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Tap Top flows around London
O
ver 10,000 water carafes are being given out to restaurants, MPs, businesses and community groups in London. Thames Water is also making its stylish ‘Tap Top’ carafes - designed specifically to serve London’s premium-grade tap water - available to the Houses of Parliament. “I hope this encourages MPs to drink more tap water,” said Thames Water Chief Executive David Owens. Tap Tops were made as part of Thames Water’s awardwinning London On Tap campaign to promote tap water as a viable alternative to bottled brands. As well as 1,000 restaurants, various VIPs, including the Queen and the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will be getting carafes. Mr Owens added: “According to the industry’s water quality watchdog, we have the best-quality water of all the major water and sewerage companies in England and Wales and we’ve got a first-class carafe in which to serve it. “Our London On Tap campaign is helping give consumers the confidence to ask for tap water when dining out. We want to get as many of the capital’s eateries and bars involved as possible. “Since launching the carafes in May, we've had great feedback from restaurateurs who've been using them. Many of their customers say Tap Top's iconic design makes them more
comfortable about choosing tap water.” Tap Tops are already being used by restaurateur Aldo Zilli, the Imperial College Catering, Radcliffes Le Brasseur, The Cavendish and the Heathrow Sheraton. Tap Top, with its four nondrip pouring spouts forming a traditional tap head shape, can be ordered on the London On Tap website - www.londonontap.org. For each carafe sold £1 goes to the charity WaterAid.
David Owens
TapTop designed by Neil Barron
The London On Tap campaign was launched in February 2008 to promote the serving and consumption of London's tap water in the capital’s thousands of restaurants, bars and hotels. Research commissioned by the international charity WaterAid revealed in March 2009 that tap water is the preferred choice for 63% of people when they dine out. Tap Top was launched in May 2009 to serve tap water across the capital, underpinning the city’s commitment to providing high-quality drinking water whilst reducing the environmental impact of packaging and transporting bottled water. In its annual water quality report, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) said that in 2008 Thames Water’s tap water was 99.99% compliant with national and European standards - the company’s best-ever performance and
Restaurateur Aldo Zilli (centre) tests his new water carafe on Rosie Boycott, Chair of London Food (left) and Richard Aylard, Director of Sustainability at Thames Water
the best of all the major water and sewerage firms in England and Wales for the second year running. Ten for Ten is a ten-point plan launched by Thames Water in 2008 to benefit disadvantaged customers and community projects. Customers and communities are set to benefit from a
£10 million fund, financed from the company's profits, which will pay for special projects that fall outside dayto-day business activities. London On Tap was this year awarded ‘National Example of Excellence’ in the Responsible Marketing and Innovation category at the Business in the Community awards.
© cooler innovation 2009. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.
www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 23 - October · November 2009
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