Ambo Mineral Water facts for kids
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| Type | Bottled water |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 168: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Inception | 1930 |
| Manufacturer | Ambo Mineral Water S.C. |
| Available | Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, England, Sweden, United States and Toronto, Canada |
| Website | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 168: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Ambo Mineral Water is a popular brand of naturally bubbly (carbonated) bottled mineral water. It comes from special springs in Ambo Senkele, a place near the town of Ambo in central Ethiopia. It's a very popular drink in Ethiopia. People have called it the "oldest modern mineral water" and Ethiopia's "oldest mineral water bottler." This special water has been bottled since 1930. Since 2017, the company that makes Ambo Mineral Water is owned by Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.
History of Ambo Water
Ambo Mineral Water has been bottled for a very long time, starting in 1930. The last emperor of Ethiopia used to travel to these springs to drink the water. Local people believed the water had special healing powers. They thought it could help with digestion, ease pain from conditions like rheumatism, and even cure stomach problems. Generations ago, farmers noticed their lost cattle would often be found drinking from these springs.
Where Ambo Water Comes From
Ambo Mineral Water has been in business since 1930. The water comes from a thermal mineral spring. This means it's a warm spring that naturally contains many healthy minerals. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, potassium, and bicarbonates. The water also has a lot of natural carbon dioxide, which is what makes it naturally bubbly.
The water flows from a volcanic fissure. This is like a crack in the ground caused by volcanic activity. From there, it runs down a stream in a mountainous area. The water is collected in Ambo Senkele, Ethiopia. This place is about 130 kilometers (around 80 miles) away from Ethiopia's capital city, Addis Ababa.
Ambo Water Today
The company that makes Ambo Mineral Water was bought by SABMiller in 2009. In 2011, SABMiller invested about US$20 million to make the bottling factory and its operations more modern. After these improvements, the factory could produce 40,000 glass bottles every hour. Before this, it could only make about 12,000 bottles per hour.
In November 2014, Ambo Mineral Water was bought together by SABMiller PLC and SouthWest Development. They planned for it to join Coca-Cola as part of SABMiller. Around this time, it was announced that Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Sabco would form a new company called Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. According to Ambo's website, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) officially bought Ambo in 2017. In 2020, the CEO of East African Bottling Share Company (EABSC) said that Ambo Mineral Water and EABSC were "sister companies" under CCBA.
You can even take tours of the bottling factory to see how the water is processed.
Ambo Mineral Water is sold in many countries around the world. These include Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, England, Sweden, the United States, and Toronto, Canada. It comes in different bottle sizes: 330 ML, 500 ML, 750 ML, 1000 ML, and 2000 ML bottles. The bottling plant works 24 hours a day to keep up with demand. In Ethiopian shops, a bottle costs about US$0.30. It is usually priced higher in Ethiopian restaurants and hotels. In restaurants in New York City, it can be sold for around US$6 per bottle.
Ambo Products
Ambo Mineral Water used to be sold only in glass bottles. However, more recently, it also started to be packaged in plastic bottles. Around November 2014, new products were introduced. These included Ambo flavored water, which comes in several different tastes. Another new product was Ambo Lite, which has fewer minerals and less carbonation (fewer bubbles).
See also
- List of bottled water brands
- List of companies of Ethiopia
