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Spotlight on Wenlock Spring water
How water harvested from 400-million year-old rock in the heart of England could drive your venue’s margins.
When farmers Robert and Sue Orme (with their children) decided to diversify the family farm four decades ago, their inspiration was literally waiting to spring forward.
Nestled beside Wenlock Edge in the Shropshire Hills, one of England’s National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty), the Ormes knew there was something in the water on their land.
So, armed with equal measures of bravery and engineering ability, the pair tapped into one of man’s most vital resources to give the farm a refreshing new lease of life.
An artesian spring first discovered in 1086 and limestone dating back 400 million years provide a perfect balance for today’s well hydrated lovers of premium drinking water.
Wenlock Spring water filters naturally through the rock strata of Wenlock Edge, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The water is collected and bottled at its source in its purest form.
“Wenlock is an excellent supplier to partner with, offering high-quality products, outstanding ongoing service and the added advantage of being exclusively available to the Out of Home channel”
- Dan Gadsby, Wine and Spirit Manager, Small Beer Ltd
Taste, quality and on-trade appeal
“We pride ourselves on consistently high quality and have national and international awards to support it,” says Director Matthew Orme. “Our water is neither acidic nor alkaline so it’s slightly sweet with a high mineral content.
“Both the still and sparkling have a fresh, clean taste that’s perfect as a palate cleanser. A quarter of our water is bottled for on-trade wholesale – they love it because it elevates their food proposition.”
The Shropshire brand, one of only a handful of independent spring water producers in the country, is proving increasingly popular at bars as a non alcoholic option.
Matthew adds: “Why would you have a lovely high-end range of beers and spirits but a poor water option either at the bar or serving food?”
The bubbles in Wenlock’s sparkling water are another big plus for on trade, cafe and restaurant customers. They’re soft, subtle and delicate rather than mounting a fizzy assault on the tongue and throat.
Ask guests if they want still or sparkling water – 15% of people will take that option and won’t choose tap water
Family values
The family nature of the business – now run by the next generation, brothers Matthew and Bruce – is also proving a major factor in growing the brand’s following.
Matthew adds: “We’re seeing a big uptake among foodservice and contract caterers because, like them, we’re a family business with heritage that has had to grow trust, so there’s a synergy there.”
That’s perhaps another reason why this natural spring water from a rural corner of Shropshire, untouched by development, is endorsed by the Craft Guild of Chefs and used at their events.
Other customers choosing to buy across a broad range of the firm’s SKUs include rail, air and cruise operators, local authority education departments, caterers and hotels.
The ‘grab and go’ foodservice market is in high demand with the 250ml sport-capped recycled plastic bottles being especially popular in budget- challenged schools. Cans are also experiencing a positive uplift in sales.
“We have a premium quality, great value product and a pack size for every hospitality sector with potential for great margins,” says Margaret Johnson, Wenlock’s Brand Marketing and National Account Manager.
Sustainability at the source
Customers are also attracted by the small 50-strong business’s sustainability credentials. A fully automated state-of-the-art bottling plant is 40% powered and heated by high-yield carbon capturing grass grown on the farm as a biomass energy crop.
Half of its forklift fleet weaving between the ever expanding and high-tech cleaning, bottling, pasteurising and packing machines are electric, while 80% of the packaging comes from within 70 miles of the site.
Matthew says: “I’m into engineering and am always looking at ways to improve our carbon footprint. We’ve achieved a 99% recycling programme for all packaging used on our site.
“Innovative thinking is critical and we’re striving for the next emerging trend – we once teamed up with an airline to provide ice cubes for whiskey and now use tea to make infused water. In the end though, it always comes down to taste and consistency,” insists Matthew.
From the heart of England
“Our water never changes whatever the season and is continuously sampled and assessed. And we cherish our relationships with partners like Unitas and our customers, many of whom have been with us since we started.”
He adds: “We like to think our family values, sustainably sourced packaging and most importantly, water from the heart of England, do our talking for us.”
Liquid legacy
- Wenlock Spring should be served chilled like a white wine and without ice or lemon, as this introduces tap water and another flavour into the pure spring water.
- The Silurian Limestone which Wenlock Spring water flows through was originally formed in a shallow, warm, clear, subtropical sea south of the equator.
- Fossils from millions of years ago can still be found in the limestone following the Ice Age, when it was shunted to its new home in south Shropshire.
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