INGREDIENT FOCUS: Water

Consumption of water in the GCC is an issue. Some believe in the bottle and others say we should take to the tap. But with an expanding population – one thing is for certain – demand keeps on growing for H20 as Jamie Kinghts finds out

W ater, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink. The line from The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, refers to the plight of sailors, who, if stranded at sea would run out of fresh water and would have the added agony of being surrounded by plenty of seawater which was of no use at all.

And while much of the region has access to plenty of seawater, it is not abundantly blessed in natural water. Despite this, desalination plants, where sea water is stripped of its salt content and pumped through our taps, mean water is readily available. We can now sit back safe in the knowledge Coleridge’s poem is unlikely to come to haunt us.

But the situation is not so simple. The UAE is currently the largest consumer of potable water in the world, with per capita consumption reaching 285 litres per year. Bottled water sales are also growing extremely strongly.

According to international food and drinks consultant Zenith International, sales in the UAE have rocketed 20% between 2008–2010 to in excess of 700 million litres per year – the majority coming from on-the-go size bottles with a 50cl capacity.

Motorga Heathcliff, bar manager at Cavalli Club, Restaurant & Lounge, Dubai, says the total water market in the UAE stands at around 1.2 billion litres, worth AED 1 billion (US $272m).

“Considering the hot climate and the population growth from year to year, the growth of the hospitality industry and the tourists, the demand for bottled water will continue to grow significantly in the next years,” he adds.

This is not news the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) wants to hear. The group is keen to counter the region’s reliance on bottled water and promotes the notion that tap water is safe.

The World Health Organisation recognises tap water in the UAE as safe to consume, but entrepreneur at New Concepts Dubai – which is behind Crevasse – bottled Patagonian glacial water – Maxime Nassour points out, there are concerns over the upkeep of some of the water holding tanks in individual properties.

Director food and beverage at Hotel Missoni Kuwait,Yamen Tehfe, argues that in Kuwait the safety of tap water is more of an issue than in the UAE.

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When asked whether or not Kuwaitis should be concerned by the safety of tap water he immediately said “yes”.

“All of Kuwait’s water comes from government-constructed seawater desalination plants and domestic tap water is not completely safe to drink,” Tehfe expands, recommending the use of a filtration system for kitchen use in order to avoid staining.

Despite this assertion, the quality of drinking water in Kuwait is among the world’s highest and meets the hygienic standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO), according to a report in June by Dr Joseph Cotruvo, member of an expert committee on water supply, sanitation and hygiene.

For many though, it is the taste of tap water that leads them to buy bottled as Krishna Kumar, regional manager – ME for Highland Spring Group explains.

“The selling point of Highland Spring is drawn from protected organic land, certified by the Soil Association, which has been kept free from farming, habitation, fertilisers or pesticides for more than 30 years, helping to make our water as pure as can be.”

Heathcliff adds that there are “differing opinions” in the region regarding the quality of tap water: “Many people are complaining because of the taste, which is far from spring water,” he explains. “Myself, I prefer buying bottled water as I find the taste of the tap water weird.”

It is not hard to imagine that there would be a clash between water authorities such as Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and bottled water companies, both parties wanting to increase market share.

But this is not the case, Kumar stating the company never tries to compete with municipal water and Heathcliff adding that due to population growth and a limited supply of water it is little wonder that authorities are trying to push the message that tap water is safe.

“I don’t really think that is a matter of competition, but solving the problem with limited supply and protecting the environment,” he adds.

Tehfe explains that the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity & Water is mainly responsible for ensuring that the water desalination plants are fully in operation, but he sees little competition with bottled water as “personally I have not seen any changes in the quality of tap water for the past ten years,” he says.

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Drinking Out
When it comes to restaurants, hotels and other F&B outlets, bottled water is king.
And with bottled water companies keen to get their market share, there are a great number of options for outlet managers to consider when choosing their offering.

“Restaurants have to strike a balance between whether a brand is the right fit for the outlet, both in terms of quality and image, and ultimately the price,” says Kumar.

“In some cases, particular characteristics of the water itself can make it especially suited to consumption with fine food. Our Speyside Glenlivet brand is drawn from the highest natural spring in Scotland and has one of the lowest mineral contents of any bottled water.

“Many great chefs choose this water because they feel its purity allows the taste of the fine food to shine through rather be influenced by the mineral content of the water.”

Renowned French chef and ambassador for Badoit, Thierry Marx says water selection is as important as wine selction in a restaurant.

“At Mandarin, we have developed a specific trolley for mineral waters. We offer an aromatised mix that we create in front of the client. Water is a noble product that we absolutely need to revalorise as an ingredient per se and not only consider as an additional sell.”

Heathcliff says choosing the right brand of water involves: considering “origin, quality and ingredients, popularity of the brand, taste, costs and guest preference.”

Of course with so many choices for restaurants, there is also a need to educate employees and in turn, guests.

To help restaurants make these choices, Tehfe says “many suppliers conduct educational seminars for the buyers on their water brands quality and safety”.

Heathcliff believes that the “numerous trainings organised by our suppliers” have allowed waiters at the restaurant to develop and now possess “high skills and knowledge” when it comes to pairing food with water.

“So far I don’t feel that this is a challenge for our staff, as we are focused on investing in their knowledge, which will help us to do better up-selling and meet a guest’s requirements,” says Heathcliff.

Our venue is always choosing the best suppliers who will offer the best training for staff; therefore I am satisfied from the educational programme and trainings from their side.”
But Nassour argues that the sector definitely “needs further education, the market is at its infancy”.

It’s a point that Tehfe agrees with and adds that gaining specialist knowledge in water “is still a challenge”.

“Especially educating guests,” he continues “local guests have specific preferences as well as western guests, which are hard to sway.

“People are less likely to take a recommendation on water than they would wine, for example,” he says.

Another part of the awareness programme is the adoption by many suppliers “using aggressive marketing campaigns, being sponsors for many prestigious sport, fashion, music and cultural events, and using famous persons as part of their campaigns”.

“Many suppliers are offering incentives for sales staff in order to increase overall sales,” he says.

“Aggressive marketing and advertising programmes, and staff training accompanied with incentives for the sales staff can lead through sales increasing and straightening the market position.”

It’s not only the outlets that get to choose which products they want to serve, suppliers have reasons to be picky as well in certain circumstances.

Tehfe says: “they are very conscious of their image and what the brand...represents”.
And some are getting it wrong Nassour says, adding “I’ve seen very premium water in retail where they should have never been”.

But for Kumar it is the consumer that will make the choice: “If they buy into the brand, and they feel that it provides value for money (for example they feel the price point is right for the quality of the product) they will buy it,” he asserts.

“I want my brands to be available in as many outlets as possible to enable consumers to make that choice. Clearly with a premium product, it is likely to have more resonance in outlets where consumers shop or dine. It is particularly important that we target presence in these outlets.”

While there are environmental issues surrounding water consumption in the Middle East, the sheer volume of demand means there is room for many bottled water companies and innovation in the market.

Water authorities certainly have work to do in both securing a better taste of product and convincing consumers the water is safe to drink.

In the meantime bottled water continues to grow from strength to strength and the more niche products that enter the market, the more educated the public will become.