A Shropshire natural spring that has remained a family secret for three generations is now being bottled and sold to the public.The Craignant Water Company was due to be launched today by the family-owned organisation near Oswestry.

Those behind the company, David Evans and Terry Thomas, said they decided to bottle the family secret as a means of diversifying.

And they say through the interest generated already, they hoped to create about seven jobs in the next year.

Craignant Water Company is bottling its own spring water at source on the family farm at Craignant, a tiny hamlet straddling Offa’s Dyke, where they now have a newly built bottling plant.

Managing director Mr Evans said: “We are pleased to finally launch Craignant Water after keeping it a family secret for three generations.

“We are receiving lots of interest from both local and national companies who are impressed with both the quality of our water and the selection of different formats it is available in.”

He said they had received interest from Manchester, Scotland, the south west and as far as Hong Kong and South Africa.

He added: “The family has been here for three generations. Like many small farms in Wales and the borders we are seeking to provide a new platform for the next generation.

“It’s one of those things we have done with the help of grant aid but it has been done with a lot of hard work in-house.”

He added: “It’s been here since my grandfather lived here in 1948. When we were putting the spring together we found a bottle down by the spring dating back to the 19th century.”

The Craignant Water Company was due to hold a launch party today.