Nando's fans gutted after chain introduces divisive new refills rule

If you've ever been to Nando's, then you'll know the appeal of it isn't just the famous combo of chicken and Peri-Peri sauces.

The restaurant chain, which has become a UK favourite, also has a strong USP of refillable drinks, meaning you can go wild on several glasses of fizzy pop at no extra cost.

Even better, it also means you can mix it up with several choices of soda on offer from Fanta, Sprite, Dr Pepper, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola.

But now the chicken restaurant is changing things up... and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it's not gone down well.

Nando's is now limiting customers who want to drink classic Coca-Cola to just one glass, in line with government guidelines hoping to encourage people to shift away from unhealthy food and drink and tackling childhood obesity.

Nando's will still offer unlimited glasses of diet and zero version of pop, such as Fanta Zero, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite Zero and Dr Pepper Zero. These are priced at £3.95, the same as a singular glass of Coca-Cola, but obviously offer better value as people can have more than one drink.

"From 1st October 2025, new UK Government High Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS) legislation comes into play that all restaurants in England need to follow," the company said in a statement.

"As a result, we can no longer offer Bottomless Coca-Cola Classic because of its high sugar content. Customers are allowed one glass of Coca-Cola Classic but can still help themselves to any of our other low-sugar bottomless drinks.

"We know this is a change to how customers can enjoy one of our popular soft drinks, and we hope it doesn’t take away from your experience. All our other low-sugar fizzy bottomless drinks aren’t affected."

Despite it being out of the hands of Nando's, the move to limit classic Coca-Cola has not gone down well and fans have been left venting their frustration on social media.

One person posted: "Nando's banned refillable drinks? We are living in the end of times."

Another shared: "If u didn't think this country could be anymore finished they decided to take away refills from Nando's."

Another person declared the government was 'doing too much' by limiting how many glasses people can have.

"The Nando’s coke refill is aimed at stopping childhood obesity…..im 42 if i want a refill, i will have a refill, if im stopped from doing that ill no longer be going to Nando’s," ranted another.

Others wondered how much the new rule would actually work, as one person wrote: "I'd like to have a word with the lawyer that signed off Nando's 'one refill' policy as being compliant with the sugar tax. How exactly is it to be enforced?"

Nando's joins other restaurants such as Five Guys, Toby Carvery and Pizza Hut, which are joining in on the sugar tax crackdown - something that also includes stopping 'buy one get one free' offers on sugary foods in supermarkets.

The move also extends to banning TV adverts promoting junk food before 9pm and a complete ban on online promotions in the new year.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson previously said: "Obesity robs children of the best possible start in life, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems and costs the NHS billions.

"This government is taking action to end the targeting of junk food ads at kids, across both TV and online."

A spokesperson for UKHospitality told LADbible Group: "From 1 October, hospitality businesses will be complying with new regulations that have introduced a ban on free refills of sugar-sweetened drinks. Venues work hard to ensure that customers have a wide range of drink options to choose from when they visit our sector, and will continue to ensure that is the case."