Moray Cup comparison: How does the relaunched version stack up against the original?

After seven years away, Moray Cup’s comeback is the talk of the north-east.

But how does the relaunched version compare to the original?

Hundreds queued up for the relaunch of the limited edition “fruity” fizzy drink on Friday, which is exclusively being sold by Macduff-based wholesaler Deveron Direct but has been snapped up by various shops and takeaways across the region.

The vast majority of buyers seem happy with the taste of the newly launched Moray Cup, although some are blasting the use of sweeteners (the original version had sweeteners too).

The Press & Journal tracked down an old bottle from 2017 and has been comparing its ingredients with the newly launched product.

Let’s take a look at the sugar content first.

Moray Cup is a sweet deal

To make this fair, we should point out that the 2024 version only comes in 500ml bottles, whereas the previous version came in 330ml and one litre volumes – so we’ve made some calculations to ensure the comparison is equal.

Per 100ml, the 2017 drink had 6.7 grams of sugar, while the new version has 2.3g less at 4.4g.

This means that a bottle of Moray Cup now has 22g of sugar, compared to 33.5g in an original 500ml bottle – which might explain why some fans says that it tastes different.

In terms of calories, a 2017 version made by Cott Beverages had a total of 140 calories, while the Deveron Direct one has 90kcal.

The sweetener has also changed with saccharin being replaced by sucralose.

‘May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children’

Another difference loyal fans noticed was the colour of the fizzy drink, with people saying that the original drink was darker.

The new one has fruit and vegetable concentrates that are blackcurrant and carrot, while the one from 2017 included colourings such as ammonia, brilliant blue, caramel, carmoisine and sulphite ammonia.

On the bottle from seven years ago, it infamously states: “Carmoisine may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”

It also has the warning: “The colours in this product may stain fabric or clothing,” which means no more red lips after drinking the fizzy favourite.

Cases of Moray Cup are now being sold on eBay for up to £50, and the developers are open minded about whether the drink will be a permanent fixture in the future.