Highland Spring Group
Press Kit
May 2013
For further press information:
Katrine Pearson
3x1 Public Relations
T: 0141 221 0707
E: [email protected]
HIGHLAND SPRING GROUP
The Highland Spring Group is the UK’s largest supplier and producer of naturally sourced
bottled water. With a 21% share of the UK’s packaged water sector, one in every five
litres of bottled water is produced by the Group.
Bottling over 400 million litres of water a year, The Highland Spring Group produces
brands including Highland Spring, Speyside Glenlivet and Hydr8. It also produces a range
of private label flavoured and unflavoured waters for some of the UK’s major
supermarkets and food service retailers.
Highland Spring Limited was formed in 1979 and following its acquisitions of the water
businesses of the Greencore Group plc and Speyside Glenlivet in 2010, the Highland
Spring Group was created.
Led by chief executive Les Montgomery the company has ambitious plans to be a
£100 million and 500 million litre turnover business by the end of 2013.
Headquartered in Blackford, Perthshire, the Highland Spring Group oversees four
bottling plants and employs more than 400 staff. It has a current production capacity of
over 700 million litres of water a year and has an available resource in excess of 2.2
billion litres a year.
All Highland Spring Group’s waters are harvested from naturally renewable protected
underground sources, which are constantly replenished by ample rainfall. The company
is fully committed to protecting the environment and developing the business in a
sustainable, eco-friendly way. The water is packaged in glass and PET bottles in full
compliance with UK and EU Food & Safety Packaging Regulations and industry codes of
best practice.
www.highlandspringgroup.com
HIGHLAND SPRING
Highland Spring is the UK’s No 1 bottled water brand, selling c. 200m litres in the UK in
2012. (Source: Zenith International UK Bottled Water Report, April 2013)
Highland Spring is drawn from protected land in the Ochil Hills, Perthshire, certified
organic by the Soil Association. No farming, agricultural spraying, building or habitation
is permitted and the land has been kept free from pesticides and pollution for more
than two decades.
It takes around 15 years for the water to filter through the basalt and sandstone strata
to boreholes which allows it to be gently pumped to the surface and then down to the
bottling plant in Blackford. Highland Spring is delivered to consumers exactly as nature
intended with nothing added or taken away, apart from carbonation for its sparkling
range.
Significant marketing investment into the brand in 2012 saw a new look unveiled across
the range. The vibrant purple packaging also incorporates a contemporary take on
tartan with an arc of colour reinforcing the brand’s provenance while a mountain
backdrop references the pure, natural source of the product from Highland Spring’s
organic catchment.
On 20 March 2013, the first day of spring, the brand’s hugely successful Full of the Joys
of Highland Spring ad returned to TV screens. Featuring a cast of creatures native to the
Ochil Hills, the campaign conveys the feel-good factor of Highland Spring.
The company is ranked the most ethical bottled water in The Good Shopping Guide, for
a record seventh consecutive year, scoring an unprecedented 100% (The Good Shopping
Guide, 11th edition).
www.highland-spring.com
SPEYSIDE GLENLIVET
SPEYSIDE GLENLIVET
In March 2009 Highland Spring acquired the Speyside Glenlivet Water Company Ltd,
which had gone into administration earlier that year. Highland Spring stepped in to
safeguard the future of this premium natural mineral water brand, securing 12 jobs.
Speyside Glenlivet is bottled at source in The Braes of Glenlivet on the remote Crown
Estate of Glenlivet, near Ballindalloch in Moray.
This exclusive brand is targeted at fine dining establishments in the UK and overseas. It
is available in an impressive list of high-end restaurant and hotel customers including
The Dorchester and Le Gavroche in London, The Ritz in Paris and The Balmoral in
Edinburgh.
Speyside Glenlivet Natural Mineral Water is sourced from the highest, naturally
occurring spring in the UK and has an unusually low but balanced mineral content. This
unique quality helps the product cleanse and refresh customers’ palates allowing the
flavours of fine food and wine to shine through. Perfect for the fine dining
environment.
The brand’s creative trade ad campaigns have featured renowned Scottish Michelin
starred chefs Tom Kitchin and Martin Wishart and the acclaimed Michel Roux Jnr. Roux’s
endorsement highlights the importance of purity in fine dining - “The merest hint of
flavour can turn a wonderful recipe into something truly memorable. Speyside Glenlivet
gives me the exceptional purity I trust to complement the flavours I’ve worked so hard to
create.”
www.speysideglenlivetwater.com
HYDR8
Hydr8 is the first new brand from Highland Spring Group since it acquired the bottled
water business of Greencore Group plc in March 2010.
Created especially for the cash and carry and foodservice sectors, Hydr8 promotes the
eight glasses a day message. The product is a naturally sourced British water and can be
drawn from any of Highland Spring Group’s rural production sites
The water comes in convenient 500ml screw cap, 500ml sports bottles and 500ml multipacks. It is also available in a 5 litre format, which is Highland Spring Group’s first foray
into larger bottle sizes.
In 2011 Highland Spring Group launched its first range of flavoured water under the
Hydr8 name with three natural fruit flavours; Lemon & Lime, Orange & Passionfruit and
Strawberry & Kiwi.
Following its introduction to the market in 2011, Hydr8 has been the fastest selling
unflavoured brand launch by value in the take-home sector for six years and is currently
the 11th largest brand by volume – overtaking many established brands in under a year
of trading. (Source: Nielsen, 2012)
THE CAMPSIE FELLS
In March 2010 Highland Spring Group acquired the Campsie Fells site which helped to
establish it as the largest UK producer of naturally sourced bottled water.
The waters sourced from The Fells site come from underground springs on the
protected catchment area in the Campsie Fells, which has been privately owned by the
same family since the 16th century.
The bottling plant produces naturally sourced waters for a variety of private label
customers across the UK including some of the UK’s largest grocery and food service
customers. In addition the majority of the Hydr8 brand volume is currently produced
from The Fells plant.
THE BRECON BEACONS, WALES
Also included as part of the recent acquisition was The Brecon Beacons bottling plant in
Blaen Twyni, near Swansea.
The water is sourced from a protected 40 acre site from mountains in the heart of the
Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. A steady supply of rainfall is almost always
guaranteed, constantly replenishing the underground natural resource.
The site produces a range of flavoured and unflavoured waters for both brand and
private label, supplying the UK grocery retail and food service sectors.
HIGHLAND SPRING - SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS
Highland Spring works hard to promote the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle and is
committed to forging the link between active sport and good hydration. In the UK, most
people don’t drink enough water* or participate regularly in active sport. Through a
comprehensive, focused programme of sports sponsorship, Highland Spring promotes
the benefits of an active lifestyle to target consumer groups and encourage good
hydration as a key part of active sport. (*Source: NHC Hydration survey, 2012).
The company is a major supporter of UK sport and a long-term sponsor of many national
and international events including tennis, cycling, rugby, golf, running and athletics.
To help kids get active, Highland Spring organises an annual sports day, using its
champion sports ambassadors such as Chris Hoy, giving children the chance to try new
sports. Venues have included Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre and the new stateof-the-art Ravenscraig facility near Glasgow.
In addition the company supplied water to more than 30,000 school children helping
them to stay hydrated at school sports days in 2012.
In October 2012 we launched a new limited edition bottle – Hoyland Spring - to honour
Sir Chris Hoy’s incredible sporting achievements. One million of the bottles with gold
detailing went on sale in supermarkets up and down the country in tribute to Britain’s
most successful Olympian. Chris shared his excitement with his fans during a live web
chat at Highland Spring’s headquarters hosted by sports presenter Jill Douglas.
Sponsorship portfolio

