According to local legends, the nobles preferred the spring’s refreshing water for their banquets. It is also said that Alexander the Great often visited the spring of SOUROTI for its precious water. The uniqueness of this very same water continues to be recognised today throughout Greece and the world.
The area acquired its first inhabitants, who laid the foundations for what would subsequently become known as the village of Souroti.
During WWI French troops camped in the area.
French officers were so impressed by the exceptional quality of the water that they set up the first rudimentary bottling plant.
The water bottled there ended up in the glasses of French Senior Officers, while organised water shipments were also made to France.
The Serbs later followed the example of the French, settling in the area with the Serbian division of Morava.
The bottling plant was housed in a new two-storey building, and the spring water was named ‘Kisepe Boda’ (sour water).
After the war ended, the bottling plant was taken over and renovated by Thomas C. Lolas, a resident of Souroti.
Georgios Honeus took over the management of the spring.
IMPORTANT STATEMENTS
BY PRIME MINISTER VENIZELOS ON THE WATER OF SOUROTI
Based on a newspaper clipping of the time
(SOUROTI S.A. ARCHIVE), the then Prime Minister,
Mr Venizelos, publicly stated that: “ SOUROTI water is comparable to, if not superior to, European water ”.
The spring of SOUROTI was officially recognised as a mineral spring* and the first contract was drawn up between the Greek State and G. Honeus for the exploitation of the spring.
* The spring’s water has been found to have a beneficial effect on the body either after external use (bathing therapy) or after ingestion (drinking therapy).
Once the contract had ended, at the request of the President of the Municipality of Souroti, and following the actions taken by all the inhabitants of Souroti, the right to exploit the spring was granted to the Municipality of Souroti, which then went on to set up the SOUROTI Community Mineral Water Bottling Company.
The water of SOUROTI spring was recognised as an acidic Natural Mineral Water containing calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate, according to European and Greek Legislation.
It is included on the list of Natural Mineral Waters of the European Union.
The product was awarded for its high quality by the Arch of Europe in 1992 in Madrid, where it received the “Gold Star”, an award given to the best quality products in the world.
For the first time in Greece, water in aluminium cans was released on the market.
In 1995, a branch was established in Athens to provide better and faster service to the constantly growing market of southern Greece.
The SOUROTI Community Mineral Water Bottling Company became a public limited company (Société Anonyme).
SOUROTI S.A. launched a nationwide advertising campaign, promotional projects and various cultural and sports sponsorships, giving new impetus to its growth and bringing Souroti products closer to consumers.
In the summer of 2000, the company promoted its new products with great success. Souroti with lemon and lime flavour was a huge hit among consumers. The success didn’t stop there though. The modernisation of the old bottling line’s facilities and machinery was completed with the construction of a PET bottling plant.
The new state-of-the-art bottled water production plant was completed and has been in operation since June 2002. The investment meets all the requirements of the hygiene regulations and is certified according to ISO 9001 and HACCP.
SOUROTI celebrated 90 years of success in the Greek market and redesigned its corporate website, acquiring an active presence on the internet.
With a new Board of Directors at the helm of the company, a major effort to reform all the company’s processes began and was completed with the aim of modernising the company and improving the quality of its operations. A series of investment projects were planned and implemented, and were geared towards upgrading its mechanical equipment in order to increase its competitiveness and ensure the absolute quality of its products.
The company launched its new SOUROTEA range and took steps to strengthen its Export Department, giving priority to the penetration and development of new markets such as those of China, Canada and the USA. At the same time, it prepared – from the idea conception stage to the flavour and packaging stage – the new product lines in the soft drinks category, which were completed and launched in 2012.
SOUROTI was acquired by the Dimera Group, a powerful and flourishing Group of Companies.
Two new natural Souroti flavours were launched on the market: Souroti with natural mint and peppermint flavour, and Souroti with cucumber and lime.
During this period, another award came to confirm what we all already knew: in May 2020 SOUROTI was awarded the SUPERIOR TASTE AWARD by the International Taste Institute, which certifies its excellent taste and quality.
Souroti with natural pink grapefruit flavour has been launched in the market.
