GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk): calories and sugar by portion and age

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk), hot cocoa in a plain white paper cup, nutrition and calories

Boone’s analysis puts GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) at 12% of an adult’s daily calories, 12% of the daily salt limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 3.9 teaspoons of free sugar.

How many calories are in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)? It contains 238 kcal, 6.4g of fat (4g saturated), 29g of sugar and 0.36g of salt. GAIL's publishes a calorie figure for this drink but not the rest of the nutrition row, so the other figures are Boone estimates.

Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator

Use the Boone meal calculator to build a full meal rather than view this item on its own. Add a pastry and a second drink, then choose your age and sex for a more accurate view of how GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) fits into a day.

Nutrition information

Nutrition information: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

Energy	238 kcal
Fat	6.4g Boone estimate
of which saturates	4g Boone estimate
Carbohydrate	31g Boone estimate
of which sugars	29g Boone estimate
Salt	0.36g Boone estimate
Protein	13g Boone estimate

Energy is GAIL's published figure from its Beverages Nutrition and Allergen Guide (November 2023). Figures marked as a Boone estimate are derived from the milk GAIL's uses (CoFID 2021, Oatly Barista and Alpro labels) and, for chocolate and chai drinks, the Islands chocolate and syrup, scaled to GAIL's calorie figure. They are estimates, not GAIL's data.

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains 238 kcal, which is 12% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 6.4g of total fat, of which 4g is saturated, 29g of sugar, 0.36g of salt and 13g of protein.

The saturated fat content of 4g represents 20% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.

Sugar in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains 16g of free sugar per standard serving (3.9 teaspoons). The total sugar figure is 29g; the difference is naturally present in milk and does not count towards the limits below. High sugar

The NHS free sugar limit is 30g per day for adults, 24g for children aged 7 to 10, and 19g for children aged 4 to 6. Free sugar excludes the sugars naturally present in milk and whole fruit.

Sugar by portion: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

Portion	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 30g	Age 7 to 10 24g	Age 4 to 6 19g
Per portion	16g 52%	16g 52%	16g 52%	16g 65%	16g 82%

Teaspoons: 3.9 tsp

Boone calculates these percentages from GAIL's published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under. For guidance only.

Salt in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains 0.36g of salt per standard serving. Low salt

Children have lower salt limits: 3g per day for ages 4 to 6, 5g for ages 7 to 10.

Salt by portion: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

Portion	Adult (female) 6g	Adult (male) 6g	Age 11 to 17 6g	Age 7 to 10 5g	Age 4 to 6 3g
Per portion	0.36g 6%	0.36g 6%	0.36g 6%	0.36g 7%	0.36g 12%

Calories in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains 238 kcal per standard serving. Moderate calorie share

Daily calorie needs vary by age and sex.

Calories by portion: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

Portion	Adult (female) 2000 kcal	Adult (male) 2500 kcal	Age 11 to 17 1936 kcal	Age 7 to 10 1553 kcal	Age 4 to 6 1291 kcal
Per portion	238 kcal 12%	238 kcal 10%	238 kcal 12%	238 kcal 15%	238 kcal 18%

Saturated fat in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains 4g of saturated fat per standard serving. Moderate saturated fat

The saturated fat guideline is 20g a day for women and 30g for men, and lower for children.

Saturated fat by portion: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

Portion	Adult (female) 20g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 20g	Age 7 to 10 18g	Age 4 to 6 16g
Per portion	4g 20%	4g 13%	4g 20%	4g 22%	4g 25%

What GAIL's does not publish for this drink

Missing data: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

GAIL's publishes a calorie figure for GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) but not fat, sugar, protein or salt.

UK law requires large chains in England to show calories at the point of choice. The rest of the nutrition panel is voluntary, and GAIL's leaves it out for drinks. Boone estimates the missing figures from the milk and ingredients used and labels them as estimates rather than presenting them as GAIL's data.

The meal calculator on this page uses the same estimates, so treat a total that includes this drink as approximate.

Free sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

Roughly 16g of the 29g counts as free sugar, or about 3.9 teaspoons. The rest, 14g, is lactose from the semi-skimmed milk. GAIL's does not publish sugar for its drinks, so both figures are Boone estimates.