In 2008, Highland Spring signed a sponsorship deal with Sir Chris Hoy: BBC Sports
Personality of the Year, 6 times Olympic Champion, 11 times World Champion, 2
times Commonwealth Champion and Britain’s most decorated Olympian.
Highland Spring is the official water supplier to Chris Hoy as he competes and
trains around the world. Chris works with Highland Spring to inspire and
motivate British children to get involved in sporting activities and adopt better
drinking habits.

In 2011, the company announced a new partnership with Scottish Rugby which
sees it become the official bottled water partner to the national team as well as
Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby. In addition Highland Spring is also the
official bottled water partner to the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s.

The company is also the official water supplier to numerous cycling events
including: Etape Caledonia, Mountain Bike World Cup and The Tour of Britain. In
2012, Highland Spring agreed to sponsor 4 flagship Sky Ride events; Manchester,
Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Highland Spring supports British tennis from grassroots to elite level.
In
February 2009, the company signed up as the first official supplier in the Lawn
Tennis Association’s new commercial programme. As official water, Highland
Spring has a strong presence at the LTA international tour events in June which
include the AEGON Championships staged at Queens, the AEGON Classic in
Birmingham and the AEGON International in Eastbourne.

In September 2011, Highland Spring was announced as the new sponsors of LTA
Mini Tennis, a refreshed and updated programme to specifically cater for 3 – 10
year olds. The programme will roll out towards the end of the year with a
national campaign encouraging players to ‘earn their stripes’.

Since 2007, Highland Spring has been the official water supplier to the GB Davis
Cup Team. The Davis Cup is the biggest and most prestigious team competition
in men’s tennis, and sees around 130 nations battle it out for top honours.

In 2009, Highland Spring became the official water supplier to the Barclays ATP
World Tour Final which took place for the first time at London’s 02 Arena. In
2010 the company signed a four year contract with the ATP to become the
official water supplier to the world renowned event until 2013.

Highland Spring has a long standing relationship with golf and is the official
water supplier to The Johnnie Walker Championship, The Scottish Open, The
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, The Ladies Scottish Open and The Scottish
Golf Union.

