Mains-fed water cooler manufacturer Tana Water (UK) has announced its relocation to larger premises, and has gained a £1.26m investment in recognition of the company’s growth potential in the UK market. In a vote of confidence from parent company Tana Industries, Tana Water has gained additional funding to support its growth strategy, which includes relocating to larger headquarters at the new Henley Business Park near Guildford, increasing its sales and marketing staff and launching an expanded product range into the business and domestic markets. For more than a decade, Tana Water has supplied mains-fed water machines to UK government, healthcare, manufacturing, leisure, hospitality and educational organisations. In June 2008, the company was named as an approved supplier of mains-fed water coolers to the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA). This year, the company has delivered on ambitious growth plans, including opening a new telesales office on the Isle of Wight to support sales and service nationwide. Commenting on the funding, Danny Taragon, CEO of Tana Industries, said: “We've been impressed with the progress made by Tana Water UK. Since we set up our UK manufacturing operation in 2004, the company has gone from strength to strength and we're happy to support its continued growth.” Nick Heane, MD of Tana Water UK, added: “I'm delighted that our UK growth plans have gained the financial backing of Tana Industries. At a time when most UK companies are battling the credit crunch, this is a major endorsement of the Tana Water UK staff who have worked so hard to look after existing customers as well as winning new business.”

Whitbread plc reported slow growth in November and announced plans to cut capital spending despite reporting overall revenue rise. The owner of a series of restaurant and hotel brands, including coffee chain Costa and Premier Inn budget hotels reported that it has experienced some "softening" of growth in November, while revenue in the 39-week period increased by 6.7% at comparable outlets. "We have been reviewing our future development plans as the macro economic situation has become increasingly challenging," Whitbread CEO Alan Parker said in a statement. Parker added, "We believe that while this environment remains, we should take a more prudent approach to organic expansion." Whitbread said total sales across the group have increased by 13.4%. Sales growth sluggishly increased at Premier Inn and Costa in the third quarter. Revenue at Costa in the 39-week period increased by 2.6%, slower than the 3.7% growth in first half period. The Luton, England-based company said it has decided to limit capital expenditure next year to £200m ($297m) compared to £300m ($443m) in 2008.

*Zenith International will host the Second BeveragesMiddleEast (BevME) Congress in Dubai on 27 and 28 January 2009. * The two-day programme includes a conference with a focus on ‘Meeting the cost and innovation challenge’, market briefings and a visit to Del Monte’s state of the art Dubai production site. This will be the second BevME Congress and is designed for regional industry leaders and senior management, as well as marketing and technical professionals, industry suppliers and analysts. “Tightening economic conditions and cost pressures led us to seek practical responses on these issues for our 2009 Congress,” said Zenith International Chairman, Richard Hall. “Understanding consumer motivation and developing excellence in innovation accordingly become all the more important. The conference will deliver ideas and insights to help regional producers meet these challenges to better effect than their competitors.” *Speakers at the conference include managers from: * Aujan Industries CHR Hansen Del Monte Foods MasterCard National Beverage Company Red Bull Starcom MediaVest Group Tetra Pak TNS Worldpanel Maurizio Patarnello, CEO and Chairman of Nestlé Waters Zone Asia, Oceania, Middle East and Africa, will give the keynote address on the subject ‘Best practice in cost management’. Zenith International experts will present the latest beverage trends and provide market briefings on emerging growth opportunities and cost control. Leading suppliers CHR Hansen and Wild are sponsoring the Congress. For full programme details and to book online, visit <<1>">www.zenithinternational.com/events]<1> <1>: http://www.zenithinternational.com/events/

