Hosts serving a group
A concentrate lets you prepare a jug or individual cups to taste, provided you bring sparkling water and follow the bottle’s mixing instructions.
Who is each option for?
The practical choice is whether you would rather mix a shared drink at the picnic or pack portions that are already fizzy.
Shoppers choosing no-added-sugar squash
Compare nutrition for the diluted drink and read the ingredients. A no-added-sugar label does not, by itself, tell you whether a squash contains sweeteners or ingredients you need to avoid.
People packing individual drinks
Ready-to-drink fizzy cans remove the need to measure concentrate or carry a separate mixer. Sparkling flavoured water and carbonated soft drinks are alternatives to squash, not forms of squash.
What should you check before choosing?
Decide how you will serve the drinks, then compare labels in the form you will actually drink: diluted squash or an unopened ready-to-drink can.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Serving format | Check whether the drink is a concentrate or ready to drink. For a concentrate, check its dilution directions and whether the maker permits sparkling water. | I’m serving several people and can bring sparkling water, or I’d rather hand out cans without mixing. |
| Sugar and sweeteners | Compare nutrition for the stated diluted serving or can, noting the serving size. Read the ingredients as well as front-of-pack wording. | I want to choose between a no-added-sugar formulation and a fruit-and-sugar squash without assuming either is sweetener-free. |
| Ingredients | Check the current pack for allergens and other ingredients relevant to your group. Recheck the label if you switch flavours or sizes. | Someone joining the picnic needs an ingredient check, so a familiar product name alone is not enough. |
| Picnic packing | Count the water and cups needed for mixing, and follow any after-opening storage directions. Plan separately for picnic foods that need to stay cool. | There’s room for a mixer and cups, or keeping the drinks individually packed would make this lunch simpler. |
What can catch you out?
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Comparing concentrate with a finished drink
Squash is diluted before serving, so an undiluted bottle and a ready-to-drink can are not equivalent nutrition servings. Mixing directions also differ between products.
Use each maker’s dilution instructions and compare the stated nutrition for the prepared drink, keeping serving sizes in view.
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Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘no sweeteners’
Those descriptions answer different ingredient questions. The Robinsons no-added-sugar squash described in the product information lists sucralose and acesulfame K.
Read the complete ingredients list if particular sweeteners affect your choice.
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Bringing squash but no sparkling water
A concentrate is not pre-carbonated. Without a mixer, you cannot serve it as the sparkling drink you planned.
Before leaving, count the sparkling-water bottles and cups you will need alongside the squash.
Carrying the mixer adds bottles to the picnic bag, particularly when you are serving a group.
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Relying on an older ingredients listing
Sulphites are listed for the Robinsons squash and M&S elderflower cordial described here. Ingredients matter particularly when someone has an allergy or intolerance.
Check the current package label before serving, including when you buy a different flavour or bottle size.
Relevant brand references
These examples show different ways to serve a fizzy picnic drink; the observations apply to the named products, not every drink from each brand.
Robinsons
Tesco Groceries lists Double Strength Summer Fruits No Added Sugar as a squash concentrate, with directions to dilute one part concentrate with nine parts water.
- The stated ratio gives you a starting point for planning a batch drink.
- It is not sparkling on its own; bring sparkling water if you want fizz, and check the current ingredients.
Rocks
Sainsbury’s describes Rocks Blackcurrant Squash as suitable for mixing with still or sparkling water.
- The sparkling-water direction makes its intended mixing method clear.
- Check the prepared drink’s sugar information and the bottle’s after-opening storage directions when planning the picnic.
M&S
Marks & Spencer describes its elderflower cordial as suitable for dilution with still or sparkling water.
- It offers a cordial option for a shared sparkling-water mix.
- Check the current label for sulphites and follow the bottle’s storage directions after opening.
Volvic
Waitrose & Partners lists Touch of Lemon & Lime as a ready-to-drink sparkling flavoured water rather than a squash concentrate.
- Individual 330 ml cans do not require a separate mixer.
- Choose it for the ready-to-drink format, not for adjustable squash strength; check the pack ingredients before serving.
Joybuy options for a picnic
These options cover a squash concentrate for mixing and a ready-to-drink carbonated apple soft drink. The latter is not squash or sparkling flavoured water, but may suit a picnic where individual fizzy cans are more convenient.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Squash 1L
A squash concentrate for mixing drinks at a group picnic; bring sparkling water separately if you want fizz. The bottle is 1L. Follow its current dilution directions when planning servings, and check the pack ingredients if sweeteners or sulphites matter to your group.
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Tango Apple Sugar-Free Cans 24 x 330ml
A ready-to-drink carbonated apple soft drink for a picnic without on-site mixing. The pack contains 24 cans of 330ml, so check whether that quantity suits your group. It is not a squash concentrate; read the current ingredients if you are choosing by sweetener.
Picnic drink questions
Is squash already sparkling?
The Robinsons and Rocks squashes and M&S cordial discussed here are concentrates, not pre-carbonated drinks. Mix a product whose directions permit it with sparkling water, or choose a ready-to-drink fizzy drink if you do not want to mix anything at the picnic.
How do I compare sugar in squash and canned drinks?
Compare nutrition for the squash as diluted according to its maker’s directions with nutrition for the ready-to-drink can. Check the serving sizes as well: Tesco Groceries gives a one-part-to-nine-parts dilution direction for the Robinsons squash, while a can needs no dilution.
Does no added sugar mean a squash has no sweeteners?
No. The Robinsons no-added-sugar squash described here lists sucralose and acesulfame K. Check the current ingredients if you want to avoid a particular sweetener.
What should I check for guests with allergies?
Read the current package ingredients for every drink you plan to serve, rather than relying on its flavour or an older listing. The Food Standards Agency’s labelling guidance says regulated allergens present in prepacked food and drink must be clearly identified in the ingredients list; sulphites are relevant to the Robinsons squash and M&S cordial described here.
How should I pack drinks alongside picnic food?
Plan the drinks and any mixer separately from food that needs to stay cool. The Food Standards Agency advises packing perishable food and drinks in separate cool boxes where possible, so taking out drinks does not repeatedly open the food box. Follow any after-opening storage instructions on the drink bottle too.