Latest news with #DoranBinder
Extra.ie
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Michelin star restaurant launches new 'water menu' with bottles for up to €20
A Michelin guide restaurant has launched a brand new menu solely focusing on water, with some bottles costing up to £19 (€22). French restaurant La Popote is based in Macclesfeld, Cheshire, and is the first restaurant in the United Kingdom to launch a 'water menu.' The idea was brought to water sommelier Doran Binder around two years ago, and now the idea is a reality — perfect for any water connoisseurs out there. La Popote has launched Britain's only bottled water menu. Pic: William Lailey/SWNS Co-owner and head chef Joseph Rawlins pitched the idea to the Binder with the head chef spending the last seven months deciding on the perfect bottles across Europe. The wet menu features seven bottles from three still selections and four sparkling. Crag Spring Water is Binder's own bottled water, and was sourced from his village in the Peak District. This bottle of spring water will set customers back £5 (€5.80) but is among the cheaper options at the prestigious eatery. Head chef Joseph Rawlins and sommelier Doran Binder with water from the water menu. Pic: William Lailey/SWNS The Palace of Vidago is a Portuguese sparkling water which is retailing at £19. The Daily Mail report that the water will be served in wine glasses for the non-alcohol-drinkers to get a similar experience to the wine-drinkers. Also on the menu is a Spanish water as well as Icelandic Glacier Water, with each bottle of water getting a description of how it feels in the mouth. Sommelier Doran Binder pours a glass of water. Pic: William Lailey/SWNS The Icelandic Glacier Water is 'sharp' and 'dry' while the Crag Spring Water is said to be more smooth and creamy. To the restaurant's credit, customers aren't cornered into forking out an eye-watering price for water, as there is Tap Table Water available free of charge. Head chef Joseph was trained at Gordon Ramsay's Tante Marie cooking school and has been co-owner of La Papote since 2019. The water menu. Pic: William Lailey/SWNS After taking the restaurant over with his partner Gaëlle Radigon, Doran was one of the only suppliers they kept on. The head chef noted that there were huge changes in the restaurant scene over the years, with fewer big groups coming for dinner. 'That means at least one person there will most likely be driving and not be drinking as such,' he said. 'To try and keep up with the market, we wanted to offer something a bit different.'
Sky News
12 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News
Restaurant launches water menu - with bottles costing up to £19
A Michelin-guide restaurant has launched a water-only menu, with bottles costing up to £19. La Popote's co-owner Joseph Rawlins worked alongside one of only five British water sommeliers, Doran Binder, to create the selection. "We just wanted to offer something different and Doran is mad for water... water's not just water", Rawlins told Money. "We've had a lot of interest already and if there was any negativity behind it, we wouldn't have done it. It has a wide price range so people can try something different." He said he was first approached by Binder about the idea three years ago, but didn't give him the go ahead until the start of this year after having a water tasting. Binder has been working on the menu for the French fine dining restaurant in Cheshire for the last seven months. Customers can choose from seven premium waters picked from across Europe - four still and three sparkling.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Michelin Guide restaurant introduces UK's first 'water menu' with seven different options costing up to £19
A Michelin-recommended restaurant in Cheshire has launched an entire menu of bottled water that will cost £19. La Popote in Macclesfield, Cheshire, a French restaurant which is in the Michelin Guide for has introduced the UK's first 'water menu' Joseph Rawlins, 32, co-owner and head chef at the casual fine dining restaurant is working alongside Doran Binder, who is one of the UK's five water sommeliers. The idea was first pitched by Mr Binder, 52, two years ago, and he got the green light from Joseph to start putting the menu together in January. Doran, from the village of Wildboarclough in Cheshire, spent the last seven months choosing the perfect bottles from across Europe, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Iceland, and the UK. The menu includes seven bottles from three still selections and four sparkling. Doran has his own bottled water on the menu, Crag Spring Water sourced from his village in the Peak District, which costs £5. From there, the prices go all the way up to £19 for Portuguese sparkling water, The Palace of Vidago. The premium waters will be served in wine glasses, to give customers who don't drink wine or other alcohol a similar experience to those who do. Doran chose the waters based on their total dissolved liquids (TDS), which affects flavour and mouth feel Joe 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.' Joseph, who trained at Gordon Ramsay's Tante Marie cooking school, has been co-owner of La Popote with his partner Gaëlle Radigon, 37, since 2019. He said that when he and Gaëlle took over the restaurant six years ago, they only kept a handful of previous suppliers, one being Doran. They have since transformed the acclaimed restaurant and, as of 2022, La Popote has been listed in the Michelin Guide. Doran has been selling his award-winning water at the casual fine dining restaurant since 2018. He invited Joseph and Gaëlle for a water tasting in June 2023, which was when he also pitched his idea for a bottled water menu. Joseph recalled: 'He had pitched the idea to us and we had a laugh about it as we were unsure what he meant by it at first. 