The new president will be faced with a range of important issues, not least of which will be the oncoming global recession, as governments attempt to deal with the downturn in world economies and the collapse of the banking sector that is bringing considerable pressure to bear on companies of all sizes. All this on top of the recent rises in food and energy prices. Other important issues will include the environment and the need to cut down the carbon footprint, the growing importance of alternative fuels and the need to cut down on waste and improve our recycling performance. And then, of course, there's legislation. The new president will surely be mindful of how governments around the world have introduced legislation that has a profound effect on the efficient operation of important businesses, not least of which is businesses in the dairy industry. So it is that we welcome Canada’s Richard Doyle as president of the International Dairy Federation. (Sorry, did you think I was talking about someone else?) Doyle, who is currently executive director of Dairy Farmers of Canada, took over as IDF president at the recent IDF Global Dairy Summit in Mexico. He succeeds the UK’s Jim Begg who has completed his four-year term. Keeping doom and gloom at bay I spoke to Jim about two weeks before the Mexico event. When we were talking about the need for the dairy industry to get the health message about milk and dairy products across to the consumer, he said we must aim for a situation “where governments never have an opportunity to advise consumers not to consume dairy products for either nutritional or environmental reasons”. And with the current volatility caused by the global economic downturn, he warned that we must not allow the doom and gloom merchants to prevail. If we do “it shatters confidence and you enter a vicious circle”. As we approach a new year, we should make those two aims part of any list of new year resolutions. We mustn't take our eye off the ball, because there are detractors out there who will use any opportunity and any excuse to undermine this industry of ours. Show them, in the words of Jim Begg’s Dairy UK campaign, that you are ‘Proud of Dairy’. I'm tempted to paraphrase a famous quote from another president, and this time it is an American president who took office nearly 50 years ago: Ask not what dairy can do for you – ask what you can do for dairy.

A polished steel water sculpture, promised to the people of Bath several years ago, has finally been unveiled to the public. The artwork by the sculptor William Pye, who also created the new font at Salisbury Cathedral, was one of several sculptures, installations and art displays paid for and chosen by people in Bath which had never materialised. The council finally agreed to install the sculpture at the end of Walcot Street and The Paragon, in the heart of the city's artisan quarter, six months ago. 'Offspring' is made of polished stainless steel and features a gentle cascade of water. Inspired by a section of a nautilus shell, the water for the sculpture is recycled from a small tank through a pump. The sculptures have been paid for by Lottery funding, plus donations and sponsorship from Zenith International, Wessex Water, The Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust, The Marquess of Bath, and a contribution from the council's arts budget. Zenith contributed £15,000 from its company fund managed by the Quartet Community Foundation. Councillor Terry Gazzard, cabinet member for tourism, leisure and culture, said: "The installation of this piece of sculpture was the result of the council working together with local businesses and residents to deliver an improvement that they had requested. Enhancing public spaces and street scenes is one of the council's priorities and this project has given us the opportunity to deliver a scheme that will help to promote the excellent range of businesses in the Walcot Street area. The sculpture was paid for by funding from external national and local organisations, and the council would like to thank everyone for their contributions." Zenith International Chairman Richard Hall said: "Zenith International is delighted to support this prestigious piece of public art. Bath is rightly famous for its beauty and architectural heritage, and Offspring shows that we have contemporary design and art of equally high quality. This is the city's first new sculpture in a public open space for a generation."

UK water cooler manufacturer Ebac has appointed a new Eastern European Sales Manager, based in Poland, to expand the company’s presence in the Eastern European region. Marcin Popiolek, who has more than seven years' experience in sales management, has been appointed to the newly created role. Based in Warsaw, Marcin will look to expand the profile of Ebac throughout Eastern Europe. Commenting on his new role, Marcin said: "I'm very much looking forward to helping Ebac water coolers expand their status in Eastern Europe. The Ebac brand is very strong in Europe, and their coolers are some of the best in the world. I’ll be working to provide sales and support systems to customers in Poland and nearby countries." Ebac Chairman John Elliott added: “The Eastern European market is expanding rapidly, and we wanted to have a base in Poland which could act as a hub for all our activity in Eastern Europe.”

