The Story of Svalbarði

Svalbarði / svahl-bar-thee / cold coasts

The product is as unique as the story of its conception: in 2013, Norwegian-American Jamal Qureshi collected meltwater as a gift for his wife while travelling in the Norwegian island territory of Svalbard – one of Europe’s last great wildernesses. The pure water would make for a delicious cup of tea, he thought. Four years later, and the whimsical, selfless thought transformed into an epicurean product, which is redefining the very notion of pure drinking water.

Mr. Qureshi chartered an arctic expedition vessel - the Ulla Rinman - and sought out the purest of icebergs in Kongsfjorden, just 1000km from the North Pole at 79° north. As fresh as the day it fell as snow up to 4000 years previously, 10 tonnes of ice were gathered by the Svalbarði crew. The ice was then gently melted in a specially constructed machine and bottled, capturing the best drinking water in its cleanest form. In order to retain the water’s natural composition and premium taste, no chemistry-altering filters are used, only micron filters and UV light to adhere to international standards. Each expedition can yield up to 13000 bottles of pure drinking water; each batch is therefore a limited edition. The product can be shipped around the world on a carbon-negative basis.

Based in the Arctic outpost of Longyearbyen

Svalbard is going through a period of great upheaval and Svalbarði is working to be a stable, environmentally-positive contributor to the local community

The company operates sustainably for the conservation of the Arctic environment in three main ways:

1

Svalbarði is carbon neutral-certified. The company invests in a carbon-offsetting scheme, which supports projects around the world. These have included a wind farm in western China, and upgrades to local water infrastructure in Uganda and Malawi. Our pure drinking water is produced in an entirely sustainable manner.

2

Svalbarði uses its online platforms to raise awareness of the dangers of climate change. As a global company based in the Arctic, we see firsthand the damage wrought by global warming which is happening more than twice as fast here as the rest of the world. We work to raise awareness of the vital role Svalbard's scientific research institutions play in understanding global warming on an international scale.

3

Svalbarði fights back against global warming. Carbon neutral is not enough, we need to reverse global warming. We use proceeds from each sale to support further CO2-reducing projects that mean 100kg of the arctic ice cap is saved per bottle. With each purchase, you partner with us to help save a small piece of the North Pole.

Svalbarði began with a dream to explore the Arctic. When I visited Svalbard for the first time I discovered the ice was exceptionally clean, with a delightful taste. As a gift for my wife, I gathered a little water and brought it home to make a cup of her favourite herbal tea. This set in motion the chain of events which created Svalbarði. My dream to visit Svalbard has become a passion to share it. I know few will ever be able to visit, but with Svalbarði people can taste the best drinking water from the ice at the top of the world while helping to save the Arctic.

Jamal Qureshi, Founder

Awards

Svalbarði Polar Iceberg Water is recognized for its world-class taste and presentation
The World's Best Tasting Super Low Minerality Water 2016
Gold Award for Packaging Design at Berkeley Springs 2017
Bronze Award for Taste at Berkeley Springs 2017
Silver Pentaward 2016
Platinum award for Packaging Design 2016
Gold Fine Water Award, Design Category 2018

Press

Svalbarði Polar Iceberg Water is renowned worldwide and regularly appears in International Press.

Svalbarði Test with Martin Riese

Water tasting with Water Sommelier Martin Riese & Chance Sanchez

Play video