Pop-up bar aims to be in the mix across UK

Murdo MacLeod established Leeds-based Zest Mixology in 2011. The business today employs 10 people.

Mr MacLeod told The Yorkshire Post: “Over the last six years we’ve developed into a business which has got ten employees, 50 subcontractors, major clients, major contracts in place with places like the NEC.

“Now we’re dealing with things like decadent private parties where you have got 100 guests in your home.”

Zest Mixology has a turnover around £500,000 and Mr MacLeod is looking to increase that figure.

He said: “We’ve got a strong plan in place to double the size of the business in terms of revenue within the next 12 months.

“That is actually quite easily achievable based on recent contracts that have been won and are now in place.”

The firm landed a three-year deal with Amadeus, contract caterers for the NEC, earlier this year and the SME is targeting similar agreements.

Mr MacLeod said: “Every time an exhibitor books a stand they get offered cocktails to be served on their stand. It’s Zest that actually delivers that service.”

Cocktails that people can sip and savour are the most popular amongst the business sector, says Mr MacLeod, as it allows them to engage exhibition visitors longer.

“The person who is exhibiting wants to attract your attention and hold your attention long enough to deliver whatever the sales message is,” Mr MacLeod said.

“Martini cocktails for example are not popular because people can drink them very quickly,” he added.

Zest Mixology recently opened up a warehouse in London to enable the business to better service clients in the South.

“We started in Leeds,” Mr MacLeod says. “For the last six years we have provided a national service and one into Europe. That’s been achieved driving long distances.”

The entrepreneur, who started off in the music industry, added that he is putting everything into place to become the “go-to supplier for pop-up bars in the business sectors and for decadent private parties”.

In addition to warehouse operations in Leeds and London, he also has one eye on opening a depot in Europe.

“We’re going to open a third depot, which is actually in central Europe, for us to be able to branch into Europe and better service our European clients,” said Mr MacLeod.

The vote to leave the European Union is unlikely to affect those plans, he added.

“We’re watching closely to see what’s going to happen but at this point now I can’t see it being an impact on our business,” says Mr MacLeod.

The biggest challenge for the business is attracting the people “who can deliver my vision and deliver a first class drinks service in nearly any location”, Mr MacLeod said.

“That was the biggest challenge to date.

“As we grow as a business, it’s going to continually present itself as my biggest challenge going forward.”

Over the next year Zest Mixology plans on hiring another five full-time employees.

A heady career cocktail

Murdo MacLeod was born on the banks of Loch Ness. The entrepreneur moved to Durham in order to pursue a career in the music industry.

He then moved to London, where he went to work in the advertising department for Ministry of Sound’s magazine. “One of my advertisers was Bacardi, the drinks brand, and they presented to me a great career structure in terms of progression so I moved to Bacardi,” he said.

It was here that his passion for cocktails formed. He would go on to become a spirits trainer at the drinks brand, training 5,000 bartenders.