Gwella (meaning ‘cure’ or ‘make better’ in Welsh) approached me via Menter a Busnes to create a new identity and packaging for their innovative range of cooked & cured Welsh meats. Although ham is well established as a cured cold meat no-one has, until now, managed to successfully cure lamb – the livestock the family farms. However, after experimenting with various cures and methods, the Thomas family have created a new and truly delicious range of cured lamb, beef and mutton in a range of tasty combinations.
New packaging was required to take the business from selling at farmers markets, into the more competitive yet potentially lucrative sales in delicatessens, farm shops, foodie specialist stores and direct to restaurants, cafés and beyond.
The family farm is sited on the coastal hills with fabulous views overlooking Cardigan Bay and Aberystwyth. With a strong desire to capture the local clear air and lush green Welsh countryside that the animals are raised, it was felt early on that this should feature heavily in the design.
A half-day of photography gave us some fantastic images, conveying the stunning farm setting and healthy animals. These formed the basis of all the marketing – including 3 packaging variations, for each meat type, banners, leaflets, business cards and forthcoming website. The existing logo was also redesigned to give it greater impact and legibility, and a much stronger sense of their Welsh heritage (the double LL are neatly integrated, as it is pronounced as a distinct sound in the Welsh language). The logo also features traced silhouettes of their actual animals, true to the breed.
The new branding and bilingual packaging is already helping to sell the new product into outlets around Wales, after a very successful launch at the Welsh Winter Fair.
Keep a look out for packs, and make sure you try it!
