Longbottom and Co. have some great news for the month of August. The company is announcing its new CEO, Jake Mackay, who is leading the brand’s U.S. expansion with the launch of its flagship beverage in New York. Under Mackay’s leadership, Longbottom’s non-alcoholic and canned ‘Virgin Mary’ Bloody Mary will be available at key retailers in New York this month.
“It’s an exciting time to take on this leadership role within Longbottom and introduce our brand to one of the most popular brunch cities in the world,” Mackay said. “Above all, we’re passionate about bringing the best ingredients together to upend the often-neglected tomato juice category. With Longbottom’s Virgin Mary, our customers know they’re getting a premium cocktail experience. And we’re proud that now New Yorkers can experience the famous brunch cocktail in a new way with Longbottom!”
As a Founding Partner in the business since 2020, Mackay comes to the role after serving successfully as the brand’s Chief Operations Officer. Under Mackay’s leadership, Longbottom’s Virgin Mary will initially be available at retailers including Food Garden, DUMBO Market, Lincoln Market, and more, with expansion into additional stores forthcoming.
Beverage Wholesaler recently interviewed Mackay about his new role as CEO and what the future of Longbottom looks like.
BW: What are some of your goals as Longbottom’s new CEO?
Jake Mackay: To shake things up. At Longbottom, we say, ‘It’s like Tomato Juice, but with Tomatoes’ and whilst that’s tongue in cheek, it makes an important point — most people have never actually had what I would call real tomato juice. I want to bring the world’s best tomato juice to the US.
I want us to show people who perhaps don’t think they like tomato juice that actually they do, they just haven’t had it yet.
Perhaps most importantly, I want to drive the growth of a brand that connects with people. We want to enrich people’s experiences, whether it’s inner-city brunch parties; taking a flight across the country; or playing golf at a country club.
BW: What were some of your greatest accomplishments as the brand’s COO?
JM: I have been with the business since very early on. So in many ways I have a founding role, as well as various executive ones prior to leading the business. I led our initial expansion into the US, I rebuilt our supply chain post-Pandemic, including building the relationship with our suppliers, I built our finance function, and led our fundraising efforts.
Probably the greatest achievement, though, was bringing the world-class team together that we have assembled — hire people smarter than yourself and give them the platform to express themselves. One of my first priorities in the US now will be working alongside our GM and Head of Brand, Diana Mora, to build out our US-based marketing team; and our Head of Sales, Sam Gummer, to expand our US sales force.
BW: Why start the brand’s US expansion in New York?
JM: New York is so important to us as a place to grow our brand. This is a market at the apex of culture and where so many global trends begin, and in particular, in beverages. New Yorkers like to try new things and are interested in building a connection with new brands. For our part, we want to build a connection with the city. A large part of our team will be based here and we will host regular brunches across the city, shaking it up and putting the party into brunch.
BW: What other US states are you planning on expanding into?
JM: In 2023, alongside New York, we have also launched in Illinois and Arizona; we are launching in DC, Delaware, and Maryland as our initial North East Hub; we will follow with Colorado and South Carolina by the end of the summer. In 2024, we have aspirations to expand further into key markets, such as California, Nevada, and Florida.
BW: What makes Longbottom so unique compared to other tomato drinks?
JM: We’re shaking up a dormant category. The truth is, no one has yet built a brand for today’s world — one that people can truly connect with. For starters, we always use fresh pressed tomatoes in our products, all of our ingredients are plant-based, our recipe is vegan and gluten-free, and the ingredients are fruits and veggies that grow in trees or in the ground and are things you can actually pronounce. What sets us apart will be the way we strive to connect with our customers by playing a role in their lives today. It’s about the quality of ingredients and of the experience.
Previously only available for US consumers via their website and select retailers in the Chicago metropolitan area, the New York expansion, distributed by Gold Coast Distributors, marks a leap forward in distribution for the popular UK brand. Now led by CEO Jake Mackay, Longbottom is reinvigorating the tomato drink arena alongside industry experts who possess a well-rounded blend of experience ranging from non-alcoholic beverages to nightlife.
