People buying lunch away from home
A ready-to-drink sparkling can or small bottle avoids measuring cordial and finding a separate mixer. Bottlegreen describes its 330ml Elderflower Pressé can as an on-the-go format.
Who each format suits
People packing lunch in advance
Concentrated cordial is an option if you can mix it before leaving, or bring a portion and add sparkling water later. Check the particular cordial’s dilution instructions when preparing your drink.
People comparing stated sugar content
Compare the drink you will actually consume. For example, ASDA lists 1.1g sugars per 250ml prepared serving for Belvoir Sicilian Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial at 1:6 dilution; its ingredients include a stevia-derived sweetener.
What to check before choosing
Decide whether you need a drink that is already fizzy, then compare the pack, preparation instructions and nutrition on the basis of what you will drink.
Ready-to-drink sparkling drink
Choose when: You want to open your drink with lunch without carrying water or mixing equipment.
Trade-off: You cannot adjust its strength by diluting cordial to taste.
Cordial with sparkling water
Choose when: You can prepare a drink in advance or mix one at lunchtime and want control over dilution.
Trade-off: You need sparkling water and a suitable container as well as the concentrate.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to drink | Check whether the pack says the drink is already sparkling or is a concentrate. Check its size if you want one portion. | I want to open a fizzy drink with lunch, without finding water or a cup. |
| Sugar and energy | Compare figures for the amount you will drink: note the pack size and any per-100ml values, or use the cordial’s stated prepared-serving figures at its specified dilution. | If I am comparing sugars, I want figures for the finished drinks rather than undiluted cordial against a ready-to-drink product. |
| Mixing and flavour | Read the dilution ratio and whether sparkling water is specified. Sainsbury’s lists dilution up to 1:10 for Belvoir Ginger Cordial; ASDA lists 1:15 for Bottlegreen Wild Elderflower Cordial. | I can mix a drink if I want to adjust its strength, but I need to plan for the sparkling water. |
| Ingredients | Read the current pack’s ingredients, allergen information and any sweetener declaration. A “no added sugar” name does not replace those checks. | Particular ingredients matter to me, so I need to check the exact product rather than rely on its flavour or front label. |
| After opening | Check refrigeration and use-within instructions, particularly if the pack will last beyond one lunch. The instructions differ between the cited cordials and sparkling drinks. | Will I finish this pack while it is within its stated post-opening period? |
Common buying mistakes
-
Picking up concentrate when you need a drink now
Belvoir Ginger Cordial and Bottlegreen Wild Elderflower Cordial both require dilution. Neither is a ready-to-open sparkling drink for a lunch bought away from home.
Look for a labelled ready-to-drink sparkling product if you cannot mix one; otherwise, arrange sparkling water and a container.
Mixing at lunchtime also means carrying a cup or bottle, or obtaining one separately.
-
Comparing nutrition on different serving bases
A ready-to-drink label may give values per 100ml, while a cordial may give values for a serving after dilution. Those figures do not describe equal amounts of finished drink.
Check the amount you expect to drink and compare the ready-to-drink product with cordial prepared at the stated ratio.
-
Reading “no added sugar” as “no sweetener”
ASDA lists steviol glycosides and fruit juice ingredients in Belvoir Sicilian Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial.
Read both the ingredients and the sugars figure for the prepared serving if either affects your choice.
-
Overlooking instructions after opening
The cited packs have different use-within periods: three days for Belvoir Sparkling Elderflower, three weeks for Belvoir Ginger Cordial and one month for Bottlegreen Wild Elderflower Cordial, according to their respective listings.
Choose a pack size you expect to use and follow its own refrigeration and use-within directions.
Relevant brand ranges
These brand examples illustrate the two formats; check the particular product rather than assuming every drink in a range is sparkling or ready to drink.
Bottlegreen
Offers both an Elderflower Pressé can and a separate Wild Elderflower Cordial.
- Bottlegreen presents its 330ml sparkling pressé can as suitable for drinking on the go.
- Its Wild Elderflower Cordial is a concentrate: ASDA lists dilution at 1:15, so making it fizzy requires sparkling water.
Belvoir Farm
Its cited products include ready-to-drink Sparkling Elderflower and cordials for dilution.
- Belvoir Farm lists Sparkling Elderflower in 275ml and 750ml formats.
- Its cited Ginger Cordial and no-added-sugar Lemon & Lime Cordial need mixing; the latter contains a stevia-derived sweetener.
Robinsons
Tesco lists several Robinsons fruit cordials in 500ml bottles.
- The cited Tesco range includes elderflower and other fruit cordial flavours.
- Check the exact pack if you need an already-carbonated drink rather than a cordial to prepare.
M&S Food
M&S describes its cordials as drinks to dilute with still or sparkling water.
- Sparkling water is an option for preparing a fizzy drink from the range.
- A bottle of cordial is not itself a ready-to-drink sparkling lunch drink.
Joybuy drinks for lunch on the go
This 330ml fizzy elderflower option suits a lunch where you want a drink without mixing cordial; it is not a concentrate for dilution.
No image available
Dalston's Fizzy Elderflower 330ml
A ready-to-drink fizzy elderflower option for lunch without a separate mixer. The pack is 330ml; it is not a cordial concentrate for adjusting by dilution.
Questions about sparkling cordial
Can I make ordinary cordial fizzy for lunch?
Yes, if that cordial’s instructions allow mixing with sparkling water. Sainsbury’s lists dilution up to 1:10 for Belvoir Ginger Cordial, while ASDA lists 1:15 for Bottlegreen Wild Elderflower Cordial. Bring a suitable container or prepare the drink before you leave.
Does “no added sugar” mean no sugar or sweetener?
No. ASDA lists 1.1g sugars per 250ml prepared serving for Belvoir Sicilian Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial at 1:6 dilution, and its ingredients include fruit juice and steviol glycosides. Check both the prepared-drink nutrition and ingredients.
What should I check if I avoid an ingredient?
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact current pack before drinking it. ASDA cautions that product information can change, so an online listing should not replace the pack label.
How should I store what is left after lunch?
Follow the particular pack’s instructions. The cited listings say to refrigerate Belvoir Sparkling Elderflower after opening and use it within three days; Belvoir Ginger Cordial has a three-week period, and Bottlegreen Wild Elderflower Cordial a one-month period after opening.