PRESS PACK

LES ABATILLES157 boulevard de la Côte d’Argent

33120 Arcachon

FRANCE

Press contact : Elodie Maudet

+33 (0)7 85 19 45 18 e.maudet@orange.fr

SOMMAIRE

THE ABATILLES STORYp. 01

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLYp. 08

THE GRAND CRU WATERp. 10

SUPPLIED TO ALL GOOD RESTAURANTSp. 12

OUR PARTNERSp. 13

GUARANTEED MINERAL CONTENT AND PURITY!p. 05

The 1923 discoveryThe spa from 1928 to 1970

Industrialisation from 1970 to todayRenewal

Light and naturally pure No treatment and continuous testing

From distribution to waste management

Sportsmen and womenWine and good food

Our friends

In the middle of the 19th century, a certain Doctor Pereira observed that the Arcachon Basin’s ocean climate, made milder

by the pines and their resin was ideal to treat tuberculosis, one of the age’s most concerning diseases. The Pereire brothers,

Émile and Isaac, sensed a fantastic opportunity.

These French tycoons owned the local railway and their family also had thousands of hectares of pine forest on the high land

around Arcachon. They launched a real estate campaign to attract sufferers seeking a cure from all over the world. Their venture

was a resounding success: even the crowned heads of Europe came to visit Arcachon.

THE DISCOVERY1923

70,000 litres (18,500 US gallons) of spring water gushed out per hour shooting to a height of 8 metres (26 feet), making this spring one of the top ten in France. Le Marié had the water analysed, revealing its amazing qualities: low mineral content, zero nitrates and naturally warm.

The pressure it gushed out at made it possible to drive the water directly to the bottling plant, while keeping its natural properties intact. Le Marie was of Breton origin and named his spring Sainte-Anne after the patron saint of Brittany.

The French Academy of Medicine formally certified the water on 30th June 1925 followed by the State on 10th July 1925, whereupon the Abatilles Spa Company was formed.

In AUgUST 1923, An engIneer LoUIS Le MArIé, In SeArCh oF

peTroLeUM, CAMe ACroSS wATer ConTAInIng SULphUr AT 25°C

(77°F) In The ABATILLeS AreA AT A DepTh oF 472 MeTerS (1,548 FeeT).

01

THE ABATILLES STORY

Discovery of the spring in 1923

Patrons travelled from all over the world to enjoy the benefits

of treatments devised around the therapeutic properties of

Abatilles water.

The “Griffon” in the 50’s

02

LA SAGA ABATILLES

THE SPA1928 to 1970

The spa facility was built in 1928 and was extremely popular until 1939.

At its height, the spa was visited by patrons from all over the world, who came to enjoy the benefits of treatments devised around the therapeutic properties of Abatilles water. The kiosk, where visitors could taste the water, which still exists today, was always full.

The 2nd world war left the facility run down and in a very sorry condition.

It was launched anew in the 1950’s and thrived until finally giving up in the face of competition.

In 1969, Vittel group took over the business. The spa was closed in 1970, when Vittel preferred to focus on production and enlarged the bottling department. 

INDUSTRIALISATION1970 to today

Vittel group initially sought to diversify production by introducing new beverages such as sparkling water and sodas, but then re-focussed on the sole production of still mineral water from 1979.

In 1991, Société des eaux d’Arcachon was sold by nestlé waters to roger padois an Arcachon resident and his associate olivier Bertrand, who kept it until December 2012.

RENEWAL2013

In 2013, the company was acquired by a pair of buyers. one was a wine grower and merchant f rom Bordeaux, Jean Merlaut , owner of Château gruaud Larose in Sain t - Ju l ien-Beycheve l le in Medoc, an 1855 second c lassed growth and of Château Malagar that houses the Mauriac cultural centre. The other was hervé Maudet, appointed Spring general Manager, who had also founded MVins a wine and spirits merchants working specifically with restaurants.

At the beginning of 2014, the new owners decided to invest in a new French bottling line capable of increasing production capacity from 12,000 to 18,000 bottles per hour. The new line generates less noise, has easier access for maintenance purposes and offers a number of advantages for the teams working on it.

THE ABATILLES STORY

03

Bottling lineLes Abatilles, 1950’s

Advertising showing how fast production increased in the 1920’s

Bottling lineLes Abatilles, 2015

04

THE ABATILLES STORY

The Sainte-Anne des Abatilles spring is discovered

The Abatilles spa is built

The spa centre is closed

Vittel Group takes over the company

operating the spring

Nestlé Group acquires Perrier Vittel Group

and becomes owner of the Abatilles Spring.

