This has led to a higher standard of refreshment being provided in the offices and public buildings throughout Ireland. Water coolers are nothing new . . . indeed, they have been around since the 1980s. But the bottled water revolution of the late 80s and early 90s has meant that people were more and more interested in the quality of their water . . . which is why it is important when choosing a provider to go for a reputable brand. For example, Tipperary Natural Mineral Water Cooler Division was founded in 1990 with the purpose of distributing its product to the workplace market.

This market leader in its sector provides services to more than 15,000 customers on a nationwide basis from its network of 10 delivery depots; and, as a mark of its quality, Tipperary Natural Mineral Water has won the prestigious British Bottlers Institute Gold Medal for Excellence in Quality and Taste on five separate occasions.

In addition to its range of bottled natural mineral water coolers, the company also supplies a range of mains feed, point of use water coolers. These coolers allow clients to provide their staff and customers with potable drinking water in areas that might not warrant a bottled natural mineral water cooler . . . although Tipperary Water does state that the quality of this water is not comparable to the quality of natural mineral water and should not be used to replicate a natural mineral water cooler.

Nevertheless, the popularity of these plumbed-in systems is on the rise, as an alternative to water straight from the tap. There are a number of companies which provide the service, and one such company is Aqualogic, which is one of the longestserving water cooler providers in Ireland.

"Companies are used to spending money on water, " said Derek Maguire of Aqualogic. "But, with a plumbed in system, there are two advantages over bottled water . . . firstly, with bottled water there are the health and safety issues regarding lifting large bottles; but secondly, there is no comparison in terms of price."

Plumbed-in systems come with filtration systems which remove additives (for example Chlorine) and other impurities and sediments from the water, leaving it more than safe to drink.

Still, while water may be an essential resource, there will always be a place for the coffee break . . . although, with the education of the Irish palate, elevenses have become more concerned about the quality of the coffee itself. A kettle and a jar of instant coffee used to suffice, but not anymore.

"In Ireland, we have noted a significant move in the market towards higher quality and specifically bean to cup coffee with an increasing emphasis on Fairtrade, " said Martin Sheridan, general manager of Automated Vending Company (AVC), part of the European Autobar Group. In operation about 35 years, AVC focuses on using its expertise and experience throughout Europe to produce the perfect cup of tea or coffee.

AVC's automated vending machines can be found across a variety of businesses, from small cafes to office and commercial environments. The difference these days, however, is the quality of coffee on offer.

AVC offers a full "bean to machine" service, including roasting and grinding . . . and thanks to the sophisticated calibration of the machines, there is a consistency of high-quality product available at the touch of a button.

A measure of the quality of AVC's coffee is that the same machines and beans are used throughout France (which simply would not accept any inferior product).

Indeed, with over 220,000 machines across 11 countries and supplying coffee and ingredients to 52 countries around the world, AVC has both the expertise and the experience to develop products that meet the local taste profiles in any country.

Another provider of highquality hot drinks in the south of the country is Abacus Vending, which supplies a range of machines to suit all occasions. As an independent company, it is not tied to any one coffee supplier, and, as such, it can tailor its blends to suit all tastes.

Abacus Vending serves the entirety of Cork County and City, from Skibbereen to Charleville to Youghal. It works extensively with call centres, offices, service stations and colleges, and is also active in commercial premises where both staff and customers would use its products.

Waterford is the home base for Aquapure, a company which specialises in the supply and installation of both bottled water dispensers and plumbed in systems.

The firm was established in 1997 by John Hurley "When we started our aim was never to be the biggest-simply the best and that remains our motto today."

" We were the first company in Ireland to offer both systems and we have over 1500 customers in the south east and nationwide many of whom have been with us since we first started trading."

Choosing the right vending partner can pay dividend for emploers and employees.