My food & drink job: Luisa Geddes, brand executive, Edinburgh Gin

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Luisa Geddes, Edinburgh Gin

Name: Luisa Geddes

Age: 25

Job title: Brand executive

Company & location: Edinburgh Gin, Edinburgh

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Growing up, I was always drawing, sketching, and making things. I loved experimenting with clothes too – naturally, some truly questionable outfit choices were made along the way! That creative streak, paired with my love of self-expression, led me to dream of becoming a fashion designer.

Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? I’ve always been fascinated by brands that tell a story – and food and drink do that so wonderfully through connecting with our emotions, experiences and memories. I think there’s something special about being part of an industry that brings people together and celebrates creativity through flavour, design and storytelling.

Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): As a brand executive at Edinburgh Gin, I help bring the brand to life. From planning campaigns and events to creating content that showcases our spirit (literally!), my role is about blending creativity with strategic thinking in a busy, ever-evolving market.

“It’s a fast-paced, competitive industry where creativity meets data, and success comes from balancing both”

What does a typical day look like for you? No two days are the same. One day I might be working with designers on packaging for our festive range, and the next I’m capturing content at a gin tasting in Edinburgh Gin’s distillery. It’s a mix of creative energy, strategic thinking, and the occasional gin sample for “research purposes”!

Tell us how you went about applying for your job: When I applied for my current role, it was an internal application – I’d already been working in customer experience for over a year and had fallen in love with the brand. When the job ad came out for brand executive, it felt like everything I’d been aspiring to do.

Edinburgh Gin - Lemon & Jasmine Gin (1)

The interview included creating a presentation about a brand I admire, what makes it successful, and how that could translate to Edinburgh Gin. To stand out, I focused on food instead of drinks and chose Bold Bean Co, which I’ve long admired for its authentic storytelling and community-building.

It was a fun challenge and a great way to showcase creative thinking.

What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? It’s the passion. Everyone in the industry genuinely cares about what they create, beautifully balanced gin, an innovative new flavour, or a striking campaign. At Edinburgh Gin, it’s exciting to experiment with and develop new expressions and flavours while engaging our consumers.

And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? That it’s all glamorous tasting sessions and fancy events. While those are certainly perks, there’s a lot of hard work, planning, and collaboration behind the scenes. It’s a fast-paced, competitive industry where creativity meets data, and success comes from balancing both.

What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Be curious and say yes to opportunities – even the small ones. Every experience teaches you something new about how brands connect with people. Follow the brands that inspire you, learn from what they do well, and don’t be afraid to bring your own ideas to the table. The industry thrives on fresh thinking and genuine passion.

What’s your ultimate career dream? I hope to keep developing my skills and growing within the drinks industry – it’s such a vibrant, ever-evolving space. Ultimately, my dream is to become a brand manager, continuing to build Edinburgh Gin, which has recently become the UK’s seventh-largest gin. I

want to keep supporting and growing the brand through campaigns and experiences that resonate with consumers, balancing creativity with commercial impact to ensure it remains distinctive and genuinely connected to the people who enjoy it.