Local legends say that the nobles preferred the spring’s refreshing water for their banquets; it is even said that Alexander the Great himself often visited the spring of Souroti for its precious water. The uniqueness of the same water is today recognized throughout Greece and the world.
The first houses began to appear near the spring.
These were the first inhabitants of the area and they were the ones who laid the foundations for the later settlement “Souroti”.
During the First World War, French troops camped in the area.
French officers were so impressed by the excellent quality of the water that they set up the first rudimentary bottling plant.
The water bottled there ended up in the glasses of the French Senior Officers, while there were organised water shipments to France.
The example of the French was followed by the Serbs who settled here 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 end of the war, the bottling plant was taken over by a resident of Souroti village, Thomas Chr. Lolas, who renovated it.
Georgios Honeus took over the management of the spring.
SERIOUS STATEMENTS
OF PRIME MINISTER VENIZELOS ON THE WATER OF SOUROTI.
According to a newspaper clipping of the time (SOUROTIS SA ARCHIVE), the then Prime Minister, Mr Venizelos, publicly stated that:
“The Souroti water is comparable to, if not superior to, European water”.
The spring of Souroti is officially recognized as a thermal spring* and the first contract was drawn up between the Greek State and G. Honeus for the exploitation of the spring.
* The water of the spring has been found to have a beneficial effect on the body after external use (bathing therapy) or after ingestion (drinking therapy).
At the end of the contract, at the request of the President of the Municipality of Souroti, and with the activity of all the inhabitants of Souroti, the right to exploit the spring was granted to the Municipality of Souroti, which set up the ‘Souroti’ Mineral Water Bottling Company.
The water of Souroti spring is recognized as a Natural Mineral Water and acidic, that contains calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate according to the European and Greek Legislation.
It is included in the list of Natural Mineral Waters of the European Union.
The high quality of the product is awarded in 1992 in Madrid by the Arch of Europe, where it is awarded the “Gold Star”, an award given to the best quality products in the world.
For the first time in Greece, water in aluminium can packaging is released on the market.
In 1995, a branch is established in Athens to better and faster serve the constantly growing market of Southern Greece.
The ‘Souroti’ Community Mineral Water Bottling Company becomes a ‘Société Anonyme ‘.
Souroti S.A. launches a nationwide promotion campaign, promotional programmes and various cultural and sports sponsorships, giving new impetus to its development and bringing Souroti products closer to the consumer.
In the summer of 2000, the company promotes its new products with great success among consumers – Souroti with lemon-lime flavor, while the modernization of the facilities and machinery of the old bottling line is completed with the construction of a PET bottling unit.
The new state-of-the-art bottled water production unit is completed and has been in operation since June 2002. The investment meets all the requirements of the hygiene rules, and is certified according to ISO 9001 and HACCP.
Souroti celebrates 90 years of success in the Greek market and redesigns 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 redesign all the company’s processes is started and completed in order to modernize the company and improve the quality of its operations. A series of investment projects are planned and implemented in the direction of upgrading its mechanical equipment in order to increase its competitiveness and ensure the absolute quality of its products.
The company launches the new SOUROTEA range. It strengthens 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 prepares, from the idea conception phase to the taste and packaging, the new product lines in the soft drinks category that it will complete and launch in 2012.
SOUROTI was acquired by the Dimera Group, a powerful and flourishing Group of Companies.
Two new natural souroti flavours appear on the market:: souroti with natural mint and peppermint flavour, and souroti with cucumber and lime. Another award confirms what we all know: in May 2020, souroti was awarded the “SUPERIOR TASTE AWARD” by the International Taste Institute, which certifies its excellent taste and quality.
