007's secret weapon to kill thirst

Ty Nant's cool blue looks are to James Bond's taste

By Nick Dermody BBC News Online

It looks good, it tastes good and now it is set to help defeat the world's supervillains.

Ty Nant mineral water has made the move from being one of Wales' best-known consumer exports to being the tipple of choice for the big screen's greatest secret agent.

We were delighted to let them use our mineral water - it's great advertising for us

Ty Nant

In just a quarter of century, the water from a west Wales spring has carved out a river of success which has boosted the Welsh economy, inspired countless artisans and even made it a target of a threatened trade war between Europe and the United States.

Now Hollywood is gearing up to project the design-classic blue bottle to the height of international fashion when James "007" Bond is seen sipping a glass of it in preference to his usual shaken-not-stirred cocktail.

Actor Pierce Brosnan delivers his own lip-service to the Welsh water in the latest Bond blockbuster, Die Another Day, to be released in November.

Lotta bottle: Ty Nant helps James Bond

The choice of mineral water instead of a vodka martini may mark the onset of middle-age moderation for the world's most famous superspy.

But it can add nothing but jet-set chic to a product which has already stormed its way on to millions of restaurant tables around the globe.

No-one could have guessed what was in store for this particular brand of H2O when its was first brought to the Earth's surface in 1976.

The story behind Ty Nant (Welsh for Brook House) sounds as low-tech and unBond-like as it is possible to be.

An eminent water diviner was asked to find a source of water for use on farmland in the small village of Bethania in mid Wales.

Shelf life: Ty Nant is sold around the world

With just Nature to guide him instead of one of Q's gadgets, he predicted a powerful spring 100ft below the surface.

A bore hole was sunk and the diviner declared the water which bubbled up "the purest he had ever tasted" - a claim since backed by scientific tests.

Yet this alone might not have been enough to see Ty Nant become the global brand it is today.

The distinctive blue glass bottle is as much the key to its success as the mineral-rich water it contains.

The bottle was unveiled to the world at the Savoy Hotel in London in 1989, immediately winning the first of many design awards.

Big name: The 007 look will boost its profile

In addition to overturning the barely-remembered tradition that only poisons are kept in blue bottles, the recyclable blue glass has been both raw material and inspiration for crafts people and jewellery makers, even ending up in a chandelier.

In 2000, an exhibition of 60 contemporary works of art based on the Ty Nant look toured Milan, Barcelona, London and Cardiff.

Bottling the water in the blue glass, proved to be a stunning entrepreneurial move, catching the boom in demand for high-quality mineral water, while bringing a unique look to the deal.

Before the 1990's were out, Ty Nant was a favourite in America - even being featured in television shows such as Frasier - and style-conscious Italy.

Its high-profile across the Atlantic led it to be targeted in the cross-fire when a trade war loomed between the US and Europe in 1999 following the European Union's ban on hormone-treated beef from America.

"Sole, Luna, Acqua" by Mario Schifano

But it survived that skirmish to continue its relentless advance in the bottled mineral water market.

A 45,000 sq ft plant opened in December 1996 sits above the original bore hole and has a potential output of 50 million bottles a year.

Now, after cameo appearances in a host of films, including Bridget Jones's Diary, as well television shows, it has finally caught the eye of the makers of the Bond movies.

Bond's ice-cool style is put the test in Die Another Day when he takes on a supervillain who just happens to live in an ice-palace.

Cinemagoers will see him turn to Ty Nant for refreshment while saving the world.

"Sales boost"

The mineral water company has even designed some new bottles just for the premiere in London next month.

A Ty Nant spokesman said: "The producers thought our new bottle would be perfect for the scene because it looks like it's made from ice.

"We were delighted to let them use our mineral water - it's great advertising for us.

"Customers have said they've seen the bottles on TV so it definitely boosts sales."