Hosts serving a mixed group
Individual cans can be handed out with different dishes without opening a shared bottle. Work out the can count as well as the total litres, especially if guests may want another drink.
Who is buying for?
Community-event food suppliers
Packaged drinks need to fit the way food and drink will be stored and served. GOV.UK states that food supplied, sold or provided at community and charity events must comply with food law and be safe to consume.
Shoppers planning for empty cans
Decide where guests will put their empties. Recycle Now advises emptying and rinsing drink cans and notes that some out-of-home recycling points accept them.
What should you check?
Start with the guest count and serving arrangement, then choose the drink and check the event’s entry and disposal arrangements.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Servings | Multiply the can count by its volume. Lyreco lists a Cano Water pack of 24 × 330ml, or 7.92L; Tesco lists flavoured VOSS packs of 10 × 330ml, or 3.3L. Allow separately for repeat drinks and other options. | I need enough individual drinks for the group, not simply a pack labelled as a multipack. |
| Plain or flavoured | Check whether the pack is plain or flavoured. For a flavoured variant, read its ingredients and nutrition information rather than relying on the flavour name. | For varied dishes, I would start with plain sparkling water rather than commit every guest to one flavour. |
| Serving format | Compare individual cans with bottles that need pouring. Highland Spring lists 500ml, 1.5L and 6 × 1L sparkling-water bottle formats; a seated table with cups makes sharing more practical. | Guests will be standing or moving between stalls, so I want drinks they can take away without waiting for someone to pour them. |
| Event entry | Check the named festival’s current rules for bringing cans and outside drinks. Also plan how the packs will be carried and, if serving them cold, kept chilled. | I want to know whether the drinks can come through the entrance and how they will be served once inside. |
| Empty cans | Arrange a collection point and check the venue’s recycling facilities. Recycle Now advises emptying and rinsing drink cans; only some out-of-home points accept them. | After the food is finished, I need a practical place for guests to leave their cans. |
Common buying mistakes
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Judging a multipack by its name alone
Pack sizes can represent very different numbers of drinks. Lyreco’s 24 × 330ml Cano Water pack contains 24 individual servings; Tesco’s 10 × 330ml flavoured VOSS packs contain ten.
Count one initial can for each guest who may want one, then consider repeat servings, event duration and other drinks.
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Treating flavoured water as interchangeable with plain water
A named flavour tells you what kind of drink is offered, but not everything about its ingredients or nutrition.
If serving a mixed group, consider plain water as the main option and check each flavoured variant’s label before adding it.
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Assuming recyclable cans will be collected
Recycle Now says some out-of-home recycling points take drink cans; that does not establish what the festival venue accepts.
Check the venue’s arrangements and set aside a clearly marked place for empties. Follow the applicable collection guidance on emptying and rinsing them.
Brand and retailer references
These formats help distinguish individual cans from sharing bottles; check the exact pack before planning servings.
Cano Water
Lyreco lists unflavoured sparkling Cano Water in a 24 × 330ml can pack.
- The pack provides 24 individual cans and 7.92L in total.
- The ring-pull cans are not resealable; check the pack’s handling needs for your event.
S.Pellegrino
S.Pellegrino describes a 33cl sparkling mineral-water can, while Tesco lists larger bottled multipacks.
- The brand’s 33cl can is an individual-serve format.
- Check the exact can pack size before counting on it for a group; Tesco’s cited multipack listing is for bottles.
Perrier
Perrier describes a slim-can format for its carbonated mineral water.
- An individual can is an option to consider when drinks will be handed out.
- Confirm the UK pack size for the exact product before using it to plan group servings.
Highland Spring
Highland Spring lists sparkling water in 500ml and 1.5L bottles and a 6 × 1L bottle multipack.
- The larger bottles give a sharing option for a table where pouring is practical.
- Those stated formats do not meet a requirement for individual cans.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label sparkling water in 12 × 500ml bottles and flavoured VOSS sparkling water in 10 × 330ml cans through Marketplace.
- The listings offer distinct bottle and flavoured-can formats to compare by serving count.
- Check the seller and the exact variant when considering a Marketplace can pack.
M&S
M&S lists sparkling mineral waters and flavoured waters in its Foodhall range.
- Its range offers sparkling-water choices for shoppers considering drinks alongside food.
- Check the local Foodhall’s range and packaging if individual cans are essential.
Sparkling water multipacks on Joybuy
These packs are individual-can options for festival-food service, including plain and flavoured drinks in different can sizes and counts. Match the format to the number of guests and check the event’s rules on cans.
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Cano Water Sparkling Ring Pull, 24 × 330ml
The 24 individual cans provide 7.92L for hand-out service before allowing for repeat drinks. Joybuy lists natural spring water and carbon dioxide as the ingredients; the ring-pull cans are not resealable.
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Cano Water Sparkling Resealable, 12 × 500ml
This pack offers 12 individual, resealable 500ml cans. Its can count and serving size differ from a 24 × 330ml pack, so calculate how many drinks the group needs rather than comparing pack names alone.
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DASH Water Infused with Wonky Oranges, 12 × 330ml
The 12 individual 330ml cans offer an orange-flavoured choice alongside food. Check the exact ingredients and nutrition label if the drink needs to suit particular guests; this is not a plain-water option.
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Cooling Hydration Genki Forest Soda Summer Black Grape, 24 × 330ml
The 24 individual 330ml cans give a grape-flavoured option for a group. Check the ingredient list, including sweeteners, against the needs of the people being served rather than treating it as plain sparkling water.
Questions about festival drinks
How many drinks are in a 24 × 330ml pack?
There are 24 individual 330ml cans, totalling 7.92L, as shown by Lyreco’s Cano Water pack listing. That covers one initial can each for up to 24 people; allow more if guests may have another drink.
Should I choose plain or flavoured sparkling water with festival food?
Plain sparkling water avoids choosing a flavour for the whole group. If you add flavoured cans, check the exact variant’s ingredients and nutrition label; a flavour name alone does not tell you whether it suits everyone being served.
What should I do with empty cans after the event?
Set up a place to collect them and check what the venue accepts. Recycle Now advises emptying and rinsing drink cans and says that some out-of-home recycling points accept them.
Does a deposit-return scheme apply to these cans now?
Do not assume a deposit applies to a purchase in October 2026. In its January 2025 announcement, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said a drinks-container deposit-return scheme was planned for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2027; check current official and retailer information when buying.