“Global consumption has increased for all the products we studied,” said Zenith's dairy market intelligence manager, Esther Renfrew. “Spoonable yogurt has seen the greatest growth over the past five years at 23%. "Ice cream volume has also advanced swiftly by 18%, with the majority of additional sales coming from Asia/Australasia and the Middle East.” Cheese accounts for the largest segment of the dairy sector analysed by Zenith, with 18.2 million tonnes consumed in 2008, equivalent to 39% of the total. This is followed by ice cream at 14.3 million tonnes and a 30% share, then spoonable yogurt on 9.9 million tonnes and 21% of volume. Forecasts to 2012 indicate a further increase of 10% to 51.8 million tonnes, with spoonable yogurt gaining as much as 16%. The Zenith report identifies a number of economic and market factors influencing consumption patterns, including: Growing populations and prosperity leading to greater demand. Rising costs and climate change causing supply instability. Consumers placing more emphasis on functionality in dairy products, along with convenience and healthy indulgence. Government policies and industry marketing improving the perception of dairy products and their environmental impact. Zenith’s 2008 Global Dairy Products report also finds that: There are only two markets where volume and consumption per person decreased during the review period: fromage frais in west Europe and ice cream in North America. All other markets showed overall growth. Although market values have fluctuated due to exchange rate instability, local value per kilo has been rising in the majority of product categories. In the Middle East, spoonable yogurt accounts for a higher share than cheese, while ice cream dominates the dairy product market in Asia/Australasia. .

The bottled water will be available in 1-litre and 33cl formats on all NetJets Europe flights, touching down at more than 870 airports across the continent. Icelandic Water Holdings chairman and CEO, Jon Olafsson, said: "As a premium, natural mineral water brand, we're proud to be aligned with such a high-calibre business jet operator." The relationship is further enhanced by both companies having a dedicated and ongoing environmental awareness programme in place. Icelandic Glacial lays claim to being the world’s first CarbonNeutral certified bottled water for its product and operations. Meanwhile, NetJets Europe has launched a multi-faceted climate initiative in 2007 and has plans to be entirely carbon neutral by 2012. “We pride ourselves on delivering the best service in every way for our customers,” said Nick Rose, director Flight Centre, NetJets Europe. “Icelandic Glacial’s premium nature, striking packaging and leading environmental commitment make it the perfect choice in bottled water for our business jets.”

The New Zealand unit of CCA wants to buy the bottling production line, brands and business assets of Baker Hall from Old Fashioned Foods Ltd (OFF). CCA has the exclusive licence to bottle the Coca-Cola brand in New Zealand, and has five bottling plants in New Zealand. The Baker Hall business is a cordial manufacturing and marketing business based in Auckland, and is 100% owned by OFF, a global manufacturer and exporter of food and beverages. In considering the application, the Commission's role is to determine whether the acquisition has the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market. According to reports, analysts say the deal could be part of a major realignment of drinks giants which has been under way over the last few months. Last month, Lion Nathan, the alcoholic beverage company, announced a $A7.6bn ($4.9bn) takeover of Coca-Cola Amatil. However, CCA rebuffed the offer. 46% of Lion Nathan shares are owned by Japanese drinks company Kirin, the rest by Australian and New Zealand share funds. The company has 52% of the New Zealand beer market while Coca-Cola Amatil has 53% of the New Zealand non-alcoholic ready-to-drink market and 75% of the carbonated soft drink market. In October, Japanese drinks company Suntory has purchased Frucor, which holds the Pepsi bottling licence in New Zealand. Frucor's brands include Fresh Up, Mizone, V, H2go and Just Juice.

