Operations
Provenance has consitently been a trend among consumers for a variety of ingredients in recent years, and water is no exception.
Arguably though, it could be one of the most confusing for customers, in this respect.
La Marquise International marketing manager Olga Mirtova says: “There is big confusion in understanding the difference between source of natural mineral water and bottled drinking water among consumers. Some consumers be choose water with low sodium level, since there has been a big buzz around this subject for a long time, but only few will be concerned about the origin of water they drink or the minerals level.”
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She adds that in the company’s experience, UAE consumers “care more about the water brand rather than the actual source of the water they drink or the minerals the water has” and names Italian, French and Norwegian brands among the most popular.
Horeca marketing manager Jad Asaad agrees that confusion over the source of the water people drink “occurs regularly” and adds that the only way to avoid this is for the consumers to learn and understand the difference between both sources.
He also believes the consumer perception on drinking water has changed in recent years. “People are much more aware of the benefits and importance of drinking quality water, so it is important to know where the water comes from, whether it is treated or not, and the mineral content within.”
Monviso’s Stefano Iorini concurs, stating: “I believe it is important for consumers to know the difference among natural mineral water and purified water.”
However he says consumers needn’t be overly concerned about the source from safety viewpoint as “all imported waters must have ESMA [Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology] approval and therefore, quality is guaranteed”.
One group of people who care a great deal about the different types of water is chefs. Asaad remarks: “It is very important to know which water is paired with certain foods. Most chefs from top hotels care about what is served to their customers; they would consider the acidity and salinisation within the water.”
Mirtova thinks along the same lines, commenting: “Chefs are definitely concerned about the water served in their restaurants as they know that water potentially can enhance food and wine flavour, and therefore increase restaurant’s sales.”
She tells Caterer that at the end of 2015, La Marquise International introduced patent water filtration system Nordaq Fresh, which became a top choice among 122 Michelin-starred restaurant chefs and sommeliers worldwide, reporting that they liked the “balanced, neutral, rounded taste”.
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