The global cordial drink market is anticipated to grow by a whopping £230.3 million by 2028 as ever more health-conscious consumers move away from alcoholic and carbonated drinks. But, with so much choice now on our supermarket shelves, how do you know which to add to your trolley? The Irish News has trawled the shelves of five leading supermarkets to find out which of their own brand orange cordial drink offerings pass the taste test and, more importantly, which is best value for money.
1. Asda, Just Essentials No Added Sugar Double Strength Orange Squash – 45p for 750ml (6p/100ml)
While this squash looks a nice deep orange in the bottle, expectations were not high given the price – however, any doubt was misplaced. This is a lovely little juice that packs a flavoursome punch and has a distinctly nostalgic quality that brought this writer straight back to their 80s and 90s childhood. The only negative is that the 1:9 juice water ratio is almost impossible to judge by eye, so care must be taken that your little ones don’t give themselves a juice hangover from overpouring.
2. Lidl, Lindhouse Squash, No added Sugar – 99p for 2L (4.9p/100ml)
A bit duller in flavour than Asda’s offering, this squash’s lower strength is immediately obvious, requiring only 1:4 water ratio. But with its 10% orange ‘comminute’ (apparently a fancy word for ‘bits’), it still has a fruity, vibrant, fresh flavour. Being the cheapest per 100ml, this is still a very solid choice that should please adults and children alike.
3. Sainsbury’s, Fruit and Barley Orange No added Sugar – £1.25 for 1L (13p/100ml)
While also boasting 10% fruit content, this juice is a deeper colour than its Lidl counterpart but differs very little otherwise, certainly not enough to warrant the much higher price point. It has more bite than the other offerings, so it may be more pleasing to those who prefer a sharper taste, but otherwise, it is unremarkable.
4. Tesco, High Juice Orange Squash – £1.75 for 1L (10p/100ml)
While, again, this has a high price point, it is somewhat justified by the 50% fruit juice boast on the label, however, this also comes with a slightly higher sugar content so it may not be the best choice for anyone concerned about sugar levels. This extra sweetness though isn’t reflected in the swallow. It has a lighter taste than the others, although it does give just a hint of an inner cheek tickle. Again, a nice choice, but offering nothing to make you reach for it over others.
5. M&S, Blood Orange & Passionfruit Cordial - £3.10 for 500ml (0.62p/100ml)
The only official ‘cordial’ of the bunch, with the cleanest ingredients, and by far the most expensive choice – a whopping 56p more per 100ml than Asda’s - there were high hopes for this luxury offering. It’s a beautiful blood orange colour in the bottle, likely due to the fruit making up 27% of the ingredients, and, when tested neat, it was deep and warming, although the over-riding taste was definitely the passionfruit. All of this was lost, however, when the 1:4 recommended water ratio was added, leaving a weak, watery, dull concoction more akin to a tasteless flavoured water. I would suggest a water ratio closer to 1:2, which makes it worse value for money. So, while none of the supermarket own brand offerings are unpleasant, at just 45p for 750ml, it is Asda’s Just Essentials Orange Squash that comes out on top, reinforcing the lesson that you don’t need to break the bank to get a decent glass of cordial.