*Last week, Toronto City Council voted to ban the sale of plastic water bottles on all municipal premises from City Hall to golf courses by 2011. The ban will be effective immediately at City Hall and civic centres. * In addition, the council announced it would introduce a CAN$0.5 charge on plastic shopping bags; ban biodegradable and compostable plastic bags; ban retail bags with rope handles or metal grommets by the end of next year; and request retailers to provide shoppers with alternatives to having to pay for a plastic bag, whether by providing cardboard boxes or paper sacks for shoppers. Stuart Green, spokesman for Toronto Mayor David Miller, told reporters that the new packaging reduction by-laws are part of the city's goal to achieve 70% waste diversion from landfill by 2010. He also said the city would be upgrading drinking fountains to provide easy access to drinking water. In response to the ban, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) provided the following statement: "The City of Toronto’s ban on the sale of bottled water in city-owned buildings is a misguided attempt at addressing a municipal waste issue. This measure will reduce the city’s waste by a mere fraction of 1%, while it deprives its citizens of making a healthy beverage choice. "'City customers who, in the past, have picked up a bottle of water to drink while standing in line to pay for permits or taxes will now be forced to quench their thirst with less healthy beverages, which are packaged in a denser grade of plastic at twice the volume of bottled water," said IBWA Vice President Communications, Tom Lauria. "With the incidence of diabetes, obesity and heart disease on the rise, any actions or misinformation that would discourage consumers from drinking a safe, healthy product are not in the public interest," he added. "Bottled water is just one of thousands of consumer goods that are packaged in plastic containers, and any efforts to reduce environmental impact of packaging must focus on all consumer goods and not target just one industry. "While much needs to be done to improve recycling rates, bottled water containers make up only 0.3% of the entire municipal waste stream. Clearly, bottled water containers are not making the significant contribution to our landfills as environmental activists claim. "Bottled water packaging is 100% recyclable. A growing number of bottled water producers have introduced much lighter weight bottles and using recycled material in their packaging." Mr Lauria said it was ironic that while recycling rates needed to improve, demand for recycled single-serve plastic PET was at an all-time high, and the US was currently facing a national shortage of recycled PET, which is used to manufacture carpeting, fleece, decking and auto parts. "Last year, the US had to resort to importing recyclable PET from South America to meet manufacturers’ demand,” said Mr Lauria. "The City of Toronto would be better off focusing its efforts on enhanced recycling programs rather than restricting people to making healthy beverage choices."

**Cool Change Natural Spring Water from Australia is a newly launched spring water launched in PLA (polymer of lactic acid). **The small, family run business based in Victoria’s Yarra Valley producing Cool Change aims to tap into consumers' concern over the level of PET bottles disposed at landfill sites rather than being recycled. Currently available in 50cl formats, Cool Change is being sold in cafés, eateries, health, organic and independent food stores across Australia. The company has plans to develop 35cl, 60cl and 1.5 litre formats. The business sources the biodegradable Ingeo PLA bottles from US-based NatureWorks, a company that claims the material requires less energy for production (67% less fossil fuels) and has the flow on effect of producing 90% less carbon emissions in producing the resin required for the bottle. Cool Change Natural Spring Water MD and Owner Richard Paterson said: "Consumers will not stop buying bottled beverages, so we’ve put our efforts in providing more sustainable packaging choices." In addition to the packaging, Cool Change has minimised its carbon footprint by reducing energy use, and offsets greenhouse emissions that have been created. The company has a carbon neutral production process certified by the Carbon Reduction Institute. Cool Change PLA bottles need to be industrially composted to deliver the maximum environmental benefit of the packaging, but Mr Paterson acknowledges that most waste bottles in Australia will currently either be composted or end up in landfill. He is a strong advocate for improved commercial composting infrastructure in the country.

*Love Limited Edition UK has sold six limited edition Love H2O bottles, each encrusted with more than 6,500 Swarovski crystals, for £1,000 (€1,175 or $2,330) a bottle. * Also known for its jewel-encrusted vodka products, the company diversified into bottled water over a year ago and sources the water for its luxury packaged brand from Wenlock Spring Water in Shropshire. Love H2O co-founder Ash Kelly told Water Innovation magazine: “Love H2O has become a collectible fashion accessory. It’s difficult to shop for someone who seems to have everything, but our water is a great gift which can provide an interesting talking point. After all, we all love water. “Each of the limited edition hand-crafted bottles reportedly took one week to produce. All six bottles have already been reserved and will be delivered after Christmas. In the meantime, the bottles are being used as display items in each of the six Selfridges stores across the UK. Andy Price, a spokesperson for Selfridges in Birmingham, said: “Each individual crystal is precisely positioned by hand into its own perfect space. These bottles are more like pieces of art rather than just a very expensive drink. The original Love H2O is a really good seller for us, but the limited edition one is a show piece for Christmas.” The original Love H2O bottled water has so far been released in three editions, with the current range ready for Christmas. With the brand’s theme of love, Valentine's Day sales are also important to the business. “Considering the economic climate, business for us is good in every respect. Vodka sales are also up and not just through Selfridges,” added Mr Kelly. []<1> <1>: http://www.lovelimitededition.co.uk