Restaurants and Filtered Tap Water
There
is a growing backlash against the use of bottled
mineral water.
Restaurants
in the UK have come under fire for supposedly
“pushing” expensive bottled water
on their customers – some of whom reportedly
feel a little awkward about asking for tap
water.
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Various
media campaigns have been launched recently to encourage
people to opt for free tap water in restaurants.
A
campaign by the London Evening Standard apparently
won the support of top chefs such as Antony Worrall
Thompson, Jamie Oliver and Tom Aikens.
But
there is a conflict here.
People go to restaurants to enjoy something special.
What
these media campaigns might be missing is the fact
that many people are opting out of bottled water
not because of the cost so much as the environmental
damage caused by bottled water.
In the UK about three billion bottles of water a
year are consumed - half a billion of which come
from abroad - and they all have to be transported
to the restaurants, pubs and shops where they are
sold.
Besides the environmental costs of making the bottles
- and the difficulties of their disposal, transportation
of bottled water in Britain alone produces over
33,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year. This is equivalent
energy used by over 6,000 homes.
As
we all become more aware of environmental issues,
more and more people are feeling uncomfortable about
drinking bottled water.
And
there is arguably a resentment factor aimed at services
which don't reflect their concerns.
Here's
a possible solution:
Offer
Your Customers Purified Water
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A
great solution for restaurants bars and pubs
could be to offer filtered tap water to their
clients.
These
can be presented in customised bottles
or served in glass jugs with lemon. Charging
could be optional.
There
are Three options to consider
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Option
One
All
that is needed is one or more of our master
purifier units. These are very easily
installed.
They
give a flow rate of between 1.5 to 3 Litres a minute
– depending on local water pressure. If faster
delivery is required small pumps can also be supplied.
They
simply fit below a counter. A special tap above
the counter serves the water with two lever settings.
Push and hold or constant flow. In this way your
staff can leave a large jug filling while they perform
other tasks.
The
filter completely remove the taste of chlorine and
create a sweeter taste to everyday tap water.
Carbonation
for the bottled filtered water is also possible.
These are very easy to fit DIY level units. The
cartridges need replacing every 6 months at a cost
of £13.95 each. We send reminders.
Cost
is£59 incl VAT, one cartridge and delivery
Option
Two
Another
option is to filter the water using reverse
osmosis.
This
gives you a higher quality filtration. Many afficionados
swear by it.
They
are more expensive to buy and the cartridge replacement
costs are about £25 every 6 months.
Carbonation
for the bottled filtered water is also possible.
These are very easy to fit DIY level units. The
cartridges need replacing every 6 months at a cost
of £13.95 each. We send reminders.
However
the simpler carbon block filters in Option 1 above
are frankly just as good. Our taste tests have proven
to us that people cannot tell the difference between
carbon filtered and reverse osmosis water.
Costs
£197 incl VAT, one set cartridges and delivery
Option
Three
Alternatively
all the water in your restaurant
can be filtered and softened.
The
water filter will remove chlorine and other contaminants
from all your taps. So your chef can cook without
chlorinated water.
And
you can fill up your water bottles with purified
water more efficiently.
The
softener will help remove unsightly water marks
on glass and plates.
What is required
This
option requires a carbon filter and a water softener
being plumbed in to the water supply.
This
would take a plumber about 3 hours to do.
The space taken is approx a cubic meter. Both units
should easily fit inside the average kitchen undercounter
cupboard.
Your
water pressure will decrease by about 7 to 10 %
max
Other
benefits of water softeners in restaurants
It
will save on use of detergents
Plus
protect your water using equipment and appliances
This
is because most city waters contain hard water,
sediment, minerals and other dissolved solids. Unsoftened
water can play a major role in the clogging, and
breakdown of some of your most important equipment
and appliances by creating hard water scale build-up
in dishwashers, steamers and espresso machines,
and reduce the efficiency of ice machines.
If
you already have a softener that's no problem. We
would simply supply the filter that removes the
chlorine and other impurities.
Please
don’t hesitate to call us on 0845 120 6369
for further information and advice.
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