of still spring water suit a shared refreshment station rather than pre-set individual places. Provide suitable cups and keep the station accessible; the product’s storage instructions say to refrigerate after opening and use within 7 days.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 8 × 500ml
Eight individual 500ml bottles offer a plain sparkling choice where attendees want carbonation. Keep still water available when the group’s preferences are unknown.
Frequently asked questions
Does “no added sugars” mean flavoured water has no sweeteners?
No. The Advertising Standards Authority explains that the claim concerns added sugars and foods used for sweetening; it does not rule out non-sugar sweeteners or other ingredients. Volvic UK’s Strawberry Sugar Free, for example, declares 0g sugars but lists sweeteners, flavouring, acid and a preservative. Check the exact bottle’s ingredients.
Do I need still, sparkling and flavoured water at every meeting?
No. Plain still water is a starting point for a mixed group. Add sparkling or sugar-free flavoured bottles as separate options when attendees want them, checking the ingredients of any flavoured product.
What drinking water must a workplace provide?
For workplaces covered by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, Regulation 22 requires an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water for people at work, readily accessible at suitable places. It also requires sufficient suitable cups or other drinking vessels unless people can drink easily from a jet. Meeting refreshments are a separate purchasing decision.
When do large bottles make more sense than individual ones?
Choose large bottles when attendees can use a reachable refreshment station with suitable cups and someone can replenish it. Individual bottles are simpler to hand out at seats or take between rooms.