Thirsty travellers encounter better deals at fruit stand

In a heat wave, most travellers will purchase a bottle of water before embarking on their journey.  However, ‘buyer beware’ is a good motto when choosing from the shops that stock cool safe bottled water to drink, as you can pay over the odds unnecessarily.

At the height of the summer heat, I checked out Liverpool Street station in London and found bottles of water were best purchased in the least likely places.

You may walk past the Hemsai Food and Wine stores at the top of the escalator.  Prices here were £1.30 for a 750 ml bottle of chilled water.  Clearly just off the train this might be your first port of call, but it is much cheaper only metres away.

DSC00194 Delice de France Liverpool street station You may walk past Delici de France where the same size bottle was nearly the twice price at £2.40 for 750 ml.  This is what happens when combining much needed refreshment with a convenient  quick bite!

 You may walk past AMT Coffee where 750 ml was £1.90, and similarly Upper Crust at £1.95,  or the Whistle Stop shop at £1.65 for 750 ml.

These, so far, are all on the main thoroughfare and can charge very busy travelling executives exactly what they like.

 Instead head straight for Boots where two 500ml bottles of water are just £1 or one bottle of 750mls was £1.15.  No reason why 1 litre of water in total would be less at £1, but there you go!.

DSC00191 (2)Alternatively head straight for Marks and Spencer where 750 mls is £1 per bottle (and grab your breakfast or dinner at the same time).

Or if in a dire hurry, head straight for the fruit stand next to the main underground entrance/exit near the ticket machines where 500 mls water is only £1. Surprisingly they had a fridge stocked with chilled bottled water.  And while you are at it, choose some fruit as this will also add to your fluid intake for the day, while supplying vital nutrients and fibre  at the same time (with little calorific value). Great customer service combined with fresh healthy produce.

© 2014 Extravitality

Kathy Lewis, R.Nutr, BCApSc, MSc, MBA,
Author: Kathy Lewis, R.Nutr, BCApSc, MSc, MBA,
Kathy Lewis, Consultancy Director, enjoys a multidisciplinary career based on a portfolio of achievement.  Kathy is a Management Consultant for Executive Travel Wellbeing and Stress, Health Promotion Specialist, Consultant Nutritionist (Registered Nutritionist and World Public Health Nutritionist) and a Chartered Marketer with over 25 years of experience.   Her specialist areas include executive stress and wellbeing (including jet-lag and travel wellness),  travel nutrition, travel policies, corporate vitality, employee engagement, marketing and internal communications. Kathy holds several relevant degrees, Masters in Applied Psychology (MSc) with distinction for her research in Executive stress and maladaptive coping behaviours looking specifically at clinical work-based stress and the impact on healthy lifestyles, Masters in Business Administration (MBA), with distinctions achieved in Management Accounts, Statistics and Project Management, completed with a research-based dissertation in the marketing of healthy options in catering establishments, and a Bachelor degree in Nutrition and Food Science.Over the last 25 years, Kathy has worked as a consultant and advised in various industries, from travel, health and food to financial services and telecommunications, on nutrition, executive wellbeing, workplace health, change management, internal communications and employee engagement. She has worked with a variety of clients across local government, NHS, educational institutes, NGO’s, national and multinational companies. As a Management Consultant (post-MBA) Kathy was required to travel to several locations each week and in 2002 began her masters in Applied Psychology (& Health Promotion) as a result of observing the stress in senior managers.  She was awarded a distinction for both her research on work-related stress and maladaptive behaviours and her course work.  Prior to this, Kathy spent many years working with catering establishments to provide healthy options, and prior to this working in diet and fitness centres, following her degree in Human Nutrition and Food Science in 1989.   Combining all areas of experience and expertise was the obvious way forward, and subsequently founded the concept of business travel vitality and wellbeing. Kathy is a former Consulting Editor for Readers Digest Association Inc (USA) and Readers’ Digest UK (Vivat), as well as the former founding Non-Executive Editor for the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Food, Drink and Agriculture group. As an author, she has written a number of publications and a variety of articles in consumer publications and professional journals, with guest media appearances on a number of radio shows, including the BBC, London and regional radio.  She enjoys public speaking on a range of topics and is a regular speaker at professional events. Kathy is also the Vice Chair of The Caroline Walker Trust, Founder of the International Forum for Health Promotion and Education, a board advisor for the Tessa Sanderson Foundation and Academy, the Vice-Chair/former Chair for the Financial Services Board at the Chartered Institute of Marketing, former Trustee/Non-Executive Director for the Association of MBA’s (where she chaired the Governance Committee and was a member of the HR Committee and Strategic Working Party), former Honorary Secretary for the Institute of Health Promotion and Education, a founding Council Member of the Association for Nutrition. Kathy was also a committee member for the Food, Drink and Agriculture group at the Chartered Insitute of Marketing and a current Non-Executive Director at NZ Engineering. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Association of MBAs, Institute for Travel Management, Association for Woman Travel Executives, Nutrition Society, SENSE, World Public Health Nutrition Association, Association for Nutrition (UK) and International Travel Writers Alliance.  She is a former member of the Institute Institute of Directors, Royal Society of Arts and Institute of Health Promotion and Education.

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