Hosts avoiding added sugar
If you want a straightforward drink alongside brunch food, start with plain still water. Check the exact ingredients and sugars declaration before adding a flavoured bottle: similarly named varieties can differ.
Who is this for?
Hosts serving different preferences
Keep still water available for guests who do not want fizz or flavour. A separate sparkling or flavoured option lets others choose without making it the only water on the table.
Hosts buying water to share
Larger bottles and multipacks can be served across a group, while smaller bottles suit individual place settings. Compare the stated bottle and pack sizes with your guest list and serving space.
What should you check?
Choose the type of water first, then check the exact variant and a pack format that suits the table.
Plain still water
Choose it when: You want an unflavoured, non-carbonated drink to share with brunch food.
Bear in mind: It will not provide fruit flavour or fizz.
Plain sparkling water
Choose it when: Some guests want fizz without choosing a sweetened soft drink.
Bear in mind: Keep a still option for guests who dislike carbonation.
Sugar-free flavoured water
Choose it when: Guests want fruit flavour and the exact variant meets your no-added-sugar requirement.
Bear in mind: Sugar-free flavoured water can contain sweeteners, as Volvic’s Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free does.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugar | Read the exact flavour’s ingredients for added sugar and sweeteners. Check sugars per 100ml on its nutrition panel; do not treat “low sugar” as “no added sugar”. | I want a flavoured option without accidentally picking one sweetened with sugar. Tesco Groceries describes Volvic Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime as low in sugars but sweetened with sugar and stevia leaf extract. |
| Still or sparkling | Check whether the bottle is plain still or plain sparkling water. Keep the two formats distinct when setting out drinks. | Some guests may want fizz, but I also want an unflavoured still option with the meal. The NHS suggests sparkling water for people who do not like the taste of still water. |
| Fizz and acidity | Do not assume a sugar-free fizzy drink has the same dental considerations as still water. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust warns that sugar-free fizz can still be acidic and cause tooth erosion. | If guests are concerned about tooth erosion, I would leave plain still water available rather than serving only fizzy drinks. |
| Serving format | Compare bottle volume, bottles per pack and whether you have room to serve and store them. Follow the exact pack’s instructions after opening. | For a shared table, I may prefer larger bottles; individual bottles make separate servings simpler. The useful format depends on how many guests are coming. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “low sugar” as “no added sugar”
A drink can be low in sugars and still contain added sugar. Tesco Groceries says its listed Volvic Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime is sweetened with sugar and stevia leaf extract.
For a no-added-sugar table, check the ingredients and nutrition panel of the exact flavour, not just the range name or front label.
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Treating sugar-free flavoured water as plain water
Volvic’s Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free declares 0g sugars, but its ingredient list also names flavouring, citric acid, a preservative and sweeteners. It offers a different taste and ingredient profile from plain water.
Serve flavoured water as an optional choice alongside plain still water, and check its exact ingredients if guests have preferences or restrictions.
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Offering only sparkling water
Fizz will not suit every preference. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust also warns that sugar-free fizzy drinks can still be acidic and cause tooth erosion.
Put still water on the table and offer sparkling water separately to guests who want it.
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Choosing a multipack by size alone
A large pack only helps if its bottle sizes work for your table and you can receive and store it before brunch.
Check the current pack quantity, availability, delivery terms and storage instructions before ordering.
Brand and range references
These range details help distinguish plain, sparkling and flavoured options; they do not mean that every variant has the same ingredients.
Highland Spring
Highland Spring lists plain still spring water in sizes from 330ml to 2L and also markets flavoured still water.
- Its stated still-water sizes include smaller individual bottles and larger sharing bottles.
- Highland Spring describes its flavoured range as sugar free; check the ingredients and nutrition panel of the particular flavour before choosing it.
Evian
Evian is a natural mineral-water brand with plain still-water multipacks.
- The Joybuy listing for Evian Still 6x1.5L names natural mineral water as its ingredient and declares 0g sugars per 100ml.
- Check whether its 1.5L bottles suit the number of guests and the way you plan to serve them.
Volvic
Volvic offers plain natural mineral water and distinct flavoured-water ranges.
- Volvic lists Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free with 0g sugars and named sweeteners.
- Tesco Groceries lists Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime as low in sugars but sweetened with sugar and stevia. Check the exact product name and label rather than treating the two variants alike.
Buxton
Buxton has plain still and sparkling natural mineral-water formats.
