School bake-sale organisers serving hot soup
Plan the portion size, keep current allergen information at hand and make sure the venue can support the proposed heating and serving arrangements.
Who is this for?
Parents and volunteers planning soup with bread
Count everything served together. A calorie figure for half a tin does not describe a whole tin with bread, butter, cheese or toppings.
Vegetarian tomato-soup buyers
Check the current tin for both its vegetarian labelling and its ingredients. The tomato-soup examples discussed below declare milk; Campbell's also declares celery.
What should you check?
Set the serving size and accompaniments before calculating the meal total, then check whether the venue can serve that choice as planned.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Served calories | Read whether energy is given per 100g, half tin or another serving. Calculate the amount of soup served, then add milk, bread, butter, cheese or toppings if used. | I want the complete portion offered at the sale, not just the soup in its tin, to remain under 500 kcal. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the current pack for the soup's ingredients and declared allergens. Record ingredients for bread and toppings separately, especially if food will be served without its packaging. | If I am serving soup by the ladle, I need accurate information for every part of the portion. The Food Standards Agency's guidance addresses allergen information for non-prepacked food. |
| Preparation and storage | Follow the tin's preparation and opened-product storage instructions. Confirm that the venue has suitable heating, serving, temperature-control and refrigeration arrangements where needed. | Hot soup needs a workable service plan before I buy tins for an event. Food Standards Agency MyHACCP guidance identifies suitable heating, cooling and temperature-monitoring facilities where relevant. |
Common planning mistakes
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Counting a half-tin figure as a whole tin
Asda Groceries lists Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup at 102 kcal per half of its 400g tin; a whole tin is 204 kcal before additions. Tesco lists its 400g Cream of Tomato Soup at 116 kcal per half tin, or 232 kcal for the whole tin.
Write down the portion you intend to serve and calculate from that amount before adding accompaniments.
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Treating condensed soup as a fixed ready-to-serve portion
Tesco Groceries' instructions for Campbell's Condensed Cream of Tomato Soup call for a tin of water and also allow a milk-and-water variation. Milk and other recipe ingredients affect the calories in the finished portion.
Choose the preparation method first, then include every addition in the calculation used for the sale.
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Assuming vegetarian means allergen-free
The tomato soups described by Asda Groceries, Sainsbury's, Tesco Groceries and Campbell's declare milk; Campbell's also declares celery. Vegetarian labelling does not replace an ingredient check.
Keep the current packs or an accurate ingredient record available when serving, and check bread and toppings as well as soup.
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Choosing hot soup before planning service
A hot-soup offer needs appropriate preparation and storage arrangements. Food Standards Agency MyHACCP guidance identifies facilities for heating, cooling, refrigeration and temperature monitoring where relevant.
Confirm the equipment, responsible adults, serving period and plan for opened leftovers before deciding how many tins to buy.
Brand and product references
These are examples of specific tomato soups with published nutrition information, not a claim that every soup from each brand has the same ingredients or energy value.
Heinz
Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup is a 400g vegetarian tomato-soup example.
- Asda Groceries lists 102 kcal per half tin, giving 204 kcal for the whole tin before additions.
- It contains milk. Check the current pack and count any bread or toppings served with it.
Campbell's
Campbell's Condensed Cream of Tomato Soup is a smaller tin intended for dilution or recipe use.
- Tesco Groceries lists a 294g pack and 116 kcal per 100g; that is about 341 kcal for the tin as sold.
- The preparation instructions call for added water and allow a milk variation. It contains milk and celery; include any calorie-containing additions in the served total.
Tesco
Tesco Cream of Tomato Soup is a 400g own-label vegetarian option.
- Tesco Groceries lists 116 kcal per half tin, or 232 kcal for the full tin before additions.
- The listed salt value is 1.12g per half tin. Check the current pack for ingredients and allergens before serving.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's Cream of Tomato Soup is a 400g own-label vegetarian option.
- Sainsbury's lists 114 kcal per half tin, or 228 kcal for the full tin before additions.
- Its listed ingredients include milk. Check the current pack and any accompaniments used at the sale.
M&S
M&S Cream of Tomato Soup is a 400g vegetarian tinned option.
- Marks & Spencer lists 63 kcal per 100g, equivalent to about 252 kcal for the full tin before additions.
- The listed salt value is 0.45g per 100g. Check the current pack's ingredients and allergens before serving.
Tinned soups on Joybuy
These options include savoury tins and a sweet soup. Decide whether each style suits the bake-sale offer, then check the current pack, the planned portion and any accompaniments before describing a serving as under 500 kcal.
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Heinz Cream of Mushroom Soup 400g
A mushroom-soup option for a hot savoury serving. Check the current pack for milk and wheat allergen information, follow its heating directions and count any bread or toppings in the served portion.
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Heinz Big Soup Steak & Potato 400g
A steak-and-potato soup to consider if the offer does not need to be vegetarian. Check the current pack's allergen information and heating instructions, and calculate the calories for the portion and accompaniments you will serve.
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Heinz Scotch Broth Soup 400g
A savoury broth option for a hot serving. Its listed limitations identify mutton and gluten from barley and wheat; check the current pack before offering it, and calculate the calories for the portion served with any extras.
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Itoen Special Rich Corn Potage Soup 185g
A smaller corn-soup tin to consider when planning individual portions. Check the current pack's full allergen information, including its milk ingredients, and confirm preparation directions before planning to serve it hot.
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Bestore Stewed Snow Fungus Soup 200g
This is a sweet soup rather than a savoury lunch-style option. Check that it fits the bake-sale offer, read the current pack for ingredients and serving directions, and include any additions when calculating the served portion.
Questions about serving soup
How can I check whether a serving stays under 500 calories?
Calculate the calories for the amount of soup actually served, using the pack's per-100g or per-serving figure. If a 400g tin lists energy per half tin and you serve the whole tin, use two servings; then add any milk, bread, butter, cheese or toppings included in the offer.
Are the tomato soups discussed here under 500 calories for a whole tin?
Yes, for the tins as sold and before additions: Asda Groceries lists figures giving 204 kcal for Heinz Cream of Tomato 400g; Sainsbury's gives 228 kcal for its 400g tin; Tesco Groceries gives 232 kcal for its 400g tin; Marks & Spencer's per-100g figure gives about 252 kcal for its 400g tin; and Tesco Groceries' pack size and energy figure give about 341 kcal for Campbell's 294g condensed tin. Check the current pack and recalculate for the portion you serve.
What allergen information matters when soup is served without its tin?
Keep accurate allergen information for the soup and every accompaniment available at service. The Food Standards Agency's guidance addresses mandatory information about regulated allergens for non-prepacked food; the tomato soups discussed here declare milk, and Campbell's also declares celery. Check the current packs rather than relying on an older ingredient list.
What should organisers check before offering hot soup?
Follow each product's heating and opened-product storage instructions, and confirm that the venue can support the proposed service. Food Standards Agency MyHACCP guidance identifies suitable heating, cooling, refrigeration and temperature-monitoring facilities where relevant; plan who will manage these steps and how unused opened soup will be stored.