Who is this for?

Hosts preparing a guest welcome

An individual can can be placed in the fridge or offered on arrival. Decide whether the welcome drink should be plain water or a flavoured sparkling option, and describe it accurately to guests.

Hosts catering for mixed preferences

If guests may want different drinks, do not rely on one flavoured option as the cottage’s plain water. Individual plain-water portions and a larger shared bottle serve different purposes.

Hosts with a private water supply

Keep the decision about guest refreshments separate from managing the property’s drinking-water supply. Establish which supply serves the cottage and check the requirements that apply to that property.

What should you check before ordering?

Start with the drink guests will expect, then compare portion size, total pack volume and how the drinks will be stored and disposed of.

Priority What to check Your needs
Individual servings Check the container type, 330ml serving size and number of portions. A multipack of cans is not the same format as a multipack of bottles. I would like a sealed drink for each arrival, bedroom or meal setting, rather than asking guests to pour from a shared bottle.
Plain or flavoured Read the product description and ingredients. Tesco describes Volvic Touch of Mango Passion as a sparkling spring-water flavoured drink with sweeteners; Volvic lists a 4x330ml Touch of Strawberry Sparkling can pack. Guests expecting unflavoured water should be able to identify a plain-water option without mistaking a flavoured drink for one.
Pack volume Compare both the portion count and total litres: four 330ml drinks provide 1.32L, while twelve 330ml drinks provide 3.96L. Plan welcome drinks separately from water needed over the stay. For several guests or a longer stay, I need to know whether a small single-serve pack is enough or whether shared bottles would be more practical.
Storage and labels Check the exact pack’s storage instructions and best-before date. Allow suitable space for the number of drinks you intend to chill. I want guests to find the drinks easily and to know what they are being offered.
Can disposal Check the cottage’s local collection rules and provide a clearly labelled bin. Recycle Now advises emptying and rinsing drink cans before recycling. Guests need a simple way to dispose of cans that fits the collection arrangements at the cottage.
Property water supply Establish whether the cottage uses mains water or a private supply. For a private supply, check the applicable requirements with the relevant local authority; packaged drinks are a separate purchase. If my cottage has a private supply, stocking water for guests does not answer how that supply must be managed.

What is easy to overlook?

  • Calling every water can plain bottled water

    Tesco describes the Volvic Touch of Mango Passion multipack as a flavoured sparkling spring-water drink with sweeteners. That is a different choice from unflavoured water.

    Use the product’s flavour and ingredient wording in guest information, and offer a clearly identified plain-water option if that is what guests may expect.

  • Counting packs instead of drinks

    A four-pack of 330ml drinks provides 1.32L; a twelve-pack of 330ml drinks provides 3.96L. A pack set aside for arrivals may not cover other occasions during a stay.

    Count guests and intended servings before ordering. Decide separately whether larger bottles are needed for shared use.

  • Leaving can disposal unexplained

    Guests may not know which bin to use, and collection arrangements depend on the cottage’s location.

    Check the local collection rules. Recycle Now advises emptying and rinsing drink cans; give guests a short instruction beside the appropriate bin.

  • Treating packaged drinks as a water-supply plan

    Buying cans or bottles for guests is distinct from managing the drinking-water supply connected to a cottage.

    Confirm the property’s supply type. If it is private, ask the relevant local authority which requirements apply before relying on guest information about the water.

Brand and retailer references

These examples distinguish can multipacks from individual bottles and larger shared formats; a brand name alone does not establish the pack you need.

Volvic

An example of the flavoured sparkling can route.

  • Volvic lists Touch of Strawberry Sparkling in a 4x330ml can multipack; Tesco lists a 4x330ml Touch of Mango Passion multipack.
  • Check the ingredients and describe these drinks by flavour rather than presenting them as plain water.

Highland Spring

A plain-water option when individual bottles meet the need.

  • Tesco lists Highland Spring still spring water as twelve 330ml bottles.
  • That listed multipack is bottles, not cans.

Evian

A reference for small plain-water bottle packs.

  • Evian describes 330ml bottles in packs of twelve.
  • A separate 330ml sparkling can listing does not establish a can multipack.

Buxton

A reference for still or sparkling water in larger bottle formats.

  • Tesco lists a Buxton still-water multipack of six 1.5L bottles.
  • Check the container and pack size if individual cans are required.

Tesco

A retailer reference for comparing drink descriptions and larger bottle packs.

  • Its listings include a Volvic flavoured multipack and Tesco sparkling natural mineral water in six 2L bottles.
  • The 2L bottle format serves a different purpose from an individual can.

Sainsbury's

A retailer reference for shared-volume bottled water.

  • Its water range includes an own-label 5L still-water bottle.
  • A larger shared bottle does not provide individual sealed servings.

Water cans for cottage guest stock

This plain-water can multipack is an option when you want individual drinks without choosing a flavoured sparkling multipack.

Icelandic Glacial Natural Mineral Water, ten 330ml cans

Icelandic Glacial Natural Mineral Water, 10x330ml cans

For individual guest servings of plain water, this pack contains ten 330ml cans, totalling 3.3L. Check the exact pack’s best-before date before serving and the cottage’s local collection rules for cans.

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Common questions

Are multipack water cans an option for a holiday cottage?

Yes, but check what is inside them. Volvic lists 4x330ml Touch of Strawberry Sparkling can multipacks, while Tesco describes its 4x330ml Touch of Mango Passion sparkling drink as flavoured and containing sweeteners. If guests expect plain water, choose a product identified as plain water rather than assuming every can meets that need.

Should I offer plain water alongside flavoured cans?

Offering a plain-water option makes sense when guests may not want a flavoured drink. Tesco lists Highland Spring still water in twelve 330ml bottles, and Evian describes 330ml bottle packs of twelve; larger bottles are another option for shared use.

What should guests do with empty drink cans?

Ask guests to empty and rinse cans, following Recycle Now’s guidance, and direct them to the appropriate bin if the local collection accepts them. Check the collection rules for the cottage’s postcode before writing the instruction.

How should I store bottled water at the cottage?

Follow the storage instructions on the exact product you buy and check its best-before date when rotating stock. The Highland Spring 330ml multipack listing specifies an odour-free place away from direct sunlight; instructions for another product should be checked on its own packaging.

Does stocking packaged water settle questions about a private supply?

No. Guest drinks and the property’s drinking-water supply are separate matters. If the cottage uses a private supply, establish which requirements apply in its UK nation and speak to the relevant local authority about the property’s arrangements.