Soft drinks - bottled water, squash & cordial 2025: Highland Spring soars to top spot

There’s a new number one in bottled water. Highland Spring has rocketed past Danone duo Evian and Volvic on a £43.3m gain.

The brand shifted an extra 37.8 million litres as gym-goers and people on the move sought out its sports cap bottle for “healthy hydration”, says Highland Group marketing director Nic Yates. Plus, its flavoured waters “grew in popularity”, shoppers downing more than seven million litres of its Apple & Blackcurrant variant alone.

Not that Evian and Volvic have lost out. They’re worth an extra £52.9m combined. “We’re seeing bottled water shift from simply hydration on the go to a lifestyle choice, driven by health and convenience,” says Victoria Pham, Danone head of category & commercial strategy UK&I for beverages.

The supplier has been focusing on flavour innovation to make water “more exciting”, she adds. “This year, we brought back our Cherry flavour to the Touch of Fruits range and launched a refreshing new taste for our Lemon & Lime recipes.”

Sustainability has also been at the heart of Danone’s strategy. This year, it began producing 100% rPET bottles for its entire Evian and Volvic portfolios. The move cut almost 7,000 tonnes of virgin plastic and saved more than 10,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, it said.

Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages sought to do its bit for the climate crisis, too. The Buxton and San Pellegrino owner is aiming to have all sites globally certified by the Alliance for Water Stewardship by the end of 2025.

“Climate change is without a doubt affecting water resources worldwide,” says Philippa Naylor, Nestlé Waters head of corporate affairs & sustainability. “With water being key to all life and at the heart of our operations, we are committed to stewarding this precious, shared resource.”

Overall, these collective efforts by brands saw the category shift an extra 390.4 million litres – a 12.8% hike further boosted by a hot summer.

“Water has seen high growth due to high temperatures this summer that lasted over a longer period than last year,” says Julia Stepniewska, NIQ associate manager.

Squash & cordials, on the other hand, added value, of £21.8m, predominantly due to price increases. Take market leader Robinsons, which grew 1.3% in value despite a 0.4% dip in volumes.

“As squash & cordials prices increase, manufacturers need factors other than inflation to justify high price, such as premium benefits,” says Stepniewska.

Vimto has done just that. In March, it launched Wonderfuel, a functional squash aimed at breakfast.