Orange squash is a staple drink found in most British kitchen cupboards. It makes water more enjoyable and helps keep children hydrated, especially when the weather turns warm. However, with a bottle of Robinsons costing around £2 for one litre, it can add up quickly — much like other everyday essentials such as butter and toilet paper. Most supermarket own-brand alternatives cost closer to £1, so is that extra pound really worth it, or are you just paying for the brand name? To find out, I tested orange squash from Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and M&S, comparing each one against Robinsons. Each squash was prepared using 15ml of concentrate mixed with 135ml of water.
Robinsons
Starting with the market leader, Robinsons is a brand long associated with Wimbledon. It has a bright orange colour that still looks great once diluted. The packaging is smart and eye-catching, as you'd expect from the leading brand. But taste is what matters most — and while Robinsons claims to deliver a "real fruit" flavour, it has a slightly artificial edge. Rating: 7.5/10
Aldi
Aldi's squash was one of the cheapest in the test at just 89p. It has a similar bright orange colour to Robinsons and is a double-strength 20% fruit squash. However, it fell a little flat on flavour. It's perfectly drinkable, but it doesn't quite match the premium brands and tastes noticeably cheaper — though at that price, it's hard to complain too much. Rating: 5/10
Lidl
Lidl's version also costs 89p and looks almost identical in colour to Robinsons in the bottle — a bold, vivid orange. It lacked some of the sweetness of Robinsons, but it's still a reasonable option. Rating: 6.5/10
Tesco
Tesco was a surprise highlight of the test. At just 45p, it's remarkable value for money. It's not bursting with flavour, but there's enough there, and it doesn't overpower — which can be an issue with double-strength squashes. Rating: 6/10
Asda
Asda's squash costs the same as Tesco's, but unfortunately, it didn't taste as good. It came across as little more than faintly flavoured water, with very little orange intensity — despite being labelled as double strength. Rating: 3/10
Sainsbury's
The 49p Sainsbury's squash seemed almost identical to Tesco's. The packaging looked the same without the branded label, and the sweetness and fruitiness were at a similar level. Rating: 6/10
Morrisons
The 99p Morrisons squash looked more like long-life orange juice in the bottle, though it improved once mixed with water. The flavour wasn't very strong and leaned on the sweeter side, but it's decent value and does the job. Rating: 5.5/10
Waitrose
I had high hopes for the £1.50 Waitrose squash, but it didn't deliver. It was sweet but lacked flavour, and didn't have the same fruity finish as M&S or Robinsons. Rating: 6.5/10
M&S
M&S's £1.25 squash is made with 20% real fruit — one of the highest fruit contents in the test — which likely accounts for the price, though it's still cheaper than Waitrose or Robinsons. It has a more refined, natural flavour and colour than most of the others. It's not overly sweet, so younger children may not take to it, but adults are likely to love it — it was easily my favourite. It also avoids the unpleasant artificial aftertaste that comes with many sweetener-based squashes. Rating: 10/10
Prices are correct at the time of writing.