The spring is bought by Arcachon resident Roger Padois and his

associate Olivier Bertrand.

It is sold to Bordeaux wine producer and merchant

Jean Merlaut and Hervé Maudet, the present Spring General Manager.

LIGHT AND NATURALLY PURE 472 mètres (1,548 feet)

Abatilles natural mineral water has been drawn every day for almost a century from a depth of 472 metres (1,548 feet) on the Arcachon Basin. This amazing depth, which is quite unique in France acts as a natural geological barrier preventing any type of pollution and especially nitrates from entering the water. Abatilles Mineral water is one of the few waters in France to boast a nitrate content of zero.

The fact that there is no agriculture and therefore no use of pesticides or chemical fertilisers in the area also explains why the spring is so pure.

The water filters out its excess minerals through the many layers of sand, limestone and clay until it finally emerges.

with its rate of 354 mg/l of dry residue i.e. dissolved salts, it features on the very short list of French waters with low mineral contents that are neutral for the body and easy to eliminate, meaning that it has a detoxifying action.

It can therefore be freely drunk every day by all members of your family, especially the more fragile ones – babies and old people.

MINERAL CONTENTCalcium : 19 mg/l

Magnesium : 9 mg/lSodium : 100 mg/lpotassium : 4 mg/lSulphates : 8 mg/l

Bicarbonates : 127 mg/lChlorides : 137 mg/l

Dry residue at 180°C : 354 mg/l-pH : 8,2

SAND

SAND

SAND

SANDSTONE

LIMESTONE

CLAY

CLAY

GUARANTEED MINERAL CONTENT AND PURITY

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WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE A WATER WITH A LOW MINERAL

CONTENT FOR MY BABY?

More than older children and adults, babies need a water that is especially pure and not over-loaded with minerals, because their immune systems and many of their organs are still immature and find it hard to eliminate excess minerals.

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE A MINERAL WATER WITH zERO

NITRATES FOR MY BABY?

Your baby needs a lot of water, so it is essential to choose a water with no nitrates in it for all his/her feeds.

IDeAL For DAILY USe wITh BABIeS

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MINERAL

WATER AND SPRING WATER?

natural mineral water must guarantee a consistent and stable mineral content. Spring water can vary.

while both come from underground aquifers and undergo no treatment or processing of any kind before being bottled, mineral water must constantly maintain a stable composition in terms of the minerals it contains.

This guarantee of stability and purity, which spring water does not have to provide, is strictly regulated and implies running a battery of physical, chemical and microbiological tests on water sampled at different points i.e. from the aquifer, as it emerges at the spring, from taps, from tanks and from the finished product after bottling. Samples are also taken at different times during the day. we carry out tests every two hours in our laboratories and the public authorities perform their own every two months.

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GUARANTEED MINERAL CONTENT AND PURITY

NO TREATMENT AND CONTINOUS TESTING

Abatilles water with its natural qualities and purity as it rises from the spring undergoes no treatment of any type before bottling.

UnLIke SprIng wATer, MInerAL wATer MUST gUArAnTee

A ConSISTenT AnD STABLe MInerAL ConTenT.

This guarantee of natural stability and purity is strictly regulated and implies running a whole range of physical, chemical and microbiological tests every two hours in our laboratories on:

. Samples from different points (aquifer, the spring, tanks and taps)

. Starting products (stoppers, preformed peT* bottles, glass bottles) The air blown into the preforms is also regularly checked.

. Finished products in bottles at different times of the day. A reference sample for each production series (2 per day) is stored in the water library for 2 years, which corresponds to the consume-by date.

on top of these internal tests, the public authorities carry out their own. every two months, the regional health Authority performs its own independent tests in a French Ministry-approved laboratory.

nATUrAL MInerAL wATer IS one oF The MoST

TeSTeD proDUCTS In The FooD InDUSTrY.

*peT (polyethylene terephthalate)

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GUARANTEED MINERAL CONTENT AND PURITY

Nearly 30 people work on site, some of whom are second or third generation. All strive to fulfil the same aim: to extract, check, bottle and deliver to you a pure mineral

water with natural qualities that are identical to those which flow from the spring.

"RETURN TO NATURE WHAT IT GIVES US"

As a result of its history and because of its position on the shore of the Arcachon Basin, Abatilles water is especially sensitive to environmental issues.

The company continuously seeks to reduce the impact of its activities on nature.

For several years now it has committed to reducing its overall electricity consumption, which is now down 40% compared to 2008.

