Hosts serving several people
A bottle of concentrate can be mixed into separate drinks for the group. Allow for water and glasses, and use the bottle’s directions when planning how much to prepare.
Who is buying the drinks?
Shoppers comparing sugar information
Compare the nutrition information for the drink as prepared, alongside the ingredients and dilution directions. A no-added-sugar label does not tell you everything about a drink’s formulation.
Households checking ingredients for guests
Check the current pack before serving, particularly if a guest needs to avoid a particular ingredient. Sweeteners and sulphites may be relevant to that check.
What matters when choosing?
Decide whether you want squash to dilute or individual ready-to-drink cans, then check the quantity and label of the exact product.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Enough for the group | Check the bottle size, its dilution directions and any stated serving guidance. Have water and glasses ready. | I want to prepare several squash drinks without opening an individual container for each person. |
| Drink format | Check whether the product is concentrate or ready to drink, whether it is still or sparkling, and the number of containers in a pack. | Separate cans would be convenient if guests want individual portions without mixing, but I need to know what drink is actually in them. |
| Sugar information | Compare nutrition information on the same prepared-drink basis. Follow the stated dilution directions when reading values per serving. | I want to compare regular and no-added-sugar options without assuming fruit-flavoured drinks have the same ingredients. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredients list and any highlighted allergens or sweetener warnings on the pack. | If a guest needs to avoid an ingredient, I need to check the drink I will actually serve. |
| Empty containers | Check local recycling arrangements for the container you buy. Recycle Now advises emptying and rinsing drink cans before recycling. | I want to know how to deal with the bottles or cans after the film. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming any multipack of cans is squash
M&S describes its squash range as bottles and points to sparkling cans separately in its wider soft-drinks range. The drinks may differ in preparation, carbonation and ingredients.
Check the product title, pack count and whether the contents are concentrate or ready to drink before buying cans in place of squash.
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Reading “no added sugar” as an ingredients guarantee
A no-added-sugar squash can still contain sweeteners and ingredients that matter to a guest. The ingredients on the current pack are more useful for that decision than the front-of-pack phrase alone.
Read the ingredients and any allergen or sweetener warnings on the container you receive.
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Counting concentrate as ready-to-drink squash
Bottle volume is not the volume of the prepared drink. Waitrose & Partners states that Robinsons Lemon No Added Sugar Squash uses one part concentrate to four parts water and that its bottle contains 20 servings; another squash may give different directions.
Use the directions on your chosen bottle when planning servings, water and glasses.
Brand and retailer references
Robinsons
Waitrose & Partners lists Robinsons Lemon No Added Sugar Squash as a bottled concentrate.
- That listing states a one-part-concentrate-to-four-parts-water dilution and 20 servings per bottle.
- It is not a canned multipack. Check the current pack’s ingredients and directions before serving.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists bottled own-label and branded squash, including a 1.5L Tesco option and a 1.75L Robinsons option.
- The listed bottle sizes give shoppers different quantities to assess for a group.
- Check each product’s dilution directions rather than assuming bottles of different strengths make the same number of drinks.
M&S
M&S describes squash in bottles and refers to sparkling cans separately within its wider soft-drinks range.
- This distinction helps when choosing between squash to mix and an individual canned drink.
- Do not assume a sparkling can contains squash; check the exact product.
Bottled squash options on Joybuy
These bottles are options for mixing squash for a movie-night group; neither is a multi-pack of cans.
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Ribena Conc Blackcurrant No Added Sugar 1.5L
This 1.5L bottle of squash concentrate can be mixed for several guests, but it needs water and preparation. Follow the pack’s dilution directions and check its current ingredients, including sweeteners and sodium bisulphite, before serving.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
This 1L bottle is squash to dilute for guests, rather than an individual ready-to-drink can. Check its dilution directions when planning servings, and read the current pack for ingredients, including sweeteners and sulphites.
Questions about serving squash
Can I swap a squash bottle for a multipack of cans?
You can choose individual cans if ready-to-drink portions matter more than serving squash, but do not assume the drinks are interchangeable. M&S describes squash bottles separately from sparkling cans; check the exact can’s contents, pack count and label before substituting it.
How much water should I add to squash for guests?
Follow the directions on the bottle you buy. Waitrose & Partners states that Robinsons Lemon No Added Sugar Squash uses one part concentrate to four parts water and that its bottle contains 20 servings; other products may have different directions.
Does “no added sugar” mean I can skip the ingredients list?
No. Check the current pack for sweeteners and any ingredients a guest needs to avoid. GOV.UK guidance says that when prepacked food or drink contains one of the 14 regulated allergens, it must be clearly identified in the ingredients list.
What should I do with empty drink cans?
Recycle Now advises emptying and rinsing drink cans. Check your local recycling arrangements for where to put them after the film.