Britain gets first ever water shop where bottles sell for up to £120

LONDON: GILES COREN INSPECTS 5 STAR HOTEL ROOM Fine Liquids opened last week in Fulham, south west London, with staff tasked with making people question their knowlege of H2O. The branch is

run by certified water sommelier Milin Patel who believes no two types of water in the world taste the same. RELATED ARTICLES The shop boasts a water-themed art gallery and stocks hundreds

of bottles of natural water sourced from as far away as Australia. Prices range from £2.50 to £120 per bottle with water tasting courses also on offer. Milin, 40, wants to show people water

should be appreciated, and can be paired with meals like wine. He said: "I call myself the Willy Wonka of natural water. I've always had a deep passion for water - it's my

life and I want to show others how to appreciate it. "There are so many different factors that make a water unique - different temperatures and levels of minerals change its taste and

how it feels in your mouth. Fine Liquids opened last week in Fulham, south west London (Image: SWNS) The shop boasts a water-themed art gallery and stocks hundreds of bottles of natural

water. (Image: SWNS) "There is no single best water in the world but it's my job to find the perfect one for you." London based Milin has worked as a water consultant for

almost 20 years. He became a water sommelier after gaining a qualification from an official board in 2020. He has collaborated with companies including Water Aid and the NHS as well as

Watches of Switzerland, where he paired water with timepieces. Milin met his now business partner, German Pat Eckert, 47, online in 2020, after Pat took over Fine Liquids in 2018. It was

founded in 1987. READ MORE ABOUT BRITAIN BEING ON RED ALERT APSU Origin Water from Patagonia sells at £120 per 750ml bottle. (Image: SWNS) The shop opened last week (Image: SWNS) RELATED

ARTICLES Under its founder, it had been a wine and water distribution company, but Pat completely relaunched it as a water only-distributor before Milin joined two years later. Their tagline

is "hydrate the imagination" with the aim to change how people think of water. Milin said: "We wanted to give people the opportunity to go in and discover water like you

would with wine. There isn't another shop like this in the country." The shop stocks hundreds of different waters from different natural sources around the world, from natural

springs to collected rain pools, each with different properties from the next. DON'T MISS:  Kate, William and rest of Firm prepare for Jubilee tours abroad [REVEALED]  William's

secret visit exposed as he met MI6 [REPORT]  China cosies up to Putin in defiant warning to West [LATEST] Prices range from £2.50 to £120 per bottle (Image: SWNS) Milin explained how this

can be dependent on factors such as temperature and mineral content, with different levels of calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate creating a different taste and feel in the mouth. He said:

"When it comes to water tasting, you have to let your senses truly experience it - it's more than just the taste. "Trying the different types of water will help you work out

your personal preference - for example, a water with high silica levels has a very velvety mouth feel. "Water with high levels of magnesium will have a slightly sweet, metallic

taste." Milin wants to show people water should be appreciated and can be paired with meals like wine. (Image: SWNS) Prices for their bottled water vary - with Milin insisting there is

a water for everybody and every budget. The most expensive option is APSU Origin Water from Patagonia sold at £120 per 750ml bottle. It comes from a free-flowing glacier from the Gran Campo

Nevado in Sub-Antarctic Chilean Patagonia. The company also runs a monthly podcast discussing the "drinking water lifestyle" and their favourite varieties. Milin said: "With

these higher-priced waters, when you tell people about them, they stop and listen. RELATED ARTICLES "People buy bottles like these for things like dinner parties and telling guests

about the water starts a beautiful dialogue. It really makes it memorable." Plastic bottles are banned in the shop. Instead everything is stored in glass to prevent the flavour of the

water being altered. Alongside their high-class offerings of naturally-sourced mineral waters, the shop is also home to a special Aquaporin water filter to show people how the taste of tap

water can be changed by filtering. Milin said: "My personal view as a water consultant is that we are very lucky to have and drink tap water. We should respect and love the tap.

"You'd be surprised how many people in the UK who buy cheap, plastic, commoditised water and think it's better than tap water. "We should all drink tap water, or filtered

tap water, for hydration, and drink glass-bottled water like a fine wine, or a sweet treat."