Commuters who can mix a drink before leaving
Concentrated squash is an option if you have time to dilute it and can take the prepared drink with you. Check the exact bottle’s directions before mixing it with sparkling water.
Who might choose each option?
Shoppers who need a drink straight away
A sealed, ready-to-drink sparkling fruit drink avoids carrying concentrate and separate sparkling water. Read its sugars information on the stated label basis; it may differ from diluted no-added-sugar squash.
Shoppers checking particular ingredients
Read the current ingredients and allergen information if you avoid certain sweeteners or sulphite ingredients. Recipes vary between products, including those labelled no added sugar.
What should you check before buying?
Squash or cordial with sparkling water
Choose it when: You can prepare a drink before travel or have sparkling water where you are going.
Trade-off: Concentrate needs dilution and a separate bottle or glass; check the exact product’s mixing and storage directions.
Ready-to-drink sparkling fruit drink
Choose it when: You need a sealed fizzy drink without a mixing step.
Trade-off: You cannot adjust its dilution, and its sugars must be assessed from that drink’s own label.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Compare concentrates as prepared according to their dilution directions, and ready-to-drink products on their stated nutrition basis. Tesco Groceries lists 0.5g sugars per prepared 300ml glass for its Quadruple Strength Orange No Added Sugar squash; M&S lists 7.6g per 100g for its Sparkling British Apple Spring Water. Those figures describe different serving bases. | I want to know what is in the drink I will actually consume, rather than judge it by its fruit flavour or front-of-pack wording. |
| Preparation | Check whether you need separate sparkling water, a container and time to mix. Look at the ready-to-drink pack format if you will carry it. | If I am leaving immediately, a sealed drink saves a mixing step. If I can prepare one beforehand, concentrate remains an option. |
| Fizz and dilution | Check the exact product’s mixing directions. Tesco Groceries specifies one part of its Quadruple Strength Orange squash to 19 parts water; Sainsbury’s lists at least four parts water to one part of Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar squash. Waitrose describes Belvoir Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial as suitable with sparkling water. | I want a fizzy fruit-flavoured drink and need to know how to prepare the concentrate I choose. |
| Ingredients and storage | Read the current ingredient and allergen information, then check storage instructions after opening. Waitrose says to refrigerate the Belvoir Lemon & Lime cordial and use it within three weeks of opening. | Certain sweeteners or sulphite ingredients may matter to me, and I may use an opened bottle only occasionally. |
Common buying mistakes
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Treating all sparkling fruit drinks like diluted no-added-sugar squash
A ready-to-drink product can have a different sugars figure. M&S lists 7.6g sugars per 100g for Sparkling British Apple Spring Water, while Tesco Groceries lists 0.5g per prepared 300ml glass for its Quadruple Strength Orange No Added Sugar squash; the stated bases differ.
Check each nutrition panel and its serving basis before comparing options.
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Skipping the concentrate’s dilution directions
The mixing ratios differ: Tesco Groceries specifies one part squash to 19 parts water for its Quadruple Strength Orange product, while Sainsbury’s specifies at least four parts water to one part Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar squash.
Start with the directions on the bottle you buy, and check its suitability for sparkling water.
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Reading ‘no added sugar’ as an ingredient list
No-added-sugar squash can still contain sweeteners or sulphite ingredients. The ingredient details for the Tesco and Ribena examples differ.
Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information if you avoid a particular substance.
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Choosing a cordial bottle without checking opened storage
Waitrose instructs shoppers to refrigerate Belvoir Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial after opening and use it within three weeks.
If you make this drink infrequently, consider whether you will use the bottle within its stated opened-life period.
Brand and retailer examples
Robinsons
Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury’s list Robinsons fruit squash, including no-added-sugar and double-strength options.
- Several flavours and concentrate formats appear in those retailer listings.
- Check the exact bottle’s ingredients and mixing directions; a range listing does not establish that every variant is intended for sparkling water.
Tesco own-label
Tesco Quadruple Strength Orange No Added Sugar squash is a concentrate for shoppers who can prepare a drink.
- Tesco Groceries states a one-part-squash-to-19-parts-water ratio and 0.5g sugars per prepared 300ml glass.
- Check the current ingredients if you avoid sweeteners or sulphite ingredients.
Ribena
Sainsbury’s lists Ribena Blackcurrant Squash No Added Sugar as a concentrated blackcurrant option.
- The listed 850ml product has a stated mixing direction of one part squash to at least four parts water.
- Check the current pack for ingredients and whether the exact variant is suitable for your planned sparkling-water mix.
Belvoir
Waitrose describes Belvoir Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial as suitable for mixing with still or sparkling water.
- The sparkling-water use is explicit in the retailer’s product description.
- Waitrose says to refrigerate it after opening and use it within three weeks.
M&S own-label
M&S describes squash for mixing with sparkling water and separately lists a ready-to-drink Sparkling British Apple Spring Water.
- These offer different preparation choices: mix a concentrate or open a ready-to-drink can.
- The listed apple drink contains sugar and has 7.6g sugars per 100g; do not treat it as nutritionally equivalent to no-added-sugar squash.
Joybuy drink options
These options include concentrated squashes to prepare before leaving and a ready-to-drink sparkling mango beverage. Check the exact squash label before choosing it specifically to mix with sparkling water.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
An orange squash option if you can dilute a drink before leaving. Check the current pack before using this exact variant with sparkling water, and read its ingredients if sweeteners or sulphites matter to you. Refrigerate after opening as directed.
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Ribena Concentrated Blackcurrant No Added Sugar 1.5L
A blackcurrant concentrate for preparing a drink ahead of time. Follow its dilution directions, check the exact pack before mixing it with sparkling water, and read the current ingredients if sweeteners or sodium bisulphite matter to you.
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De Vina 750m Sparkling Mango
A ready-to-drink sparkling mango option when there is no time to mix squash. It lists 4.5g sugars per 100ml; compare that stated basis with other drinks you are considering. Refrigerate after opening and consume within three days.
Frequently asked questions
Is sparkling squash already fizzy in the bottle?
Do not assume so: squash and cordial may be concentrates to mix with sparkling water. M&S suggests pairing its squash with sparkling water, and Waitrose describes Belvoir Lemon & Lime cordial for mixing with still or sparkling water. Choose a drink labelled ready to drink if you need to open and drink it immediately.
How can I compare the sugars in squash and a sparkling fruit drink?
Compare what you will drink: check squash nutrition at the instructed dilution and the ready-to-drink product on its stated label basis. NHS guidance advises diluting squash or cordial well and considering no-added-sugar options. Tesco Groceries lists 0.5g sugars per prepared 300ml glass for its Quadruple Strength Orange No Added Sugar squash.
What if I avoid certain sweeteners or sulphite ingredients?
Read the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information for the exact drink you plan to buy. The Tesco and Ribena squash examples list different sweeteners and sulphite ingredients, so a no-added-sugar label alone will not answer that question.
How long can I keep cordial after opening?
Follow the instructions on the particular bottle. For Belvoir Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial, Waitrose says to refrigerate after opening and use within three weeks; do not apply that period to other cordials without checking their labels.