On the Greek island of Crete, not far from the beautiful village of Zaros (population: 2150), a much-appreciated mineral water bubbles up from a spring called Amati in the Psiloritis mountain. 30 years ago, the people of the village banded together to create a cooperative company, also called Zaros, to bottle this wonderful water and export it all around the world.
Three years ago, this water, branded Zaros, was named “Best Bottled Water in the World, at the 27th Annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, beating off competition from more than 600 bottled waters from all over the world. That was just a year after Zaros earned the top European Best Taste Award, awarded by the International Taste Institute in Brussels. In this competition, the Cretan water was evaluated by 30 judges, all members of prestigious catering companies in Europe.
This recognition has pumped up demand for Zaro’s bottled mineral water, leading the company to seek out a supplier of equipment for a new bottling line. Last year, Zaros chose SIPA for design and supply the line, to blow and fill bottles for still & sparking water and also a new line of flavoured waters.
Zaros now has an all-new SIPA line based on a Sincro Bloc 6-40-8, composed of an SFR6 bottle blower and a Flextronic C 40-8 volumetric filler, followed by a rotary capping turret, and a Massblend 27 mixing and carbonation unit. The line produces bottles in various sizes: 330mL, 500mL, 1.0L and 1.5L, at output rates of up to 13,500 bottles per hour.
Zaros came to SIPA because it wanted a partner it could rely on, with a reputation for quality, and which could offer performance at a competitive price. Zaros was finally convinced that SIPA is a company at the top of its game, offering leading technology and reliable after-sales service. SIPA’s currently discussing the possibility of supply of downstream equipment, from the labelling unit onwards.
In the meantime, ZAROS water in SIPA bottle will ‘travel’ with AEGEAN Airline flights, the Greek flag carrier, after a relevant agreement signed between the two companies.
SIPA team wishes all the best to ZAROS water.