In the scenic village of St Monans, nestled along the East Neuk coastline, a new contender in the premium mineral water market is making waves – Vivimus Water.
Led by Darren Peattie, founder of East Neuk Salt Company, this innovative product is more than just another bottled product. It’s distilled and mineralised sustainably from the same seawater Darren uses to extract his famous salt.
And for Darren, the mission behind Vivimus Water runs deep.
“Vivimus Water is a new standard in purity,” says Darren.
“Every drop is the same, in a way that other mineral water isn’t. They’re affected by things like agricultural runoff and rainwater and can only say on average what’s in their product.
“But we don’t have any of those problems.
“And we’re actually really lucky, because the water of the coast at St Monans is top quality.”
Darren’s passion for his home village of St Monans is evident even in the name he chose for his product – Vivimus, a nod to the village’s motto, Mare Vivimus, which translates to “from the sea, we have life.”
It’s a fitting slogan for a water that is born from the sea.
The innovative process behind Vivimus Water is as eco-conscious as it is unique. “The key for us is that it’s distilled,” Darren explains. “We’re removing all the impurities, so what you’re left with is pure, beautiful water. Then, we mineralise it with calcium, magnesium, and sodium from our own sea salt.”
Where did the idea for a new mineral water come from?
The idea for Vivimus Water came about after Darren’s cardiologist recommended he find a clean, mineral-rich water to help regulate his electrolytes due to heart issues.
Darren started drinking his distilled seawater and really enjoyed the taste. One day, a visitor to his factory tried the water and encouraged him to develop it into a product.
That was the catalyst for Darren to connect with Professor Peter Myers, an analytical chemist from Liverpool University.
Professor Myers, who specialises in chromatography, was initially introduced to Darren by a mutual friend.
“I had been looking for a really pure water to develop as a whisky water, and I knew someone who had tried Darren’s distilled seawater,” Professor Myers recalls.
“Darren sent me a sample of his water and said, ‘look, I’ve got all this water, and I don’t know what to do with it.’ And that’s where it all started.”
After analysing Darren’s distilled seawater, Professor Myers was amazed. “I compared it to other mineral waters, and what I found was very interesting.
“The contents of other waters change due to variations at the source, but Vivimus Water is completely consistent,” he explains.
“We are also able to ensure there are very low nanoplastics in the original water as it is distilled. By using glass bottles rather than plastic, we can avoid adding more with the packaging.”
The numbers back up his claims. “A recent study showed that other mineral waters can contain as many as 240,000 tiny plastic fragments per litre,” Professor Myers reveals. “Whereas Vivimus has fewer than 100 at the point of bottling.”
Scientific testing is key to this premium water
Nanoplastics, although nearly invisible, pose potential health risks.
Professor Myers adds: “Darren sends me a sample of his distilled seawater to test. I give him instructions on what minerals to add, and then I test it again.
“The result is a natural product with incredibly pure water. We even carry over a small percentage of the sea – less than 1% – so when you drink Vivimus, you’re consuming the essence of the North Sea.”
This purity and stability set Vivimus Water apart from its competitors, but it’s also the sustainability of the process that excites Darren.
“Vivimus Water is a by-product,” he says. “We’re already using the seawater to make salt, so instead of wasting 10,000 or 20,000 litres of distilled seawater, we’ve turned it into a premium mineral water. That makes it incredibly sustainable.”
Sustainability extends beyond just the water itself. Darren has made a deliberate choice to package Vivimus Water in glass bottles, avoiding plastic entirely.
Danger of nanoplastics
“We’ve chosen glass for health and recycling purposes,” he explains. “We’re committed to minimising our environmental footprint, and plastic simply doesn’t fit with that vision. Plus, it helps minimise contamination by nanoplastics.”
Since its inception, Vivimus Water has garnered positive attention from establishments across Scotland. “We’ve already started selling to places like the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews and the Caledonian in Edinburgh, and the feedback has been incredible,” says Darren.
“People are really responding to the purity, the taste, and the sustainability. Hydration is vital for health, and I want to make sure people are drinking the best water possible.”
For Darren, the local connection is just as important as the product’s quality. “I’ve brought sea salt back to the East Neuk after 200 years, and now I’ve created the first mineral water here,” he says.
“Anyone who’s local will feel a connection to where this water comes from. We’re not just selling water – we’re offering something special, sustainable, and truly from Fife.”
Vivimus Water is set to be available online at www.vivimus.com from November 1 and in select shops around Fife and Tayside, with plans to expand distribution to London and beyond. Darren is also gearing up to showcase Vivimus Water at the November 3 wellness convention at the Old Course Hotel.
After a morning in the office, the 45-minute drive through foggy drizzle from Dundee to St Monans, I was parched.
So, I was delighted to be offered a freshly bottled sample of still Vivimus water.
I noticed something different from the first mouthful, the consistency was so soft and gentle and thoroughly thirst-quenching.
Very soon I had finished the bottle, so I needed a new one for the photoshoot.
Sparkling or still?
This time I opted for the sparkling water as I often prefer that. It was crisp, light and just so pure and fresh.
I was amazed to notice such a remarkable difference from other mineral waters, as I figured water was water.
But Vivimus Water really is “affy guid water.”
Conversation