Ellie Little Brothers Drinks Co

Name: Ellie Little

Age: 26

Job title: Marketing executive

Company & location: Brothers Drinks Co – Shepton Mallet, Somerset

Education: Fashion, textiles and apparel design at Bath College

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Growing up, I was creative and helped my nan make costumes for the local theatre so I always wanted to own a craft shop or work in textiles.

“The industry is fun, but it also comes with high pressures and tight deadlines which people don’t really see or appreciate”

Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? I started working in the industry through a craft beer company. However, being raised in Somerset, cider is definitely more my kind of drink! The industry is really creative and things never stand still, which makes it an exciting area to work in.

Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): I work with the marketing team on festivals and events, supporting the team on new tasks, marketing copy, purchasing our PoS and helping ensure things on site run smoothly.

Given the outdoor locations of our festival collaborations, you could say I’m heavily involved in ‘field marketing’.

What does a typical day look like for you? Every day is the same: I spend all my time and energy trying to get more consumers to know more about Brothers Cider and to experience it in its natural habitat: the outdoor summer festival. I do this in all sorts of different ways, such as working closely with the sales and marketing teams to create the biggest brand presence possible.

There are always new projects and conversations to be part of and working on a brand which proudly defines itself as seriously unserious cider is always fun.

Brothers cider 500ml cans_ice

Tell us how you went about applying for your job. I was thinking about moving on from my previous employer when I saw a job advertised at Brothers on LinkedIn.

Knowing the brand from its Glastonbury associations, the opportunity caught my interest, leading me to have a Zoom call and then a face-to-face interview. Brothers made it a really easy transition through the whole process.

What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? I love how fast-moving the industry is and that there are countless opportunities to get involved in creating something new.

Brothers Cider typifies this fun and creative spirit, making it an exciting brand to work for and this year’s relaunch has given me lots to get stuck into. Oh, and I get to go to festivals. And get paid to go!

And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? Things don’t just suddenly happen: behind every product are countless hours of research and planning. The industry is fun, but it also comes with high pressures and tight deadlines which people don’t really see or appreciate.

 

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What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Embrace change as each new experience can open doors to more exciting opportunities.

What’s your ultimate career dream? I would love to work on a disruptive and totally sustainable launch, something that would shake the food and drink industry.

I believe there’s still a demand for natural, sustainable beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) that promote health and wellbeing, particularly if they remain affordable.

Interested in finding out more about food & drink careers? Check out GrocerJobs for the latest vacancies