NHS daily free sugar limits: 30g for adults and children 11+, 24g age 7 to 10, 19g age 4 to 6.

Ultra-processed food: what is really in it

Processing: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

Boone cannot classify this item, because GAIL's does not publish an ingredient list for it.

NOVA classification is read from an ingredient list. Without one there is no way to count additives, separate raw ingredients from manufactured ones, or say whether an item is ultra-processed. Boone does not estimate a NOVA group, because a guess presented as a classification would be worse than saying nothing.

Where an item on this menu is a sealed branded product, a canned soft drink for example, the manufacturer’s own label is used and a NOVA group is given.

Ingredients

GAIL's does not publish ingredient lists

Ingredients: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

GAIL's does not publish the ingredients in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk), and it is under no legal obligation to do so.

Food and drinks made in a bakery and sold loose or made to order count as non-prepacked under UK food law. The legal requirement is to declare the 14 major allergens, and for large businesses in England to show calories at the point of choice. A full ingredient list is voluntary. Items GAIL's packs on site for direct sale carry their ingredients on the label in the bakery, but GAIL's does not publish them online.

This means no page on this site can tell you how many ingredients are in this drink, how many of them are manufactured substances, or whether it is ultra-processed. Boone will not estimate any of it. That absence is GAIL's decision, not an omission on our part.

Allergen information for this drink is published by GAIL's and is shown below. Recipes change, so always check in the bakery before ordering if you have an allergy.

Allergens at a glance

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains milk. GAIL's lists it as suitable for vegetarians.

Allergen information: GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)

Allergen	Status
Wheat	Not listed
Rye	Not listed
Barley	Not listed
Oats	Not listed
Spelt	Not listed
Sesame	Not listed
Soya	Not listed
Milk	Contains
Eggs	Not listed
Tree nuts	Not listed
Peanuts	Not listed
Fish	Not listed
Crustaceans	Not listed
Celery	Not listed
Mustard	Not listed
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites	Not listed
Molluscs	Not listed
Lupin	Not listed

Contains = declared by GAIL's as an ingredient. Not listed = not declared as an ingredient, which is not a guarantee that it is absent. GAIL's makes its food and drinks by hand with many ingredients and shared equipment, so it cannot guarantee any item is free from allergens. GAIL's lists oat milk as cereals containing gluten.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)?+

Boone calculates that GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains 238 kcal, which is 12% of an adult’s 2,000 kcal daily reference intake and 18% of the daily intake for a child aged 4 to 6.

How much sugar is in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)?+

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains 29g of sugar, and Boone counts 16g of that as free sugar, or about 3.9 teaspoons. That is 52% of an adult’s 30g daily limit and 82% of the 19g limit for a child aged 4 to 6. The rest is lactose, which NHS daily sugar limits do not count.

How much saturated fat is in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)?+

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains 4g of saturated fat. Boone calculates this as 20% of the daily guideline for an adult woman and 13% for an adult man, because the guideline differs by sex: 20g and 30g.

How much salt is in GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk)?+

GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) contains 0.36g of salt. Boone calculates that as 12% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 6% of an adult’s 6g limit.

Does the milk change the nutrition of a GAIL's Hot Cocoa?+

Yes. Swapping the milk changes the calories, fat, sugar and protein. Boone lists every milk and size GAIL's offers so you can compare them.

Where do the fat, sugar and protein figures for GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) come from?+

GAIL's does not publish them. Boone derives them from the milk GAIL's uses and, for chocolate and chai drinks, the chocolate and syrup, scaled to GAIL's published calorie figure. They are estimates rather than GAIL's data and are labelled as such on this page.

Is GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) vegan?+

GAIL's lists GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) as vegetarian but not vegan. Drinks made with shared equipment may still not suit people with allergies.

Is GAIL's Hot Cocoa (Regular, Semi-Skimmed Milk) ultra-processed?+

GAIL's does not publish ingredient lists for food and drinks made in its bakeries, and UK law does not require it to, so Boone cannot assign a NOVA group to this item.