Crafting a robust and scalable brand identity for an authentic tap room experience built on coastal values.

The Client: St Austell Brewery is a family-owned Cornish brewery deeply rooted in traditional brewing and community values since its founding in 1851. For over 170 years, it has crafted exceptional beers and operated welcoming pubs throughout the West Country. As the brewery looked to the future, it sought to continue to grow while staying true to its commitment to maintaining their craft offer.

The Challenge: St Austell faced the challenge of expanding their reach while staying true to their craft heritage. Traditionally a brewery known for their cask-ales, the brand was aware it needed to stay relevant for the growing younger craft-beer drinker. As a result, St Austell Brewery began taking steps toward growth by investing in like-minded craft breweries, such as Harbour Brewing Co. However, they wanted to push this partnership further, creating a new sub-brand that would form the foundation for a series of taprooms focused on craft beer. The goal was to develop a concept that could resonate with a broad and diverse audience, without compromising their local and traditional heritage.

The Solution: We created a scalable taproom identity, beginning in Charlestown with ‘Harbour Beer House’, that reflects the deep community ties and coastal heritage shared by both St Austell and Harbour Brewing Co. This identity formed the foundation for a new sub-brand that embodies the collaboration between the two breweries, centered around the core value of being ‘Deeply Connected’. ‘

Deeply’ refers to the seas and rivers that define the locations of our taprooms, as well as the immersive experiences we aim to create. ‘Connected’ reflects the people behind the beer and the sense of community fostered by both the act of sharing a drink and the welcoming environment of our taprooms.

These taprooms provide authentic, local experiences, immersing visitors in the stories, processes, and people behind the beer. They promote local engagement and sustainability, making each visit a meaningful connection to coastal culture.

The brand identity was built around a series of custom, characterful illustrations created in-house. The illustrations draw inspiration from nostalgic seaside art, recreated in a fun, whimsical style. This theme extended beyond the illustrations, as we also crafted several custom typographic lockups to be used throughout the venue and on branded merchandise, taking inspiration from traditional sign-painting and surf culture.

Achievement So Far: The journey of the new brand identity started with the launch of The Harbour Beer House in Charlestown. The public launch event of the Harbour Beer House garnered widespread attention, with prominent coverage from local and national media outlets such as the BBC, Cornwall Live and The Drinks Business. It’s early days yet, but the brand’s Instagram presence has seen remarkable growth, from zero to over 1,000 followers in just a few months.

Harbour Beer House has also partnered with local organisations to protect to local environment and promote local community projects, such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Marine Conservation Society.