Families preparing drinks at home
A bottle of concentrate makes sense when an adult can mix each drink with water. Tesco and M&S list bottled squash in larger sizes, rather than individual ready-to-drink squash cans.
Who is each format for?
Families heading out during half term
A small concentrate may be easier to carry than a family bottle, but it still needs water and an adult to prepare the drink. The Robinsons Mini label described by Waitrose also has age and handling warnings.
Shoppers checking ingredients and serving times
Read the label of the exact flavour and pack if sweeteners or allergens matter. For children, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust advises offering squash, including no-added-sugar squash, at mealtimes rather than as a drink to sip throughout the day.
What should you check before buying?
Choose the format around where the drink will be prepared, then check the instructions and ingredients on the pack you intend to serve.
Bottled squash
Choose when: Water, cups and someone to prepare drinks are available at home.
Bear in mind: The concentrate must be diluted, so it does not offer the open-and-drink convenience of a can.
Portable squash mini
Choose when: An adult can carry the concentrate and mix it with water during an outing.
Bear in mind: Waitrose lists a warning not to drink Robinsons Mini undiluted or let children under 36 months use or handle it.
Ready-to-drink cans
Choose when: You want individual drinks that need no mixing, rather than squash concentrate.
Bear in mind: Check each canned drink's own portion size, ingredients and nutrition information; bottled-squash claims do not describe it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink format | Look for dilution instructions or a ready-to-drink description. Check whether the pack is one bottle, a small concentrate or several cans. | For drinks made at home, I can use water and cups. For an outing, I may need a drink that can be opened without preparation. |
| Children's handling | Read the concentrate's age warning and dilution directions. The Robinsons Mini information supplied by Waitrose says not to drink it undiluted or let children under 36 months use or handle it. | If a young child might pick up the bottle, I need an adult to keep and prepare the concentrate. |
| Serving time | Do not treat “no added sugar” as serving guidance. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust advises offering squash at mealtimes and identifies plain water as a drink for children between meals. | For a snack break between meals, I can offer water rather than leave squash available for frequent sipping. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration for the exact flavour. M&S Orange Squash product information lists E223 (sulphites). | Where an ingredient needs avoiding, I need to check this pack, even if I have bought the same flavour before. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming a canned multipack is concentrated squash
Tesco, M&S and Sainsbury's show bottled squash separately from ready-to-drink canned drinks. The formats need different preparation and label checks.
Read the individual listing for “concentrated” and its dilution instructions before choosing it as squash.
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Letting a young child use a concentrate mini independently
The Robinsons Mini information listed by Waitrose says not to drink it undiluted and not to let children under 36 months use or handle it.
Keep the concentrate with an adult, mix it with water and follow the directions on the particular pack.
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Reading “no added sugar” as an all-day serving instruction
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust advises that no-added-sugar squash should still be offered to children at mealtimes.
For drinks between meals, offer plain water rather than relying on a front-of-pack sugar claim.
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Skipping the current ingredient label
Ingredients differ between products and flavours. M&S Orange Squash product information, for example, lists E223 (sulphites).
Check the exact pack's ingredients and allergen declaration before serving it to someone with an ingredient restriction.
Brand and range references
These examples help distinguish the formats; a brand's inclusion does not mean every product in its range has the same ingredients or instructions.
Robinsons
Tesco lists bottled Robinsons squash and 66 ml Minis; Waitrose describes the Mini as a portable concentrate.
- Waitrose states that one Robinsons Mini bottle makes up to 20 drinks when prepared as directed.
- The Mini is not ready to drink: its label warns against drinking it undiluted, refilling it or letting children under 36 months use or handle it.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label quadruple-strength, no-added-sugar squash in 750 ml and 1.5 L bottles.
- The bottle format is an option when drinks can be mixed with water.
- Check the chosen bottle's dilution directions rather than assuming every concentrate is prepared the same way.
M&S
M&S lists a 1.5 L double-strength Orange Squash and describes squash as a drink to dilute.
- M&S describes this Orange Squash as no added sugar and made with 20% orange from concentrate.
- Its product information lists E223 (sulphites); check the current pack for ingredient decisions.
Vimto
Tesco lists Vimto bottled squash in 1 L and 2 L formats, including no-added-sugar options.
- These listings provide another bottled concentrate to consider for drinks mixed at home.
- Check the exact variant's ingredients and mixing directions before serving.
Joybuy drink options
These options cover bottled squash to dilute at home and a ready-to-drink canned multipack for when mixing is impractical. The cans are a different type of drink, not concentrated squash.
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Ribena No Added Sugar Blackcurrant Concentrate 1.5 L
A bottled squash option for drinks prepared with water at home, not an individual ready-to-drink can. Check the pack's dilution and under-three guidance before serving it to children; the product information also lists sodium bisulphite.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1 L
This bottle is concentrated squash for mixing with water, rather than a canned drink for an outing. Its product information warns that it is not suitable for children under 36 months and lists sulphites; check the current pack's instructions and ingredients.
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J2O Apple & Raspberry Fruit Blend 4 × 250 ml Cans
Four ready-to-drink cans suit a need for separate drinks without mixing, but this fruit blend is not squash concentrate. Check its own ingredients, nutrition information and serving guidance before choosing it for children.
Questions about squash and cans
Is a canned multipack likely to be concentrated squash?
Do not assume so. The Tesco and M&S squash ranges described here show bottled concentrates, while Sainsbury's multipack results include ready-to-drink cans separately from squash bottles. Read the individual can listing to establish what drink it contains.
Can a child drink a squash mini straight from its bottle?
No: the Robinsons Mini information listed by Waitrose says not to drink it undiluted. It also says not to refill the bottle or let children under 36 months use or handle it; follow the pack's directions when an adult prepares the drink.
Does “no added sugar” mean squash is suitable for sipping between meals?
No. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust advises that no-added-sugar squash still contains sugar and should be offered to children at mealtimes. It identifies plain water as an option between meals.
What should I check if someone needs to avoid an ingredient?
Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration on the exact flavour and pack before serving it. For example, M&S Orange Squash product information lists E223 (sulphites); do not assume another squash has the same formulation.