A COMPANY formed in a one-bedroom flat in Dunbar, specialising in promoting food and drink, is now representing giants like Tennents’s and BrewDog, just two years after its inception.

LUX was formed in October 2012 when Mhairi MacLeod left Musselburgh’s Queen Margaret University after studying drama and theatre arts.

The 26-year-old felt there was a gap in the market to promote Scottish food and drink and has seen the company go from strength to strength.

Mhairi said: “I think one of the exciting things is we are the first and only full service marketing agency dedicated to food and drink.

“East Lothian has a wealth of food and drink and I was able to work with Belhaven Fruit Farm, Ice Delight and Thistly Cross Cider.

“I was able to build the company’s foundations in East Lothian when I might not have been able to do that in another county.” Since being founded on Dunbar High Street and working with the trio of East Lothian businesses, the company has secured an client base with an accumulative net worth of £211million.

Clients include Tennent’s, Montpeliers, BrewDog, Edinburgh Gin and RR. Spink and Sons and Mhairi’s business has moved to Edinburgh, employing three members of staff.

Mhairi, the company’s managing director, said: “Historically marketing agencies don’t specialise in one particular sector as being niche is deemed too risky.

“In LUX’s case we have turned this to our advantage by occupying the gap in an incredibly buoyant market.

“The rapid growth we’ve experienced is testament to food and drink brands wanting to work with an agency that is completely dialled in to the challenges and opportunities they face on a daily basis.” Scotland’s food and drink industry is worth more than £13 billion to the nation’s economy.

LUX, which was awarded BT Scotland’s ‘Most Innovative Business 2014’ and The Scottish Edge 2014, saw a 96 per cent increase in turnover between year one and two and is now on track to exceed projected turnover of £286,000 in year three.

Mhairi said: “Being a full service agency has worked in our favour – for clients, being able to find an agency who can manage all of their marketing requirements under one roof, is rare.”