Buxton
Buxton Still Natural Mineral Water is sourced from St Ann’s Spring in Buxton, Derbyshire. The spring rises from Carboniferous Limestone at a constant 27 °C; the water is estimated to be around 5,000 years old. The spring has been in continuous use since at least the Roman period. Buxton holds recognised natural mineral water status on the Defra register. The brand is owned by Nestlé, which acquired it in 1992; bottling takes place at the Waterswallows facility on the northern edge of Buxton.
Mineral composition
| mg/L | |
|---|---|
| Calcium | 55 |
| Magnesium | 19 |
| Sodium | 24 |
| Sulfate | 13 |
| Chloride | 37 |
| Bicarbonate | 248 |
Compositions can vary by season and source. Read our methodology.
Mineral character
Buxton is a bicarbonate-dominant water. Its bicarbonate of 248 mg/L is by some distance its highest ion value and the main driver of its alkalinity (203 mg/L as CaCO₃). Calcium sits at 55 mg/L and magnesium at 19 mg/L, giving a total hardness of 216 mg/L as CaCO₃, which places it firmly in the hard range. Sulphate is notably low at 13 mg/L, while chloride at 37 mg/L is moderate, producing a chloride-to-sulphate ratio of roughly 3:1. Sodium is 24 mg/L. The overall character is of a hard, alkaline water with very little sulphate: a profile that distinguishes it clearly from, say, a sulphate-heavy water like Gerolsteiner, and from the very soft waters (Volvic, Lauretana) at the other end of the database.
Documented use and context
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) publishes water quality standards recommending an alkalinity range of 40–70 mg/L as CaCO₃ for brewed coffee (SCA Standard 310-2021). Buxton’s alkalinity of 203 mg/L as CaCO₃ is roughly three times the upper end of that range.
In homebrewing, Buxton’s profile was discussed in a June 2020 thread on the Jim’s Beer Kit forum (“Buxton Water for brewing?”). Contributors noted the low sulphate and the chloride-to-sulphate ratio of approximately 3:1, and observed that calcium at 55 mg/L is below the 100 mg/L threshold commonly cited in brewing literature for adequate enzyme activity and yeast health.
John Palmer and Colin Kaminski’s Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers (Brewers Publications, 2013) does not reference Buxton by brand name. The book does document the Burton-on-Trent water profile, another Derbyshire source with a very different mineral signature: sulphate in the hundreds of mg/L compared to Buxton’s 13 mg/L.
Use-case suitability
- CoffeeNot used in any current coffee recipe, but hardness 216 mg/L sits within the 9–266 mg/L range typical for these targets.
- TeaNot used in any current tea recipe. Hardness 216 mg/L is above the 37–59 mg/L range of these targets.
- BrewingAppears in blends for Kölsch (Cologne).
- BakingAppears in blends for Montreal Bagel and Paris Baguette.
- AquariumNot used in any current aquarium recipe. Hardness 216 mg/L is above the 35–212 mg/L range of these targets.
- HorticultureNot used in any current horticulture recipe. Hardness 216 mg/L is above the 12–54 mg/L range of these targets.
Used in these recipes
Where to buy
UK
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons
£0.33-0.50 per litre
Buxton is widely available across the UK and stocked by all major supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda, and Morrisons. It sits at the budget end of the bottled water market, typically £0.33–0.50 for a 1.5 L bottle (as of March 2026). It is sold as still water in 500 mL, 750 mL, and 1.5 L formats; Buxton also produces a sparkling variant, though this is less consistently stocked. Availability outside the UK is limited.