Hosts serving adults and older children
If several guests will share a jug, flavour and the number of prepared servings matter alongside the bottle size. Keep the ingredients available so guests can check whether the drink suits them.
Who is this choice for?
Hosts comparing fruit content
A declared fruit-juice percentage lets you compare specific products. Check the flavour and nutrition panel too: fruit content alone does not describe the finished drink.
Households with ingredient requirements
Some no-added-sugar squashes contain sweeteners or sulphites. Anyone avoiding a particular ingredient needs the full declaration on the current pack, not just the front-of-pack claim.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the guests and the drinks you plan to make, then compare each product’s label on the same basis.
High-juice squash
Consider it when: You want to compare declared fruit-juice content; Marks & Spencer describes its no-added-sugar Pink Grapefruit High Juice as containing 50% fruit juice.
Bear in mind: Check whether grapefruit suits your guests and read the nutrition panel; the juice percentage does not make the squash sugar-free.
Double-strength squash
Consider it when: You are preparing drinks for a larger table and want to plan quantities using the bottle’s stated servings and dilution instructions.
Bear in mind: A stronger concentrate needs its own mixing ratio; check the exact ingredients before serving guests with sweetener or allergen requirements.
Standard-strength squash
Consider it when: A flavour such as summer fruits fits the menu and its stated serving yield covers the table.
Bear in mind: Use that product’s mixing instruction rather than the ratio from a double-strength bottle.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Claim and ingredients | Read the no-added-sugar wording alongside the nutrition panel. Check the full ingredients for sweeteners and naturally occurring sugars. | I want to know what is in the drink, rather than assume that no added sugar means sugar-free or sweetener-free. |
| Prepared servings | Compare stated servings and the concentrate-to-water instruction, not bottle volume alone. Waitrose & Partners lists a double-strength Essential Summer Fruits squash; its Robinsons Summer Fruits listing specifies one part concentrate to four parts water. | For a shared jug, I need enough prepared drink for the guests without using the wrong mixing ratio. |
| Fruit and flavour | Compare the percentage on the exact product and note its flavour. Marks & Spencer describes its Pink Grapefruit High Juice as 50% fruit juice and its Orange Squash as 20% fruit. | Grapefruit might suit the brunch menu, or I might choose orange instead; I want the declared fruit content for the bottle I actually buy. |
| Guest requirements | Read the current pack’s sweetener and allergen declarations, including any sulphites. Keep that information available when serving. | If someone avoids an ingredient or has an allergy, I need to confirm whether this particular squash is suitable for them. |
| Very young guests | The NHS advises against diet or reduced-sugar drinks for babies and toddlers and advises offering water with meals. | If babies or toddlers are coming to brunch, I will offer water rather than choose squash for them on the strength of its no-added-sugar label. |
Common brunch-planning mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “sugar-free”
No-added-sugar squash can still contain naturally occurring sugars, and some products use sweeteners. The front label cannot answer either question on its own.
Check the nutrition panel and ingredients separately if sugar or a particular sweetener affects your choice.
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Buying by bottle size alone
Concentrates with different dilution instructions can make different amounts of prepared drink, even when their bottle sizes look comparable.
Use each bottle’s stated servings and mixing ratio to plan the jugs you need. A small test jug can help you follow that instruction before guests arrive.
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Leaving the ingredient check until after serving
Sweeteners and sulphites can matter to guests with ingredient preferences, allergies or intolerances.
Check the current packaging and keep it available at the table. Offer another drink when a guest’s requirements cannot be confirmed.
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Choosing squash for babies or toddlers because of the claim
The NHS says diet or reduced-sugar drinks are not recommended for babies and toddlers; a no-added-sugar label is not a reason to substitute squash for water at their meal.
Offer water for babies and toddlers, in line with NHS guidance.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show why it helps to compare individual products rather than assume every squash from one brand has the same formulation or strength.
