Organisers serving hot food
If you plan to heat soup and pour it into cups, work out how you will retain ingredient information and manage preparation at the stall. GOV.UK says food supplied at school fetes and fundraisers must be safe to eat.
Who is this for?
Organisers offering a vegetarian option
Look for a vegetarian declaration on the exact tin, then check its ingredients separately. A vegetarian soup can still contain allergens: Marks & Spencer describes its Cream of Tomato Soup as made with double cream.
Organisers counting cup portions
Choose the intended cup size before calculating how many tins to bring. Tesco Groceries lists a half-can serving basis for both its 400g Vegetable Soup and Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup; the number of cups you pour will depend on the fill you choose.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the portion you intend to serve, then check the exact soup’s ingredients and how it will be prepared at the school.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Compare the tin size with its stated serving basis. Tesco Groceries lists half a 400g can as a serving for Tesco Vegetable Soup and Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup. Test how much your chosen cup holds. | I want to know how many cups each tin will fill before deciding how many to bring. |
| Ingredients | Read the purchased tin’s ingredient and allergen information. Check vegetarian suitability separately from allergens, and keep the packaging available after pouring the soup. | Attendees and parents need a way to check what is in a cup before it is served. |
| Hot service | Follow the tin’s heating directions and confirm the school’s arrangements for equipment, supervision and serving. GOV.UK says food supplied at school fundraisers must be safe to eat. | We need a workable plan for heating and handing out soup at the stall, not just enough tins. |
Common planning mistakes
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Counting every 400g tin as one cup
Tesco Groceries lists a 200g half-can serving basis for its Vegetable Soup and Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup. The intended cup fill may differ from that labelled serving.
Pick a cup, test the fill and calculate the number of tins from the portion you will actually serve.
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Treating vegetarian as allergen-free
A vegetarian declaration does not tell attendees whether a soup contains milk or another ingredient they need to avoid. Marks & Spencer describes its vegetarian Cream of Tomato Soup as made with double cream.
Check the current ingredient information for each flavour and make it available at the serving point.
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Discarding labels after filling cups
A plain cup no longer shows which tin it came from or what that tin contains.
Keep the packaging with each soup and identify flavours clearly throughout service.
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Assuming a one-off event needs no food-safety plan
GOV.UK says food supplied at school fetes and fundraisers must be safe to eat. Whether registration applies is a separate question about the activity and its location.
Confirm the school’s procedures and ask the relevant local authority food-safety team about registration if you are unsure.
Brand and product-line references
Tesco
Tesco Vegetable Soup 400G is a vegetarian-labelled option with a half-can serving basis, according to Tesco Groceries.
- Its stated serving basis gives organisers a starting point for planning 200g portions.
- Check the ingredients on the tins purchased before offering it to attendees.
Heinz
Tesco Groceries lists Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup in a 400g tin with a half-can serving basis and vegetarian declaration.
- The stated serving basis can be used to plan two 200g portions from a tin.
- Confirm the current ingredients and the amount your chosen cups will hold.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists 400g tinned soups including Cream of Tomato and Chunky Chicken and Vegetable.
- Marks & Spencer describes its Cream of Tomato Soup as vegetarian and made with double cream.
- Its Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup carries a may-contain-bones warning; check the purchased product’s full label before serving.
Campbell's
Tesco Groceries lists Campbell's condensed mushroom and chicken soups in 295g tins.
- A condensed soup is an option if that is the format the organiser intends to prepare.
- Check the selected tin’s preparation directions, ingredients and serving basis before using it for the event.
Joybuy soup options
These tinned soups offer different starting points for planning school bake-sale portions. Check each purchased label against the intended menu and cup size; a 400g tin does not always carry the same stated serving basis.
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Heinz Cream of Mushroom Soup 400g
For hot cups, use this 400g tin’s stated serving information alongside a test of your chosen cup size. Check the current label for milk and wheat or gluten before serving.
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Heinz Scotch Broth Soup 400g
Consider this 400g soup only if a meat-based option suits the event menu. Check the purchased tin for mutton, barley, wheat and its serving and heating directions, then test the intended cup portion.
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Baxters Lobster Bisque Chef's Selection Soup 400g
Before choosing this 400g bisque for small cups, check its serving and heating directions and test the cup yield. Review the current label for crustaceans, milk, sulphites and celery, and keep that information available at the stall.
Questions about serving soup
Is a 400g tin one serving?
Not for every soup. Tesco Groceries lists half a can, or 200g, as a serving for Tesco Vegetable Soup 400G and Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup 400G. Check the serving basis on the soup you buy and test your intended cup size before calculating quantities.
How can people check allergens after soup has been poured into cups?
Keep the purchased tins or a clear record of their current ingredient information at the serving point, with each flavour identifiable. A vegetarian declaration is not a substitute for checking the full ingredient and allergen information.
Does a school bake sale need food-business registration?
Check with the relevant local authority if registration is uncertain, and follow the school’s event procedures. Food Standards Scotland says occasional handling, preparation, storage or serving of food in Scotland is unlikely to require registration; that guidance does not determine the position for every event or elsewhere in the UK.
Is vegetarian tomato soup suitable for someone avoiding milk?
Do not assume so. Marks & Spencer describes its vegetarian Cream of Tomato Soup as made with double cream. Check the exact purchased tin’s ingredients before offering any soup to someone who needs to avoid milk.