St Austell Brewery

In close collaboration, we worked with St Austell as they embarked on a deep, organisation-wide journey of reflection and renewal. We helped to rearticulate their brand purpose and story to reflect both heritage and ambition. It was key to ensure the brand remains relevant for people who will shape their next chapter: the new wave of customers walking into their pubs, drinkers discovering their beers on shelf, team members choosing to build careers there, and employees stepping into stewardship of the legacy.

Speaking with employees, brewers, shareholders, customers, and partners, we uncovered one unifying insight: the brand’s strength lies in how it brings people together, across generations, through shared experiences. From that, came a clear strategic idea: “Brewing great experiences for the generations to come.” This guiding narrative shaped every part of the transformation, built from the voices of those who know the brewery best.

A core part of the brand, we ensured the castle, inspired by the original Hick’s family crest remained rooted within the identity. It is now a hidden gem and a mark of quality, playing a bigger role in an evolved brand world, a beacon of light in the depths of St Austell Bay blue. Copper is the new gold. Adding genuine warmth which reflects the brewery’s character, personality and brewing process.

We built a tone of voice rooted in genuine warmth, confidence, and proper Cornish spirit and crafted a flexible, future-ready system to work across pubs, packaging, digital channels, and internal culture.

This new story, strategy and visual identity mark a new dawn not just for the brewery, but for the future of British beer and pub culture.