Robinsons
Waitrose & Partners lists Robinsons Summer Fruits No Added Sugar with an instruction to mix one part concentrate with four parts water.
- The listed bottle states 20 servings, giving hosts a starting point for quantity planning.
- Its listing says it contains naturally occurring sugars; check the exact flavour’s ingredients as well.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label quadruple-strength no-added-sugar orange squash alongside a Robinsons double-strength orange option.
- The listed formats give shoppers different concentrations to compare.
- Use the chosen bottle’s own dilution instructions; strength is not interchangeable across products.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists own-label no-added-sugar high-juice flavours including apple and pink grapefruit.
- Named flavours provide alternatives when matching a drink to the brunch menu.
- Check the exact product label for fruit content, concentration and ingredients rather than assuming the flavours share a formulation.
M&S
Marks & Spencer describes two distinct no-added-sugar products: double-strength Orange Squash and Pink Grapefruit High Juice.
- Marks & Spencer states 20% fruit for its Orange Squash and 50% fruit juice for its Pink Grapefruit High Juice.
- Those percentages describe different products, not every M&S squash; compare the labels individually.
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners describes Essential No Added Sugar Summer Fruits as a double-strength squash containing 20% fruit.
- Its stated concentration helps distinguish it from a standard-strength option when planning a jug.
- The product description also identifies sweeteners and naturally occurring sugars; read the current pack for full ingredients and allergens.
No-added-sugar squash options on Joybuy
These Joybuy options cover blackcurrant, pineapple and passion fruit, orange, summer fruits and lemon squash. Choose a flavour your guests will drink, then check each bottle’s dilution guidance and current ingredients before planning quantities.
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Ribena No Added Sugar Blackcurrant Concentrate 1.5L
A blackcurrant option for guests who prefer that flavour. Use the current pack’s dilution instruction to plan prepared servings, and check its sweeteners and sulphite declaration for anyone with relevant requirements.
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Ribena Pineapple and Passion Fruit No Added Sugar Squash 850ml
Consider the pineapple and passion fruit flavour if it fits your brunch menu. Check the bottle for its mixing ratio and serving yield, and read the ingredients if guests avoid particular sweeteners or sulphites.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
An orange-flavoured choice for a shared jug. Check this bottle’s own dilution and serving instructions rather than applying those of another Robinsons product; read the ingredients for sweeteners and sulphites.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Squash 1L
A mixed-fruit flavour to consider for the table. Follow this bottle’s dilution instructions when making a jug, and check the current ingredients for sweeteners and sulphites before serving guests with relevant requirements.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Real Fruit Lemon Squash 1L
A lemon option if a citrus flavour suits the menu. Check the current pack for its dilution instructions and nutrition serving basis; its ingredient information also needs checking for guests who avoid aspartame or require phenylalanine information.
Frequently asked questions
Does no added sugar mean squash is sugar-free?
No. A no-added-sugar squash can contain naturally occurring sugars from fruit. Waitrose & Partners says this explicitly on its Essential Summer Fruits and Robinsons Summer Fruits listings; check the chosen product’s nutrition panel and ingredients if sugar or sweeteners matter to you.
How do I work out how much squash to make for brunch?
Use the bottle’s stated servings and concentrate-to-water ratio, then plan for the glasses you expect to pour. Waitrose & Partners lists 20 servings and a one-part-concentrate-to-four-parts-water instruction for Robinsons Summer Fruits; do not assume another squash uses that ratio.
Should I check for sweeteners and allergens?
Yes, especially when serving guests with an allergy, intolerance or ingredient preference. No added sugar does not mean sweetener-free, so read the complete ingredients and allergen information on the current pack rather than relying on the front label.
Should I offer no-added-sugar squash to babies or toddlers?
Offer water with their meal instead. The NHS says diet or reduced-sugar drinks are not recommended for babies and toddlers; the no-added-sugar wording does not change that advice.