- The Joybuy listing for Buxton Still 6x1.5L names natural mineral water as its ingredient and declares 0g sugars per 100ml.
- Choose its sparkling format only for guests who want fizz; keep still water available as a separate choice.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label British natural mineral water in larger still-water formats, including 6x2L.
- The listed 6x2L pack provides 12L across bottles that can be shared.
- Tesco advises shoppers to read the current product label because online food information can change.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists own-label plain spring water in sharing sizes and named no-added-sugar flavoured products.
- Its still-water category lists 5L and 6x2L plain-water formats.
- A category listing does not establish the ingredients or sugars declaration of every flavour; read the exact bottle’s label.
Plain still-water multipacks
This composite follows the supplied sales-count ordering for four Joybuy plain still-water listings as at 2 October 2026. It is not an independent quality assessment or a statement about current availability; the listed ingredients and pack sizes are more useful for deciding what to serve.
| Rank | SKU name | Main specifications | Why it appears | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buxton Still Natural Mineral Water 6x1.5L | Six 1.5L bottles; natural mineral water; 0g sugars per 100ml. | Joybuy’s listing displayed 67k+ sold as at 2 October 2026. The 9L pack is a sharing format, not evidence of superior quality. | Joybuy |
| 2 | Highland Spring Still Water 6x1.5L | Six 1.5L bottles; natural spring water. | Joybuy’s listing displayed 56k+ sold as at 2 October 2026. Check current availability before planning to serve this 9L pack. | Joybuy |
| 3 | Volvic Mineral Water 12x1L | Twelve 1L bottles; natural mineral water. | Joybuy’s listing displayed 46k+ sold as at 2 October 2026. Its 12L total is divided into smaller bottles than the 1.5L packs above. | Joybuy |
| 4 | Evian Still 6x1.5L | Six 1.5L bottles; natural mineral water; 0g sugars per 100ml. | Joybuy lists this 9L plain-water pack. Its position in the composite should not be read as a comparison of taste or suitability. | Joybuy |
Joybuy options for the brunch table
These options cover flavoured still water and plain sparkling water for guests who want something alongside a plain still-water serve. Check each exact bottle’s current label before relying on it for a no-added-sugar choice.
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Highland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry Still Water 6x1.25L
A strawberry-flavoured still-water option in six 1.25L bottles for sharing. It is not plain water: check the exact pack’s ingredients, sugars declaration and any allergen information before serving it.
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Highland Spring Apple & Blackcurrant Still Water 1.25L
The 1.25L bottle offers a fruit-flavoured still drink to share. Before counting this variant as a no-added-sugar option, confirm its current ingredients and sugars declaration on the exact bottle.
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Volvic Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free 6x500ml
Six 500ml bottles suit separate servings for guests who want strawberry flavour. “Sugar free” does not mean plain or sweetener-free; check this multipack’s ingredient list and sugars declaration.
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Volvic Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free 6x500ml
This sugar-free-named Lemon & Lime variant comes as six 500ml bottles. Do not confuse it with the separately listed Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime drink sweetened with sugar; check the exact name, ingredients and sugars declaration.
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SAN PELLEGRINO Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6x1L
Six 1L sparkling-water bottles provide a shareable fizzy option. Keep plain still water available for guests who do not want carbonation, and check this pack’s current ingredients and sugars declaration.
Questions about choosing and serving water
Does “low sugar” mean “no added sugar” on flavoured water?
No. Tesco Groceries describes Volvic Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime as low in sugars while stating that it is sweetened with sugar and stevia leaf extract. Check the ingredients and nutrition panel of the exact flavour; Volvic’s separate Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free listing declares 0g sugars but also names sweeteners.
Should I serve still or sparkling water at brunch?
Serve plain still water as the shared option and add plain sparkling water if guests want fizz. The NHS suggests sparkling water for people who do not like still water, while Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust warns that sugar-free fizz can still be acidic and cause tooth erosion.
What does “natural mineral water” tell me about a bottle?
For water described as natural mineral water under its England guidance, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs says the source is underground and protected, its composition must be stable, and that composition must appear on the label. Those conditions do not tell you which bottle your guests will prefer, so check its format and label for your brunch.
How should I store bottles opened during brunch?
Follow the instructions on each pack. Tesco Groceries says its British Natural Mineral Water Still 6x2L should be refrigerated after opening and consumed within three days; the Joybuy listing for Buxton Still Natural Mineral Water 6x1.5L also says to consume it within three days of opening. Do not assume every brand gives the same instructions.