Hosts making a shared brunch jug
If you want a lower-sugar alternative to a sugary soft drink, compare the prepared-serving nutrition and measure the squash according to its own directions.
Who is choosing squash?
Hosts serving adults and children
Keep water and milk available for children, as the NHS advises. If you also offer squash, check its age guidance and whether the label calls for extra dilution for toddlers.
Guests with ingredient preferences or restrictions
Fruit content, naturally occurring sugars, sweeteners and declared allergens vary by product. Read the current bottle label before making one jug for everyone.
What should you check?
Choose the flavour and type of squash, then compare labels on the basis of the drink you will actually serve.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars per glass | Check the sugars figure and serving size for the prepared drink. Compare products at their stated dilution rather than treating concentrate figures as equivalent. | I want a lower-sugar option for the brunch table and need to know what is in the glass I pour. |
| Dilution | Follow the particular bottle’s squash-to-water ratio; strengths differ. Measure before making a large jug, especially when switching products. | A shared jug is easier to prepare consistently when I know how much concentrate it needs. |
| Fruit and sweeteners | Read the fruit-content and ingredient statements alongside the sugars panel. No added sugar does not mean no naturally occurring sugars, and some products contain sweeteners. | Fruit flavour matters to my guests, but I also want to know whether the drink contains sweeteners. |
| Children’s drinks | Check product-specific age guidance and any instruction to add extra water for toddlers. The NHS identifies water and milk as preferred drinks for children and advises avoiding sugary squash. | Children will be at brunch, so I want suitable drinks available without assuming every squash has the same serving directions. |
| Allergens | Check the current bottle’s ingredient, allergen and warning statements. The cited Robinsons, Ribena and M&S products show that declarations can differ. | Before pouring for several guests, I need to check whether an ingredient conflicts with anyone’s requirements. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “no sugar”
Fruit ingredients can contribute naturally occurring sugars. A no-added-sugar claim alone does not tell you the sugars in a prepared glass.
Read the sugars figure and its serving basis as well as the front label.
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Using the same measure for every squash
Waitrose lists a 1:4 squash-to-water ratio for Robinsons Orange No Added Sugar, while Tesco lists 1:19 for its Quadruple Strength Orange No Added Sugar. The same measure of concentrate will not follow both instructions.
Check the ratio on the bottle you are using before mixing a brunch jug.
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Assuming more fruit means less sugar
M&S describes its Pink Grapefruit High Juice squash as containing 50% fruit juice and no added sugar. Those statements do not establish its sugars per prepared glass relative to another squash.
Choose the flavour you want, then compare labelled sugars on a matching prepared-serving basis.
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Overlooking the ingredient panel
The cited no-added-sugar products include different sweeteners and declarations involving sulphites. A shared jug may not suit every guest.
Keep the bottle to hand and check its current label against guests’ ingredient requirements before serving.
Brand and range references
These examples describe particular squash products, not every drink made by each brand.
Robinsons
Waitrose lists Robinsons Orange No Added Sugar as a single-strength option with 3 kcal per 250 ml diluted serving.
- The listed preparation is one part squash to four parts water.
- Its ingredients include acesulfame K, sucralose and sodium metabisulphite; check the current bottle if these matter to a guest.
Tesco
Tesco lists its Quadruple Strength Orange No Added Sugar squash as containing 40% fruit from concentrate.
- The stated preparation uses one part squash to 19 parts water, useful to note when measuring a jug.
- The listed ingredients include sucralose, acesulfame K and sodium metabisulphite.
Waitrose Essential
Waitrose describes its Essential No Added Sugar Summer Fruits as a double-strength squash containing 20% fruit.
- It offers a summer-fruits flavour for shoppers considering an own-label concentrate.
- It contains sweeteners and naturally occurring sugars. Check the bottle’s preparation and nutrition information before comparing prepared glasses.
M&S
M&S describes Pink Grapefruit High Juice as a no-added-sugar squash containing 50% fruit juice.
- Its grapefruit flavour and stated fruit content offer a different choice from the orange and summer-fruits examples.
- M&S lists sulphites and says this product is not suitable for babies. Follow its bottle directions rather than assuming another squash’s dilution ratio.
No-added-sugar squash options on Joybuy
These no-added-sugar squash options cover several fruit flavours for a brunch jug. Check each bottle’s mixing directions and ingredients before serving.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits 1L
A summer-fruits choice for a no-added-sugar brunch jug. Check the bottle’s dilution and ingredient directions before serving guests.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange 1L
An orange option for a no-added-sugar jug. Waitrose lists 3 kcal per 250 ml diluted serving for Robinsons Orange No Added Sugar; check the current bottle for its preparation directions and ingredients.
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Ribena Conc Blackcurrant No Added Sugar 1.5L
A concentrated blackcurrant option when that flavour suits the brunch table. Use the bottle’s dilution instructions and check its sweeteners and warnings before serving.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Real Fruit Lemon Juice 1L
A lemon option for guests who prefer a citrus flavour. Check the current bottle for the dilution ratio, prepared-serving nutrition and ingredient warnings before comparing it with another squash.
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Ribena Pineapple and Passion Fruit No Added Sugar 850ml
A pineapple and passion fruit alternative for a no-added-sugar jug. Follow its own mixing directions and check the current label for sweeteners and allergens.
Frequently asked questions
Does “no added sugar” mean squash contains no sugars?
No. Fruit-containing squash can still have naturally occurring sugars. Check the sugars figure and whether it describes the concentrate or the diluted drink you intend to serve.
What should children drink at Sunday brunch?
The NHS identifies water and milk as preferred drinks for children and advises avoiding sugary squash. If you offer a no-added-sugar squash, follow its age guidance and dilution instructions; some product labels call for extra water for toddlers, while M&S says its Pink Grapefruit High Juice is not suitable for babies.
How much squash goes into a brunch jug?
Use the ratio on the bottle you are pouring. Waitrose lists one part Robinsons Orange No Added Sugar to four parts water, whereas Tesco lists one part Quadruple Strength Orange No Added Sugar to 19 parts water.
Do no-added-sugar squashes contain sweeteners?
Some do. The cited Robinsons Orange and Tesco Quadruple Strength Orange products list sucralose and acesulfame K, while the cited Ribena Blackcurrant product lists aspartame and acesulfame K. Read the particular bottle’s ingredients if a guest wants to avoid a sweetener.
What should I check before pouring squash for guests with allergies?
Check the current bottle’s allergen, ingredient and warning statements before making a shared jug. The cited Robinsons Orange product lists sodium metabisulphite, while the cited Ribena Blackcurrant and M&S Pink Grapefruit products include sulphite-related declarations; the Ribena listing also carries a phenylalanine warning.