The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

During the Premium Water Summit in Barcelona in April, Carles Negre – General Manager of Spanish company Sant Aniol Water – was interviewed by Water Innovation editor, Nayl D'Souza.

What follows is a transcript of the interview, but you can see <1> in our FoodBev Interactive section.

CN: Sant Aniol Spain, in the area of Girona. We're the only in the natural park of La Garrotxa, which is a volcanic area, so it's a pure volcanic water – what we call our Pure Sant Aniol.

NDS: The packaging/labelling is very special ...

CN: Yes – our labelling has got the first prize in Spain, called the Laus prize, which is the most prestigious award here in Spain for design. We always try to get the best packaging for the best water. That's why we keep improving and modernising our packaging for our water.

NDS: Tell us more about the three variants in the Sant Aniol Water range.

CN: We have the blue label, which is the natural water without gas; there's the red label, which has the normal gas, and there's a green label, which is a special label for a special water with a soft gas. In Spain, there's a unique water with this kind of gas.

NDS: Do different gases complement different foods?

CN: Yes, it depends on what you want to drink or eat, or what you like to taste. For example, the soft gas is a good water to mix with whiskies.

NDS: Your key market is Spain. Are there other markets you're keen to expand into?

CN: Our water is of special value to us here in Spain – in this region especially, it's very well known – but it's also well known and appreciated in other countries. One of the first countries that tried Sant Aniol and liked it, and keeps repeating and increasing market share, is Japan. Especially Tokyo. Our water has also been introduced in Germany, the United States, the Netherlands and Austria.

NDS: What targets have you set for the coming year?

CN: Our premium water is being introduced in restaurants and other markets, with success, in Europe, the US and the South East.

NDS: Do you have any specific targets to meet?

CN: Our plan for this year is to double our sales in the emerging markets. We're doing pretty well this year, growing at a level of 35%.

About San Aniol Water

Award-winning San Aniol water is sourced from a 40,000-year-old spring in the volcanic region of La Garrotxa, Girona.