Multi-award-winning brand design agency Lewis Moberly has collaborated with Nettle, the premium plant-based products brand much loved by high-end restaurants and food connoisseurs, to redesign its visual identity and packaging range design.

Founded in London and now operating out of Oxfordshire, Nettle is an exciting start-up, aiming to shape the future of food using live cultures and fermentation to create handmade and award-winning raw, organic and vegan products. The products are the brainchild of Sam Jackson and Nina-Rose Hubbard who pride themselves in striking the right balance between scientific precision and artisanal crafting to achieve high-quality plant-based alternatives, including those for cheese and butter. The product range, which includes Macademia White and a Newington Blue Christmas limited edition, is sold in shops such as Planet Organic, Daylesford Organic and via Abel & Cole. It is also an ingredient favourite of many restaurants in London.

Since its launch in 2019, Nettle has gained a loyal following amongst discerning foodies. The brand’s increasing popularity has now driven the need to reappraise its positioning and identity across all touchpoints and in particular, its packaging design. Lewis Moberly was briefed to redesign the brand identity to not only articulate the artisanal nature of the range and build more mass-premium appeal, but also to facilitate cross-category expansion in the future.

Lewis Moberly has rejuvenated the Nettle visual identity with an exquisitely crafted new marque that more accurately reflects the brand’s premium positioning and appeals to both food connoisseurs and those following a strict plant-based diet. The serif ‘N’ glyph is a nod to tradition, while a crafted, modern ‘spikiness’ communicates the sharp, tangy nature of the product and underscores the brand’s distinctive name. Touches of gold add extra premium cues and a new tone of voice accentuates the artisanal nature of the product range.

Emily Fox, Creative Director at Lewis Moberly says: “Consumers are looking for new propositions that go beyond binary lifestyle choices of ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ Our design approach reinforces the premium nature of the range while positioning Nettle as a dairy alternative rather than a substitute. The brand doesn’t conform to existing category conventions often manifested via humour, rather it is carving its own way as a gateway to a delicious, sustainable diet for everyone.”

Nina-Rose Hubbard, Co-Founder at Nettle added: “Our products are all about exciting, bold flavours. Although dairy free, the range has been developed not as a substitute, but as a portfolio of unique, premium, stand-alone products.

Lewis Moberly expertly translated the artisanal and premium nature of our products, through thoughtfully communicated design: we really couldn’t be happier. The team went above and beyond in listening to who we are, and what lies at the heart of Nettle. They picked up on every integral aspect of our identity, the science and craftsmanship of our production, our ethical approach to business, and the love with which our products are developed, and tied each of the key aspects together with subtlety and precision. They have been fundamental in helping us communicate our message, helping us to reach the growing number of discerning consumers who are looking to make positive food choices without compromising on flavour. Working with them has been an absolute delight and we’re excited to continue to work with them in the future”