Earlier this week, the Macclesfield restaurant announced plans to launch a menu dedicated to bottled water as fewer diners were opting for alcohol.
La Popote, which features in the Michelin Guide, will offer a menu of seven still and sparkling waters, served in wine glasses, sourced from across Europe, with the most expensive costing £19.
The menu, debuting this month, was introduced by water sommelier Doran Binder, one of just five accredited water sommeliers in the UK, who already supplied the restaurant with water from his Crag Spring Water company.
Waters on the menu include 22 Artesian Water from La Rioja in Spain, priced at £11; Vichy Celastin, priced at £9; Crag Spring Water at £5; Crag Sparkling Water at £5.50; and Lauretana sparkling at £12.
While most operators praised the ingenuity of the restaurant, the majority were not convinced a bottled water menu would work in a pub setting.
Owner of Cheshire Cat Pubs & Inns Tim Bird told The Morning Advertiser (The MA): “If you have a Michelin star or two, you might want to give it a go.
“But space is precious in most pubs so there are many things that one would sell before differing styles of water.
Novelty menu
“There are a lot of things we want to do drinks wise before attempting differing waters but that doesn’t stop me admiring all the work and endeavour that has gone into this.”
Similarly, licensee of the Gardeners Arms/Murderers in Norfolk, Philip Cutter, thought the idea was a fantastic marketing ploy, but something not likely to take off in pubs.
“Low and no alcohol drinks are a huge part of the industry, and if £19 bottles of water drive sales and footfall into any business - I wish them every success.
“However, with the economy, and credit crunch affecting pricing within hospitality, this certainly aims for a very ‘niche’ clientele - I don’t think this will be a mainstay on the nations bars any time soon”, the award-winning operator added.
Meanwhile, Barr & Barr Hospitality owner Rob Barr mused there was a time when the sector thought coffee being served in pubs would not last.
He continued: “Pubs need to explore new avenues where possible to generate a reason to visit, if that’s with a water menu then give it a go.
“It’s a novelty thing to get people talking, but, as we know, that is always a good thing.
Accessibility and value
“Health awareness is a big thing within the industry and pubs can in more ways than one show we are a great place to drink, dine and stay.”
Last year, figures from the Britvic Soft Drinks review found the soft drinks category had grown to be worth around £7bn to the on-trade.
On top of this, the report stated operators were losing out on £800m in sales to tap water, presenting an “opportunity” to upsell the category by offering preimmunised health-focused drinks.
However, managing director at the Three Hills at Bartlow in Cambridgeshire, Emma Harrison told The MA pub customers may struggle to see the value in water at higher prices, despite rising demand for health-focused drinks.
She continued: “Pubs are all about accessibility and value. We sell still water for £4.10 and sparkling water for £5.10, but it’s a big jump from there to £11 for the next still on their menu and £9 for the next sparkling.
“The real opportunity for pubs lies in expanding low/no and health-conscious options; those drinks feel worth paying for and still fit naturally into a pub environment.”
Still, Harrison praised the restaurant for trying something different: “Innovation keeps our industry interesting, and time will tell if it catches on. I’ve been proved wrong before, so who knows — maybe one day a water menu in a pub will feel perfectly normal."
