Malvern Water (bottled water) facts for kids
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| Country | England |
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| Source | Malvern Hills |
| Type | Natural spring water |
| All concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg/L); pH without units | |
Malvern Water is a popular brand of bottled water. It comes from a special spring in the Malvern Hills, which are located between Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. This water is natural spring water. It flows from hills made of very hard granite rock. Rainwater seeps slowly through tiny cracks in the rock. Then, it comes out at the springs. On average, about 60 litres (around 16 gallons) of water flow out every minute. This flow can change a lot depending on how much rain falls.
Schweppes started bottling Malvern Water for sale in 1850. It was first shown to the public at the Great Exhibition in 1851. Today, a family-owned company called Holywell Water Company Ltd bottles it. They sell it as Holywell Malvern Spring Water. You can find it in still (flat) and sparkling (bubbly) versions. This happened after Coca-Cola Enterprises, who used to own the brand, closed their bottling plant in 2010.
The Story of Malvern Water
People have been bottling and selling Malvern Water since the 1500s! Records show water being bottled at the Holy Well as early as 1622. In the 1800s, many local shops bottled and sold this water.
The company Schweppes began bottling it on a large scale in 1850. They opened a bottling plant at Holywell in Malvern Wells. Schweppes first called it Malvern Soda. Later, in 1856, they changed the name to Malvern Seltzer Water.
In 1890, Schweppes moved their main bottling operations. They built a new plant in Colwall in 1892. After Schweppes left, John and Henry Cuff leased the Holywell site. They continued bottling water there until the 1960s.
The Holywell site became run down for many years. But in 2009, with help from a special grant, a new family-owned company started bottling water there again. They produce about 1,200 bottles of Holywell Malvern Spring Water every day. Many people believe the Holywell is the oldest bottling plant in the world!
In the 1850s, John and William Burrow also bottled Malvern Water. Their bottling works were in Great Malvern. They stopped bottling there in the 1950s. Today, that old building holds shops and a coffee house. The water for their plant came from St Ann's Well.
In 1927, Schweppes bought another spring called Pewtress Spring in Colwall. They renamed it Primeswell Spring. In 1929, Schweppes started bottling water there. This factory employed 25 people. They bottled 26 million bottles each year! Coca-Cola Enterprises later ran this plant.
On October 20, 2010, Coca-Cola Enterprises announced they would stop bottling Malvern Water. This was because the brand was not selling as much water as before. The Colwall bottling plant closed on November 3, 2010. The factory was later torn down. A housing estate (a group of homes) was built on the land. Only one old building remains, a tank house built in 1892.
Malvern Water is still sold by the Holywell Spring Water Co. in Malvern Wells. Their small team of three people produces about 1,200 bottles daily. In 2011, Holywell won an award for being a promising new business.
How Pure is Malvern Water?
The natural Malvern Water is usually very pure. It has almost no minerals, bacteria, or tiny bits of dirt. It is almost as pure as distilled water. In 1987, Malvern Water was given a special EU status. This meant it was officially recognized as a natural mineral water, showing its purity and quality.
However, in 2006, the rocks that filter the water dried out. This caused water from heavy storms to flow through too quickly. The natural filtering process could not work as well. Because of some small impurities, the Coca-Cola Company had to add special filtering equipment. This changed the water's official classification to spring water under European law. So, the labels on the bottles were changed. They used to say "the original English mineral water." Now they say "the original English water."
In 1998, Coca-Cola Schweppes had to recall some sparkling Malvern Water. This was because tiny traces of benzene were found in the carbon dioxide gas used to make it bubbly. This gas came from a supplier near Bristol.
Royal Connections
Malvern Water has been enjoyed by several British kings and queens! Queen Elizabeth I drank it in public in the 1500s. In 1558, she gave permission for a local lord to use the land. But he had to promise that travelers could still get water from the Holy Well spring.
Princess Mary Adelaide gave a special royal approval in 1895. King George V also gave one in 1911. Queen Victoria loved Malvern Water so much that she refused to travel without it. And Queen Elizabeth II always took it with her when she traveled.
Images for kids
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The Holy Well, where water was first bottled for sale. It is believed to be the oldest bottling plant in the world.
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Malvern Water bottled by Holy Well as of 2011.
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The former Schweppes plant in 2012. It has since been torn down and replaced by homes.
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