Scottish tomato juice brand Tongue in Peat receives £350,000 investment

Tomato juice brand Tongue in Peat has secured a £350,000 investment from Dundee investment firm Ruby Capital to expand the product globally.

Currently stocked in UK hotels including Gleneagles, The Torridon and Mayfair Town House, Tongue in Peat is hand-crafted by a team of 12 in Inverclyde, west of Glasgow, and is cold smoked for 12 hours with Islay peat smoke to create a richer taste.

Hannah Fisher, who founded the business during lockdown in 2020, secured seed investment of £100,00 in 2021 from Chris Cosh, former director of Scottish drinks wholesaler Wallaces Express. Cosh also joined the team as its head of commercial, leading its relationships with wholesalers.

Fisher, who has worked in the whisky and drinks industry for over 15 years, and her team spent the following 20 months trailing the product. The brand achieved three Great Taste awards this year which gained them official Great Taste producer status.

Fisher said: “We have been extremely lucky to have investors who not only bring significant drinks experience to the board but are passionately committed to our success, continually offering hands on support.”

Bruce Casely, chief investment officer for Ruby Capital, said: “At Ruby we are keen to support emerging business talent and superb products. We think Hannah and the team at Tongue in Peat have both a great product and an exciting future.”