Name: Matt Mahatme (r) and Jordan Palmer
Age: 28
Job title: Co-founders
Company & location: Lixir Drinks, London
Education:
Matt: Growing up, Jordan and I both attended Thetford Grammar School in East Anglia, and both went on to study at Newcastle University, but different courses. I studied biology and Jordan studied geography
Why did you decide to go for a career in food?
Matt: I ended up falling into drinks by chance, I saw a job role in field sales and the thought of visiting pubs and bars every day sounded great as a recent graduate. I applied and the rest is history!
Jordan: My elder brother was working for beverage company Molson Coors for a number of years when I was first applying for graduate jobs, and this drew me towards the drinks industry as he always said what a great industry it was to work in. There was also something appealing about stepping in to drinks sales, given you can look, feel, smell and taste the products you’re selling.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two):
Matt: As a founder I cover lots of different areas in the business, from sales to finance.
Jordan: I oversee the various business departments and help manage the team.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Matt: My day-to-day is super varied as I cover lots of the business as a founder, but I’m usually looking at sales opportunities and how we grow the business.
Jordan: One of my main roles in the business is managing key stakeholders, distributors and team members whilst also taking a lead role in delivering the company’s growth strategy.
”Network as much as possible, everyone knows everyone in the drinks industry and it’s the easiest way to find new opportunities”
Tell us about how you went about applying for your job:
Matt: No application necessary, just some courage to take the first step of setting up the business.
What’s the best part about working for a food company?
Matt: You meet incredible people but also see really fast innovation and lots of new products.
Jordan: The favourite part of my role is the networking and winning new business.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink?
Matt: That it’s all plain sailing and fun! As Covid has shown there are often lots of challenges alongside the sexier brand stuff!
Jordan: You’re constantly drinking and at events!
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry?
Matt: Get experience, there are loads of startups looking to take on interns or junior roles. For more senior roles demonstrate experience with brands, or the willingness to learn. Your enthusiasm for F&B will take you a long way.
Jordan: You’ll learn by doing, so early on take any opportunity you can! Also look to network as much as possible, everyone knows everyone in the drinks industry and it’s the easiest way to find new opportunities.
What’s your ultimate career dream?
Matt: To establish Lixir as one of the world’s biggest mixer brands
Jordan: I’d love to see the Lixir ‘X’ feature on the Logo game one day
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