For a Sunday brunch, choose plain sparkling water if you want an unflavoured drink without sweeteners, or check for an explicitly no-sugar, no-sweetener flavoured variety if guests want fruit flavour. A drink labelled ‘no added sugar’ is a different option: Sainsbury’s Apple & Elderflower sparkling water, for example, contains acesulfame K and sucralose. If dental erosion is a concern, bear in mind Royal Devon NHS guidance that diet fizzy drinks can still affect the tooth surface, particularly when consumed frequently.
The useful distinction for a brunch table is whether you want no flavouring, flavour without sweeteners, or a flavoured drink that uses sweeteners instead of added sugar.
Start with plain sparkling water, or read the label of a flavoured variety for an explicit no-sugar, no-sweetener formulation. San Pellegrino Essenza Tangerine & Strawberry is one flavoured example listed by Sainsbury’s; check the exact variant rather than assuming the same ingredients across a range.
If sweeteners are acceptable, a no-added-sugar flavoured drink offers another route. Sainsbury’s Apple & Elderflower example lists sugars below 0.5g per 100ml, but also contains acesulfame K and sucralose.
Choosing less sugar does not settle every dental consideration. Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust cautions that diet fizzy drinks can erode the tooth surface; consider how often they are sipped as well as what the label says about sugar.
Decide on the ingredient preference first, then choose a flavour and bottle format that work for the way you will serve brunch.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar and sweeteners | Read sugars per 100ml in the nutrition table and look for named sweeteners in the ingredients. ‘No added sugar’ does not mean ‘no sweeteners’: Sainsbury’s Apple & Elderflower drink lists sugars below 0.5g per 100ml alongside acesulfame K and sucralose. | I want to know whether a flavoured drink meets my ingredient preference, not just whether its front label mentions sugar. |
| Flavour | Distinguish plain water from flavoured water, then check the exact variant. Sainsbury’s lists San Pellegrino Essenza Tangerine & Strawberry as containing mineral water, carbon dioxide and natural flavourings, with no sugar or sweetener. | For a neutral table drink, I would choose plain water; if I want fruit flavour, I would check whether that particular bottle contains sweeteners. |
| Serving format | Check both bottle volume and the number of bottles. Highland Spring lists plain sparkling water in 1.5L and 6 x 1L formats; individual bottles offer a different way to serve a group. | A larger bottle can sit on the brunch table, while separate bottles may suit guests serving themselves. |
| Dental exposure | Consider how often a fizzy drink will be sipped, not only its sugar label. Royal Devon NHS guidance warns that diet fizzy drinks can erode the tooth surface. | If dental erosion is a concern for me, I would avoid repeatedly sipping a fizzy drink between meals. |
Those labels answer different questions. Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar Apple & Elderflower sparkling drink contains acesulfame K and sucralose, so it would not meet a preference to avoid sweeteners.
Use the nutrition table to check sugars per 100ml, then the ingredients list to check for sweeteners.
Royal Devon NHS guidance cautions that diet fizzy drinks can erode the tooth surface. A lower-sugar label does not address that concern on its own.
If dental erosion matters to you, consider serving the fizzy drink with brunch rather than sipping it repeatedly between meals.
Sainsbury’s listings marked the San Pellegrino Essenza Tangerine & Strawberry 4 x 330ml pack and Perrier glass 4 x 330ml pack out of stock when checked.
Confirm the exact variant, pack and local availability before planning drinks around it, and keep another suitable option in mind.
These examples illustrate different ingredient and pack choices; a brand name alone does not establish what is in every variant.
Its Essenza Tangerine & Strawberry variant is a flavoured sparkling mineral-water option for guests who want neither sugar nor sweeteners.
The 4 x 330ml glass-bottle product listed by Sainsbury’s is plain carbonated natural mineral water.
A plain sparkling spring-water route with formats that include bottles for sharing.
Its range provides examples of plain water and flavoured drinks with different ingredient lists.
Its sparkling-water category offers a starting point for comparing plain own-label formats with branded products.
These are plain sparkling-water formats for a brunch table. Choose by bottle and pack size if an unflavoured drink suits your guests; use the ingredient checks above when shopping for a flavoured alternative.
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A plain sparkling mineral-water option in six 1L bottles for serving at the table. It is not a fruit-flavoured drink.
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A plain sparkling-water choice in eight 500ml bottles if you would rather put out individual bottles than a larger sharing bottle.
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Plain sparkling mineral water in six 0.5L bottles, rather than the six 1L bottles of the other San Pellegrino pack shown here.
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An unflavoured spring-water option in six 1L bottles for pouring at brunch. Check the pack label if you need a stated nutrition figure for this exact product.
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The plain Highland Spring option in eight 500ml bottles, suited to setting out individual bottles. Check the pack label if a stated sugar value matters to your choice.
No. Sainsbury’s Apple & Elderflower no-added-sugar sparkling drink lists sugars below 0.5g per 100ml but contains acesulfame K and sucralose. Read both the nutrition table and the ingredients if you want to avoid sweeteners.
Choose a plain variety and check its exact label. Highland Spring describes its sparkling water as water with bubbles added, while the Perrier product listed by Sainsbury’s is carbonated natural mineral water.
Yes. Sainsbury’s lists San Pellegrino Essenza Tangerine & Strawberry with no sugar or sweetener and names mineral water, carbon dioxide and natural flavourings as its ingredients. Check the exact flavour and pack before buying.
No. Royal Devon NHS guidance warns that diet fizzy drinks can erode the tooth surface. If dental erosion concerns you, consider how frequently you sip fizzy drinks, even when they contain no sugar.