Edinburgh-born founder of ‘UK’s fastest-growing drinks company’ to speak at city summit
“We want every woman to leave feeling more confident about taking up space, alongside new contacts, practical ideas and potential collaborators” – Egg founder Kylie Reid
The Edinburgh-born founder of the UK’s fastest-growing drinks company is to speak at a major summit next month in her home city.
Entrepreneur Bethan Higson, founder of alcohol-free aperitif brand Mother Root, will appear at Egg’s Women on Top Summit, taking place at the capital’s Assembly Rooms on September 24.
Mother Root was ranked 11th in The Sunday Times 100 for 2026, making it the highest-placed drinks company on the list of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies. The brand recorded annual sales growth of 206.5 per cent over three years.
Mother Root is now stocked by major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado.
Higson will be joined by journalist, broadcaster and Mother Pukka founder Anna Whitehouse, whose Flex Appeal campaign has helped put flexible working firmly on the national agenda. Also appearing are Maxine and Darcy Laceby, the mother-and-daughter founders of Absolute Collagen.
Created by Scotland-wide women’s network Egg, next month’s annual summit will bring together more than 300 women for a day themed “Own your voice”.
Egg founder Kylie Reid said: “The Summit is the one day of the year when hundreds of women from across the Egg community can be in the same room - sharing ideas, building confidence and making connections that can change what happens next for them.
“This year’s theme is ‘Own your voice’, because too many brilliant women still hold back from speaking up, putting themselves forward or sharing what they have built. We want every woman to leave feeling more confident about taking up space, alongside new contacts, practical ideas and potential collaborators.
“We also know that attending a full-day event is not equally accessible to everyone. Providing free childcare and subsidised tickets is an important part of making sure more women can be in the room.”
Royal Bank of Scotland and FreeAgent are headline sponsors of the 2026 Women on Top Summit. The event is also supported by Melville Independent, Eastern Western Motor Group, Miller Homes, YourScene, Caledonian Sleeper and Anderson Strathern.
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