Name: Francesca Bruni
Age: 25
Job title: Co-founder
Company: Two Brooks
Location: London
Education: Politics, Philosophy & Economics at Lancaster University, followed by a Masters in International Relations at Edinburgh University
Why did you decide to go for a career in food? Let’s just say, food and drink chose me. After my Masters, I went into political risk insurance brokering, but it never really satisfied my creative side. Then after seeing the growing interest in the hard seltzer category during a business trip made to the US, my brother and I decided the emergence of the category was the perfect opportunity to make a pivot and create a business around a product we love.
I’m extremely family orientated and also a massive foodie, so the opportunity to work alongside my brother and enter the food and drink sector was the perfect recipe. And with only the two of us as decision makers, progress was swift and Loon Water, the holding company, was incorporated in November 2019 and less than six months after, the Two Brooks range was developed and more than 25,000 cans produced.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): As a startup, I essentially get to wear every single hat which exists within a company – from operations right through to marketing. But the latter is definitely where my passion lies: I love getting my creative juices flowing and looking at ways to spread awareness about a new brand in a new category – the opportunities are endless.
What does a typical day look like for you? No two days are the same, which is something I love. I tend to go for a run first thing, then my mornings are made up of lots of emails, calls and meetings. My afternoons normally involve interacting with customers and managing sales, and I reserve my evenings for creating content and generating ideas for our social media platforms. These are definitely the longest hours I’ve ever worked in my career, it’s 6am until midnight every day – but I’m not complaining, it’s the most amazing experience.
“I essentially get to wear every single hat which exists within a company”
Tell us how you went about applying for your job. It wasn’t exactly your typical interview. It was during a family dinner after our trip to America when I mentioned I was looking for a new career. My brother was also looking to do something different and begin his own business venture, so we made the decision to join forces. My creative mind was the perfect complement for my brother Fabio’s analytical skill set.
What’s the best part about working for a food company? Undoubtedly working with an incredible bunch of people who are all so supportive, collaborative and eager to see us succeed. We believe we’ve brought on the right third parties who have vast experience in multiple industries and categories, and having these people on board, especially at this stage in the business, is absolutely critical.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? That all we do is eat and drink. As I mentioned before, I’m a massive foodie but everything in moderation. I’m all about living a balanced lifestyle and that’s what is so great about Two Brooks: it’s naturally low in calories, gluten-free, vegan and with no added sugars – my perfect partner.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? The ability to strike up a conversation, introduce yourself and build relationships is key because there is very often an opportunity to get involved, especially for young people who have a new set of skills to contribute. If you’re able to innovate, think outside the box and talk to like-minded consumers, then a career in food and drink could be for you.
What’s your ultimate career dream? I’m pretty much living the start of the dream and enjoying laying the foundation for the future, where we hope to build the brand’s retail presence in the UK, as well as brand it internationally.
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