NR&B
Inspiring the North's leading F&B operators
Northern Restaurant & Bar evolves their branding to reflect the 50/50 split of their food & drink customers

BRANDING    /    GRAPHIC DESIGN    /    PHOTOGRAPHY

THE PROJECT

A complete brand refresh for Northern Restaurant & Bar (NRB), an annual two-day event for the food and drink industry, and the largest of its kind in the north of England.

LOCATION

NRB, Manchester Central

THE OBJECTIVE

NRB is one of the biggest dates in the hospitality calendar. It’s a two-day event that brings together big hitters and independents from across the hospitality industry, all under one roof in Manchester.

Our objective was to give the NRB brand and creative overhaul, and inject some kick-ass design that reflected the status of the event. We specifically produced creative designs that could be built on and evolved time and time again, keeping pace with the evolution of the event itself.

THE OUTPUT

In the final output of the creative work for the project, we decided to fuse together food and drink imagery. It was important that the audience understood that the event had an equal focus and passion for both sides of the industry. We wanted to use humble ingredients, it’s not about being showy, but about elevating the simple to be the best it can be. This was something that ran through the brand refresh and all the design elements that we created.

THE OUTPUT

Over the course of the exhibition there was a lot of positive noise about the split graphic concept – it was a hit amongst the industry.

The NSD team designed everything from the new logo, the exhibition programme, ceiling hangings, demo stands, banners, digital screens and much more.

We had to get creative with the photography shots, using a mix of our in-house studio and onsite at various bars that exhibit at NRB (Thanks Alchemist!).

It was a great day when we attended the event, and saw our work taking pride of place throughout the entire space. There was an incredible buzz at NRB – it’s a who’s who of the hospitality industry and an unmissable event – and we were proud to be a part of it.

thom_hetherington

“ I’m so pleased with the creative for NRB, it looks absolutely fantastic. We’ve had so many positive comments, from our visitors, exhibitors, and other designers, you’ve really made the industry sit up and pay attention.”

Thom Hetherington, CEO Holden Media

BEHIND THE SCENES

Our location for the photoshoot didn’t quite go to plan; with some rearranging, the images were taken in our HQ…using backdrops and textures from our studio to achieve the perfect shot; including soil from outside the studio to get that perfect carrot image.

 

At the event, we drank loads of samples, nibbled on treats and nattered with industry legends. That evening the whole of Manchester was alive with hospitality welcoming hospitality – really was one of the best nights out the whole team has had in Manchester. We’ve got next years already booked in the diary!

“We wanted to use humble ingredients, it wasn't about being showy, but about elevating the simple to be the best it can be. This was something that ran through the brand refresh and all the design elements that we created.”

Dan Burns – Managing Director