Investments have also been made on the wells to reduce the quantities pumped while maintaining the microbiological quality of the water. Today Abatilles only draws 25% of the total volume allowed by the local authority (2014 figures).

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ENvIRONMENTALLY fRIENDLY fROM DISTRIBUTION TO wASTE MANAGEMENT

"LET’S DRINK AND SORT OUR WASTE MORE

TO LIVE BETTER!"

To minimise i t s environmental footpr in t , the Abat i l les Spring has adopted an eco-responsible charter and has significantly opted to use fully recyclable containers i.e. both bottles and caps.

The Spring also contributes financially to the recycling of peT bottles through the “eco-emballage” (ecopackaging) organisation by paying an annual subscription, which is used to fund waste sorting and recycling centres.

Abatilles water means something special and lasting to the people of the Gironde region in France.

It is the region’s premium water from the Arcachon Ba-sin with its open spaces and fresh air and tastes of

well-being, purity and good health.

With its rate of 354 mg/l of dry residue i.e. dissolved salts, it has a very low mineral content and is easily eli-

minated from the body, meaning that it has a detoxifying action.

It can therefore be freely drunk every day by all members of your family, especially the more

fragile ones – babies and old people.

09

"THE GRAND CRU WATER"LA BorDeLAISe

Still or exquisitely sparkling Abatilles water in a bordelaise glass bottle is a great favourite for the table. It’s bottle has the elegance of the great Bordeaux wine bottle, “la bordelaise”. Soft and neutral and exquisitely sparkling if you wish, it enhances all the flavours of your dishes and wines. It is a natural choice for wine connoisseurs and foodies.

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nATUrAL MInerAL wATer

Still or exquisitely sparkling

In recyclable glass bottles

75-cl, 50-cl and 33-cl sizes

In PET bottles

1-litre and 50-cl sizes

Marrying dishes with good water is essential in fine dining,

so Abatilles Water is widely popular for the table.

Many fine restaurants have adopted it:

AUBerge en gASCogne Astaffort

BeLL InI Bordeaux

BrASSerIe L Ipp Paris

CAFe FrAnçAIS Bordeaux

CAUDALIe SMITh hAUT-LAFITTe Martillac

ChApon FIn Bordeaux

Chez BoULAn Cap-Ferret

Chez horTenSe Cap-Ferret

Chez MArIoTTAT Agen

Chez pIerre Arcachon

CLUB TF1 Paris

CoMpToIr CUISIne Bordeaux

george V Paris

hoTeL-reSTAUrAnT CLAUDe DArroze LangonOne star in the Michelin Guide

JULIen CrUège Bordeaux

L’eSCALe Cap-Ferret

L’hoTeL DU pALAIS Biarritz

L’ IBAIA Bordeaux

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ABATILLES wATER IN ALL GOOD RESTAURANTS

L’orLeAnS Bordeaux

LA BrASSerIe BorDeLAISe Bordeaux

LA Co(o)rnIChe Arcachon

LA FerMe AUx grIVeS Eugenie les Bains

LA TerrASSe roUge Saint-Emilion

Le BISTroT DU regenT Bordeaux

Le CArreAU Bordeaux

Le CArre Bordeaux

Le ChIopoT Bordeaux

Le gABrIeL Bordeaux

Le MIrAMAr Biarritz

Le pATIo ArcachonOne star in the Michelin Guide

Le reSInIer Le Barp

Le SAInT-JAMeS Bouliac

LeS CLeS D’ArgenT Mont de Marsan One star in the Michelin Guide

pInASSe CAFe Cap-Ferret

reLAIS & ChATeAUx MICheL TrAMA PuymirolTwo stars in the Michelin Guide

WINE AND GOOD FOODStill or exquisitely sparkling Abatilles water in a bordelaise glass bottle is a great favourite for the table. The shape of the bottle is reminiscent of the great Bordeaux wine bottle, “la bordelaise”. All the water’s qualities have made it an uncontested partner of many winegrowing organisations and events, and gastronomic events.

SPORTSMEN AND WOMENAbatilles Mineral water is the regional water from the Arcachon Basin with its open spaces and fresh air, and tastes of well-being, purity and good health.

All sports require proper hydration.

Both hobby and professional sports express values around which we strive to build close relationships, especially with the large family represented by our local sporting organisations. we have a long-standing partnership with Union Bordeaux Bègles rugby and more recent ones with girondins de Bordeaux soccer club, the Bordeaux Stadium and the very first Bordeaux Metropole night marathon.

AND OUR FRIENDS

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OUR PARTNERS