Doran Binder was “at rock bottom” when he bought a struggling pub in rural Cheshire following his divorce in 2016.
The 49-year-old landlord bought The Crag Inn in Wildboarclough to be near his six children when he was not working at his job which often took him to the US, but not long after taking on the small country pub near Macclesfield, he had to get the water tested as part of an annual inspection to make sure it was safe for the public to drink.
And this was when he discovered a “liquid goldmine”.
Doran feared this test was going to be costly, with inspectors having to dig deep – but he soon learned that the aquifer that runs 27 metres below the pub flowed with some of the purest water in the world.
700,000 litres of this “exceptionally high quality” water was found, which is enough to fill more than a million bottles a day.
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The water was that “unique” to the surrounding area that Doran was approached by a boutique US drinks manufacturer that sells high-end mineral water to elite clients for up to $150 a bottle – but he turned them down, instead deciding to run his own glass bottling operation straight from the pub.
He says he’s regularly receiving calls from India, China, the US and further afield from companies looking to import his water.
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Doran Binder found that the aquifer that runs 27 metres below the pub flowed with some of the purest water in the world / Credit: Crag Spring Water
His company, Crag Spring Water, now employs 12 people who operate out of the pub’s old dining room as the pub is now closed and the water business is the main focus.
Doran says he is passionate about the firm being “environmentally and socially-friendly”.
All his bottles, labels, and crates are reusable, the bottle caps are recyclable, and the business employs staff with learning difficulties in collaboration from the Rossendale Trust – which says the firm is “a shining example” of those people “the opportunity to show how valuable they can be”.
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“I’ve been gifted this and want to give something back,” Doran told Cheshire Live.
“I want my children to be proud and know it’s not all about profit, but about sustainability and making a difference.”
700,000 litres of this “exceptionally high quality” water was found, which is enough to fill more than a million bottles a day / Credit: The Crag Inn | Crag Spring Water
He also intends to keep the business growing and has big plans for the future, adding: “We want to grow it as big as we can but I don’t mean big in a financial sense, I mean big in terms of making a difference.
“We’ll be building a 10m by 25m unit on the land, then it’ll be automated, and when it’s automated we’ll produce in an hour what we’re currently doing in a day.”
Featured Image – Crag Spring Water
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Major headliner pulls out of Manchester Village Pride
Daisy Jackson
One of the Manchester Village Pride headliners has had to pull out of their scheduled appearance, just one day before the celebrations begin.
Nadine Coyle was supposed to be headlining the LGBTQ+ event on Friday 27 August.
But in a statement shared by Manchester Village Pride today, they announced that the former Girls Aloud star is ‘under the weather’.
Nadine will be pulling out of her headline slot to ‘rest and recuperate’, but added that she hopes to see Manchester for Pride again soon.
Thankfully, Manchester Village Pride has already found a suitably fabulous replacement for the main stage on Friday – B*Witched.
The iconic Irish girl group will be encouraging ticket-holders to dig out their double denim and dance to hits like C’est La Vie and Rollercoaster.
In the statement shared by Manchester Village Pride, Nadine’s team said: “Nadine is so sorry to have to step out of Manchester Village Pride this year. It was her very first Pride many years ago and she loves getting to spend time with you all.
“Nadine’s voice has been under the weather and she only wants to give absolute best to you all which sadly won’t be possible this weekend as she needs time to rest and recuperate.
“We hate to do it so near the day. Nadine was really hoping she was going to be well enough and hopes she can see you in Manchester for Pride again soon.
“Thank you for being so kind and understanding and we hope you have a wonderful weekend.”
Manchester Village Pride added: “We know how excited many of you were for a massive hit of 2000s pop nostalgia, and we promised you a party. We’ve been working around the clock, and we are beyond thrilled to announce that pop royalty B*WITCHED are stepping in at the eleventh hour!”
Chester Zoo announces return of its £10 tickets for limited time only with extended opening hours
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced the return of its popular £10 tickets deal for a limited time only.
You may remember that earlier this summer, Chester Zoo invited people from across the North West to visit for just £10, and as the offer proved so popular, they’ve now brought it back again for a limited time.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now as the summer draws to a close, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free.
So it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you still can – with the offer now running until 6 September.
The best bit about the offer returning? The zoo is currently operating its extended opening hours until 6pm too, so included for the bargain price of a £10 ticket, you’ll even get to see all the animals while the sun goes down.
Afternoon tickets are only available online and must be booked in advance to claim the £10 offer.
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and standard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd September 2021 