Throughout the year, Highland Spring is a supporter of more than 100 other
5km, 10km races and marathons and half marathons across the UK. In 2011, the
company provided over 250,000 litres of water at running events.

The company also likes to help out in the local neighbourhood and is official
supporter of a number of small community events including the Blackford
Highland Games, now in its 141st year, the Perthshire Young Sportsperson
Awards, Dunblane Tennis Club and Auchterarder Gymnastics club. In 2011,
Highland Spring also supported the World Junior Curling Championships which
took place in Perth.
BOTTLED WATER – A HEALTHY NATURAL REFRESHMENT
There is no healthier drink than bottled water. It is the only fluid you need to hydrate as
part of a normal, healthy lifestyle and is the only commercial beverage that contains
zero sugar, calories, preservatives or additives.
In addition to ‘at home’ products, ‘on the go’ bottles have been an area of strength for
the Highland Spring brand. The iconic 500ml still and sparkling Highland Spring range is
dominant in grocery multiples as single ‘drink now bottles’. Also perfect for keeping
consumers hydrated on the go is the Highland Spring Active Pack. Launched in 2012 it
comes in either handy 330ml or 500ml bottles ideal for lunch boxes, hand bags, sports
bags and pockets.
Many parents may not know the levels of sugar in sugar sweetened beverages. Leading
nutritionist, Juliette Kellow advises a glass of blackcurrant squash may contain the
equivalent of five teaspoons of sugar while some children’s drinks may contain up to
nine teaspoons of sugar – more than a can of cola. (Source: Juliette Kellow, independent
nutritionist)
Juliette Kellow commented: “Encouraging children to drink more fluids is essential to
prevent dehydration. Water is free from fat, sugar, salt and additives and is an essential
part of a balanced, healthy diet for children. It’s also free from calories so is ideal to help
prevent obesity.”
THE BOTTLED WATER MARKET
Brits spent £1.5 billion on bottled water in 2011, increasing 6% year on year. Volume
grew +4.7% to 1.9 billion litres in 2012 with bottled waters remaining the no. 2 soft
drink behind only Colas in volume terms (Zenith International, UK Bottled Water Report
2013 and Nielsen, MAT 08.12.12). Despite the continued growth of the water market in
the UK, as a nation we continue to have a relatively low consumption per capita. At
32.3 litres per person in 2010, the UK remains behind Belgium (120 litres), Germany
(152.9 litres), Ireland (40.4 litres) and France (114.3 litres). (Source: Zenith
International).
For Highland Spring Group, the acquisition of Greencore Bottled Waters in 2010
consolidated its position as the UK’s biggest supplier of bottled water. At 404 million
litres annually, Highland Spring Group commands the largest share of any producer –
21% of the UK market (more than one in every five litres). (Source: Zenith International,
2013).
In the bottled water category, provenance is an important consideration for consumers.
Of all nations, Scotland is perceived to be home to the purest, freshest water. In fact, in
a recent nationwide poll, Highland Spring was seen to be the nation’s favourite bottled
water! (Source: GfK NOP August 2012)
As well as being the leading UK producer, Highland Spring boasts other market leading
positions:
 No 1 bottled water brand by volume in the UK with a 10.6% brand share selling
nearly 200m litres in 2012 (Zenith International, 2013)
 Bought by more households than any other brand of bottled water (Source:
Kantar Worldpanel, 52 w/e 23.12.12)
 No 1 UK produced water brand for 16 consecutive years (Source: Zenith
International, 2013)
 No 1 sparkling water brand in the UK for 12 years, outselling the nearest brand
by nearly double in volume terms (Zenith International, 2013)
 Gold award winners at the 2012 Publican Licencees’ choice award for bottled
water.
PRODUCT RANGE
The Highland Spring Group offers the most comprehensive portfolio of naturally sourced
waters in the UK market to meet all needs from stylish glass ranges for fine dining to
sports bottles for on the go.
The portfolio ranges from 250ml to five litre bottles with easy-to-carry multi-packs
suitable for families.
Highland Spring in still and sparkling:
 glass bottles ranging from 330ml – 1l
 plastic bottles ranging from 250ml – 2l
 multipacks in screw and sports caps ranging from 6 x 330ml – 6 x 1.5l
Speyside Glenlivet:
 still and sparkling glass bottles in 330ml and 750ml
Campsie Fells still and sparkling multi-packs:
 plastic bottles ranging from 330ml up to 8 x 2l
The Brecon Beacons – flavoured:
 plastic bottles ranging from 500ml – 1.5l
 extensive range of flavours including lemon & lime and peach (private label)
Hydr8
 unflavoured plastic bottles in screw and sports cap ranging from 500ml – 5l
 flavoured plastic bottles in 500ml screw caps in lemon & lime, orange &
passionfruit and strawberry & kiwi
 multipacks also available in flavoured & unflavoured