This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating Jowita, the mastermind behind the delicious drinks you love! As our Liquid Development Manager at ICB, Jowita takes ideas and transforms them into reality – turning concepts into tasty creations.
Name Jowita Waitz
Job title Liquid Development Manager
Likes Mornings, workouts, traveling and trying new things.
Dislikes Yellow colour, Turkish delights, winter – dark nights and spiders.
Describe Your Day Today:
I am the liquid development manager here at ICB and have been here since 2007. That means that I am responsible for anything to do with the creation of drinks. My friends say I’ve got the most interesting job ever and I have to say, I agree!
My day starts with a much-needed caffeine fix (hello, extra shot latte!). While my coffee fuels my brain, I quickly scan emails for any urgent requests. Today, a big retailer threw us a curveball – an own-label project with a tight deadline.
Juggling projects is all in a day’s work for me and the team. Think of our lab as a playground of flavours – we have around 30 liquid projects at any given time. Today, I’m diving into a new flavoured liqueur. It’s all about striking the perfect balance – flavour profile, sweetness, and alcohol content. This particular recipe has asked for a vibrant pop of colour too, so we’re playing with colourings to make it visually stand out. The key to liquid development is to keep everything within budget, so while a lot of my time is in the lab, there’s plenty of time that I’m at my laptop with a spreadsheet open!
The liquid team have to have a well-trained nose and palate to be able to taste liquids before we are happy to send it off for second stage approval. The final approval comes from our expert tasting panel – their nod is the go ahead to present to the client or if it’s one of our own brands, to send it to the brand and marketing team for their final input.
This afternoon, I’m excited about a meeting with a new client. Three weeks ago, they presented a challenge which was to create a brand-new product. Today, we present the liquid and gain their feedback. The team has been working tirelessly, and I can’t wait to hear their feedback. Fingers crossed they love it!
But my job isn’t just about being in the lab and creating drinks. A big part of my role is staying ahead of the curve. I work closely with suppliers to discover the next hot flavour trends, ensuring ICB is at the forefront of the drinks game. Sharing this intel with my team is crucial – together, we can transform these trends into tomorrow’s must-have drinks.
Favourite Part of Job: Problem solving 😉
Work motto to live by: You get as much as you give! – not sure if its correct way to say it but it fits!