'He then invited us down for a water tasting and that's when we realised that water isn't just water and explained he thinks there is an exciting new market.' According to Doran, water has flavour that is established through the number of total dissolved solids (TDS) found in the liquid. These solids include minerals which the water has absorbed naturally from the earth before it is taken from the source and bottled. TDS levels can range from super low, between 0 to 50, to super high, which is over 1,200. Doran believes the perfect hydration level is between 100 and 200. While the couple were intrigued by the idea, they postponed it after Joseph and Gaëlle welcomed their first child in 2023. It was postponed again when Gaëlle became pregnant last year, so it wasn't until January 2025 when they decided to go ahead with the water menu. Joseph said: 'During that period we had been wanting to give it a go having a water menu. 'We have noticed in the last 18 months a lot of people don't drink as much and are looking for an alternative to alcohol. 'With Gaëlle also having a little one and being pregnant, also breastfeeding, there is a limit to what she can drink. 'We thought there was space for it so why not?' While working on putting the menu together, Doran changed it three times over the last seven months as he sought to create the perfect menu. For the still water selection, Doran chose the sharp, dry and metallic-tasting super-low TDS water in Icelandic Glacier Water (£12). His own Crag Spring Water (£5) made for the perfect mid-range TDS, as it has no flavour but offers a smooth, silky mouth feel. Doran's final choice for the still water selection is from the brand 22 Artesian Water, from La Rioja, Spain (£11), which has a smooth mouth feel and a delicate mineral taste. As for the sparkling water selection, the water sommelier opted for a £9 Vichy Celastin, which is delicate and sweet, and The Palace of Vidago (£19) for its high TDS, which gives it a delicately salty flavour. He also picked sparkling Crag (£5.50) and the low-TDS Lauretana (£12) sparkling water, which has a sharp and dry mouth feel. Doran said: '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. '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. 'It is a selection showing off the different TDS water has to offer. 'They all have different tastes, mouth feels, and offer a different perspective on dining at a restaurant.' He believes the different waters 'will elevate the dining experience for non-drinkers like myself and millions of others who aren't interested in a wine menu'. "Being able to chose a water with a story, something special and unique that you couldn't just get from a shop is elevating that experience,' Doran continued. 'The water will be served in a wine glass, water will be put on a stage, and showed respect. 'I could have put hundreds on the menu all for different reasons. It was really hard to narrow it down and I feel bad about leaving some out. The menu will hopefully grow and expand.' La Popote's water menu will be fully available from next Friday (August 22).
Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Michelin restaurant launches UK's only bottled water menu
A Michelin Guide-listed restaurant has launched Britain's first bottled water menu. Joseph Rawlins, 32, has introduced the menu with bottles costing as much as £20 at his French fine dining restaurant, La Popote, in Marton, near Macclesfield, Cheshire. The co-owner and head chef, from Wilmslow, worked alongside Doran Binder, one of only five British water sommeliers, to put the menu together. Mr Binder, 52, from Wildboarclough in Macclesfield, has spent the past seven months selecting the seven bottles to include. The bottles come from across Europe, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Iceland and the UK, with prices starting at £5 for Mr Binder's own Crag spring water and reaching £19 for The Palace of Vidago, a Portuguese sparkling water. Mr Rawlins, whose wine prices range from £28 to £400, says fewer diners want to drink alcohol so he decided to 'offer something different' to 'keep up with the market'. He added: '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. 'Everything has been positive, it is a bit of fun, and we are looking forward to seeing where it goes.' Mr Rawlins took over the restaurant with his partner Gaëlle Radigon, 37, in 2019, and the pair were listed in the Michelin Guide for the first time in December 2022. 'An exciting new market' Mr Binder's award-winning water, Crag, has been sold at the restaurant since 2018. The sommelier first pitched the idea of a bottled water menu to Mr Rawlins in June 2023 when he invited the couple for a water tasting. Mr Rawlins added: 'He had pitched the idea to us and we had a laugh about it as we were unsure what he meant by it at first. 