Own brand Cola v Coke

caveman38

I am catering for a wedding reception and am stumped when choosing the cola.
I filled the trolley today at Asda with 90 2L bottles of soft drinks ie. Lemonade, Cola etc.
When I asked a stacker if there was much difference with own brands to the branded versions. She said that with tonics and lemonades there was little difference but there was a world of difference with own branded Cola versus Coke or Pepsi. I don't want people turning their noses up with cola if I buy it and don't want to bring 25 bottles home again.
Can anyone give any advice as to whether I should pay the double price for the real thing or do you think there is no difference. Thanks in advance.

quintwins

For a party i always buy real coke, i look out for offers at £1 a bottle, but at home if there are no good offers we drink value coke, theres little difference in it and own brand but a huge difference in it and real coke.

TheHolly

I've never found a real alternative to proper Coca Cola. I can always taste the difference unfortunately and cheap coke does taste like cheap coke to me.

Coca Cola is more expensive but Costco often have some good offers on if you can go there.

Lynsey

Down to personal taste.
I prefer Diet Coke, my Brother buys generally Coke Zero. Hubby prefers Pepsi, but doesn't drink loads of coke.
I don't like the "lesser" brands.

Look for the best offers on Coke and/or Pepsi and some of the smaller stores may have better offers.

eg.: Fultons Foods are or were doing 2 x 1.25l bottles for £1 - you need a store near you and smaller bottles may provide less waste??
But you don't need to pay "double the price", you need to get the best offers if you have the time.
FULTONS FOODS

EDIT: Sorry, Fultons Foods Coke may be "dated", but generally an idea.

Good luck.

Lynsey

CAPTAINBLONDECHICK

I'm not sure I would notice it wasn't the real thing to be honset - pubs and restaurants tend to water down soft drinks (or so they seem to!) so the flavour to me is always different to when you have the same named brand drink at home.

As to supermarket brands, I would recommend the Asda Zero Cola - probably supposed to be their version of Coke Zero or Pepsi Max but it is very good. Also Asda keep RC Cola which is 60p for 2lt at the moment - the diet version of this is very good and I have stocked up on loads at that price. (haven't tried the full sugar so can't comment).

I have read on here that Aldi does its own Zero cola which is supposed to be lovely, but can't comment on it myself.

If guests are getting their drinks for free, then they have a real cheek if they complain if it's not the top brands!

andrewmp

RC Cola is very nice, always two bottles for £1.50 at Asda.

Their cherry cola is even better than Cherry Coke.

mum26

I like Aldi Own Brand colas, they do normal, diet and zero and I think cherry is coming soon for approx 39p a bottle.

missmucksmum

I would use a brand for a wedding as I think it would make the catering look cheap Home bargains do Pepesi and Pepsi max for about 80p a bottle x

lindseykim13

Have to say i am a coca cola addict and when pushed for cash the only close match to it is the lidl cola something like 39p. Although if the bottles are out for people to pour themselves i would feel a tad cheap not getting the branded.
That said if pepsi is on a better offer it's a good alternative to buying cola altogether.
Lemonade/cheeryade ect i'd get the stores own but not value as that is manky according to DH.

The_ICT_Engineer

Pepsi on offer at Tesco's at the moment (89p 2L)

kizzie_nikita

I would also use a known brand like Pepsi, or Coke a cola for a wedding, i drink the cheap cola at home as it's cheap and i cant afford the normal prices, but it's not very nice compared to the branded coke.