A Michelin-recommended restaurant in Cheshire has launched a menu dedicated to bottled water.
La Popote in Macclesfield, Cheshire, now has a dedicated water menu comprising three still waters and four sparkling waters, ranging from £5 to £19.
Doran Binder, 52, one of the UK’s five water sommeliers, is the brains behind the menu. He first pitched the idea to co-owner and head chef Joseph Rawlins, 32, two years ago and got the go-ahead to compile the menu at the beginning of this year.
Originally from Wildboarclough in Cheshire, Binder has selected waters hailing from across Europe, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Iceland, and the UK.
The menu includes Binder’s own brand of water, Crag Spring Water.
Crag Spring Water has been sourced from Binder’s village in the Peak District and is priced at £5 a bottle. At the top end of the menu is a Portuguese sparkling water, The Palace of Vidago, which will set diners back a cool £19.
Waters bought from La Popote’s dedicated menu will be served in wine glasses to emulate the experience of a wine.
“I had been working on a water menu for the last three or four years trying to get a restaurant to pick it up but it has been really difficult,” said Binder. “People thought it was a joke and a gimmick but it was exciting when La Popote took me on.
“What I have done is put together a quality range of interesting water. They all have different tastes, mouth feels and offer a different perspective on dining at a restaurant.
“Being able to choose a water with a story, something special and unique that you couldn't just get from a shop is elevating that experience.”
Rawlins said: “The restaurant scene has changed a lot over the years. We have been getting fewer big tables, more groups of twos and fours. That means at least one person there will mostly likely be driving and not be drinking as such.
“To try and keep up with the market we wanted to offer something a bit different.
“Everything has been positive, it is a bit of fun, and we are looking forward to seeing where it goes.”
Rawlins has owned La Popote with his partner Gaëlle Radigon, 37, since 2019. Prior to that, he trained at the Tante Marie culinary school, once part owned by Gordon Ramsay and now closed.
One of the only suppliers Rawlins kept on when he took over La Popote was Binder, who first started selling his Crag Spring Water at the Macclesfield eatery in 2018.
According to Binder, the flavour of water is developed by the number of total dissolved solids (TDS). The solids include minerals from the earth. TDS levels range from 0 all the way to 1,200, with Binder believing the ideal level is between 100 and 200.
Rawlins, whilst at first was not convinced by the water menu, said Binder invited him to a water tasting where he realised the potential of this new market. The concept was postponed on several occasions to accommodate the couple growing their family.
“With Gaëlle also having a little one and being pregnant, also breastfeeding, there is a limit to what she can drink”, said Rawlins. “We thought there was space for it, so why not?”
Now, the final menu includes waters from 22 Artesian Water from La Rioja, Spain, at £11; Vichy Celastin at £9; The Palace of Vidago at £19; Crag Spring Water at £5; Crag Sparkling Water at £5.50; and Lauretana sparkling at £12.
The menu will be fully available from August 22.