'He then invited us down for a water tasting and that's when we realised that water isn't just water, and he explained that he thinks there is an exciting new market.' According to Mr Binder, water has a taste established through the number of total dissolved solids (TDS) found in the liquid. The solids include minerals which have been absorbed naturally from the earth into the water before it is taken from the source. TDS levels range from low, which is between 0 to 50, to high, at 1,200 plus, although Mr Binder believes the perfect level is between 100 and 200. He said: 'We have noticed in the last 18 months a lot of people don't drink as much and are looking for an alternative to alcohol.' For still water Mr Binder chose the 'sharp, dry, and metallic tasting' low TDS Icelandic Glacier Water (£12). He then chose still Crag (£5) which has 'no taste but a smooth creamy silky mouth feel' for mid-range TDS. He then selected Brand 22 from La Rioja, Spain, (£11) for the high TDS range for its 'smooth mouth feel and delicate mineral taste'. For sparkling he picked the 'delicate and sweet' Vichy Celastin (£9) and the 'delicate and salty' The Palace of Vidago (£19) for high TDS. He chose sparkling Crag for mid-range TDS. For low TDS, he chose Lauretana (£12) which has a 'sharp and dry mouth feel with a metallic taste'. 'People thought it was a joke' Mr Binder said: '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. '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. It will elevate the dining experience for non-drinkers like myself and millions of others who aren't interested in a wine menu. 'Being able to chose a water with a story, something special and unique that you couldn't just get from a shop is elevating that experience. The water will be served in a wine glass, water will be put on a stage and shown respect.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Michelin-starred restaurant launches ‘water only' menu with bottles selling for eye-watering sum
A MICHELIN star restaurant has made a splash by introducing Britain's first water only menu, with some bottles costing up to £20. The French fine dining restaurant wanted to experiment with its epicurean menu after pitching the idea three years ago. 7 7 7 7 Owner of La Popote in Cheshire, Joseph Rawlins, 32, worked alongside one of only five water sommeliers in the country to put it together. Joe, who is also the headchef of La Popote, gave the go ahead for the project at the beginning of the year. Sommelier Doran Binder, 52, then spent the last seven months deciding on the best bottles to feature the water. On offer from their menu is a selection of seven premium waters from across Europe to choose from - and they come served in wine glasses. Four of these are still, including tap water, and four are sparkling. The selection has been handpicked from various countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Iceland, and the UK. At the cheaper end there is Doran's own Crag Spring Water, which costs £5. For those looking for something a bit more extravagant, at the high end there is the £19 Portuguese sparkling water - The Palace of Vidago. Joe 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. TV chef to launch UK's first Michelin-starred ready meals after closing famed London restaurant "To try and keep up with the market we wanted to offer something a bit different. The restaurant's wine prices range from £28 all the way to almost £400 per bottle. In December 2022, La Popote was awarded a Michelin Guide listing, after Joe and his partner Gaëlle Radigon, 37, took over the restaurant in 2019. As one of their valued suppliers to the restaurant, Doran then pitched the idea of a bottled water menue to Joe in June 2023 by inviting the couple for a water tasting. He had been providing his award winning Crag Spring Water to the restuarant since 2018. Joe said: "He had pitched the idea to us and we had a laugh about it as we were unsure what he meant by it at first. "He then invited us down for a water tasting and that's when we realised that water isn't just water and explained he thinks there is an exciting new market." Water has a taste through the number of total dissolved solids that is found in the liquid, according to Doran. This includes minerals absorbed naturally from the earth before the water is extracted from its source. 7 7 7 With Gaëlle now pregnant and breastfeeding, Joe says the idea of an alternative to alcohol made even more sense: 'There is a limit to what she can drink. "We thought there was space for it so why not?" So in January this year, they decided to go ahead with the idea. Joe added: "We have noticed in the last 18 months a lot of people don't drink as much and are looking for an alternative to alcohol." Across the the seven months of putting the menu together, it changed three times. The selection of waters include: Still Crag Spring Water (UK, £5) – Binder's own award-winning water with a creamy, silky mouthfeel Sparkling Crag Spring Water (UK, £5.50) Icelandic Glacier Water (Iceland, £12) – sharp, dry and metallic with super low TDS Brand 22 (Spain, £11) – still, high TDS with a smooth mouthfeel and delicate mineral taste Lauretana (Italy, £12) – sparkling, low TDS, sharp and dry with a metallic finish Vichy Celestins (France, £9) – sparkling, high TDS, delicate and sweet The Palace of Vidago (Portugal, £19) – sparkling, high TDS, delicate with a salty, mineral profile Doran also chose between hundred of bottles in order to make the perfect menu: "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. "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. "It is a selection showing off the different TDS water has to offer." As a non-drinker, Doran hopes the water menu willl elevate the dining experience for customers. And there are still hopes to grown and expand the menu in the future.
