If you have sparkling water and a cup at work, a squash or cordial concentrate lets you mix a fizzy drink at lunch and adjust its strength. Choose a ready-to-drink sparkling option if mixing is impractical; whichever route you take, compare the exact product’s ingredients, allergens, nutrition information and serving directions rather than judging it by its fruit flavour.
Access to sparkling water at lunchtime is the practical dividing line between a concentrate and a ready-to-drink bottle or can.
A squash or cordial concentrate can travel separately from sparkling water, then be diluted when you are ready to drink it. Check the bottle’s directions and whether you have a cup and somewhere to keep any opened concentrate.
The NHS suggests sparkling water and no-added-sugar squash for adults who do not enjoy plain water, and advises diluting squash and cordial well. Check the claim and nutrition information on the particular drink you plan to buy.
Flavours and recipes differ, even within a range. Read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack; the M&S elderflower cordial listed by Marks & Spencer, for example, contains sulphites.
Choose when: You can mix at work and want to adjust how strong your lunch drink tastes.
Bear in mind: You need sparkling water and should follow the chosen squash’s dilution and storage directions.
Choose when: A particular cordial flavour appeals and you can dilute it at lunch; Marks & Spencer says its cordials can be mixed with sparkling water.
Bear in mind: Check the individual bottle’s sugars and allergens rather than assuming cordials have the same recipe.
Choose when: You need a drink you can open at lunch without water or a mixing cup.
Bear in mind: Its flavour strength is already set, so compare the pack size and nutrition information of the drink itself.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fizz at lunch | Check whether the exact concentrate’s directions allow sparkling water. If mixing at work, check that you will have sparkling water and a cup. | I would rather mix just before lunch than carry a drink I have already mixed. Marks & Spencer expressly describes its cordials as suitable for dilution with sparkling water. |
| Sugar information | Check any no-added-sugar claim and the nutrition panel. For concentrate, note the stated unit and dilution basis before comparing it with a ready-to-drink product. | A no-added-sugar squash may suit my shopping priority, but I still want to compare the actual drinks. The NHS advises adults to dilute squash and cordial well. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and highlighted allergens for the exact flavour and size. Check again when changing variants. | I need to know what is in this particular bottle. Marks & Spencer lists sulphites in its elderflower cordial, which is a reason not to judge an entire range by one flavour. |
| Carrying and serving | Compare the concentrate bottle with the ready-to-drink pack you would carry. Check opening, storage and serving directions if a bottle will remain at work. | A compact mixer would suit my commute if sparkling water is available later; without it, I would take a ready-to-drink option. Tesco lists a 66 ml Robinsons Mini alongside larger squash bottles. |
Squash, cordial and ready-to-drink sparkling drinks have different formulations. A concentrate’s nutrition information also needs to be read with its stated dilution basis.
Compare the exact packs’ nutrition panels and follow the concentrate’s serving directions; do not assume a fruit-flavoured drink or a cordial is a no-added-sugar choice.
Ingredients can differ between flavours. Marks & Spencer lists sulphites in its elderflower cordial, but that does not describe every cordial.
Read the current ingredients and allergen statement for the variant you are buying, especially when switching flavour or bottle size.
A larger bottle may be convenient to leave at work but less convenient to carry with a packed lunch. Tesco lists both a 66 ml Robinsons Mini and larger squash formats.
Decide whether the concentrate will travel each day or stay at work, and check that sparkling water will be available when you want the drink.
These ranges illustrate formats and label checks; a range listing does not establish that every flavour can be mixed with sparkling water.
Tesco and Waitrose list Robinsons squash, including no-added-sugar options; Tesco also lists a 66 ml Mini format.
Tesco’s squash listings include own-label quadruple-strength, no-added-sugar choices, including a 1.5 L apple squash.
Waitrose lists Essential no-added-sugar squash and High Juice variants alongside branded squash.
Marks & Spencer says its cordials can be diluted with still or sparkling water, making the mixing instructions particularly relevant to this lunch plan.
These options include squash concentrates for mixing at work and ready-to-drink sparkling alternatives for a lunch without mixing.
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This concentrate suits a lunch where you can mix a drink at work; the 1 L bottle is not a single-serving format. Check the current dilution directions for sparkling-water use and the ingredients if sulphites matter to you. Plan for refrigeration after opening.
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A ready-to-drink can avoids mixing at work, though this is a soft drink rather than squash and its strength cannot be adjusted. The pack contains 24 cans; take account of that larger pack when planning what to carry, and check the current ingredients for sweeteners.
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This squash is another concentrate to consider if you can mix at lunch and prefer pineapple and passion fruit. Check the 850 ml bottle’s current directions before using sparkling water, and read its label for sulphites, phenylalanine information and storage instructions after opening.
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This ready-to-drink peach option needs no workplace mixing, but its 750 ml bottle is not a compact single-serving can. It is not squash, so compare its nutrition information with any concentrate prepared at the stated dilution, and check the current ingredients for sulphites.
Marks & Spencer expressly says its cordials can be diluted with sparkling water. For another brand or a particular squash, check the exact bottle’s directions; mixing shortly before lunch is the practical choice if you want the drink sparkling when you open it.
Choose a ready-to-drink sparkling drink if you cannot get sparkling water or use a cup at work. A concentrate gives you control over dilution instead, so compare the carrying format, serving directions and nutrition information before deciding.
Read the ingredients and allergen statement on the exact current pack, even if you have bought another flavour from the same range. Marks & Spencer lists sulphites in its elderflower cordial; that example cannot establish the ingredients of other bottles.
No. Check the chosen drink’s nutrition information and, for squash, its dilution directions and the basis used for any prepared-drink values. The NHS suggests no-added-sugar squash as an option for adults who do not enjoy plain water and advises diluting squash and cordial well.