Musgrave Group
Modernising a heritage food brand for gourmet foodies
The brief:
To modernise the existing Donnybrook Fair brand positioning, identity, and store experience concept and broaden its relevance and appeal to an evolving food-loving population. Securing its place as Ireland's No.1 gourmet food retailer.
The insight:
Modern gourmet foodies are passionate and value food as an emotional and sensorily rich experience. They have a driving desire to engage with a premium brand that excites and immerses them in quality ingredients, taste, and food creation theatre, that goes beyond simply shopping.
Our approach:
The brand experience — ‘Home of Culinary Adventures’ — was brought to life through a food hall and eating destination encouraging customers to explore a world of quality food. We created an immersive food destination to bring culinary expertise and delight to every day of the week. Signature experiences include Chef’s Corner — live cooking designed to evolve with changing menus and time of day. Craft Butcher and Fishmonger’s fresh displays pair with the wine and off-licence offering through taste-inspired communications. The Pizzeria, Charcuterie and Delicatessen bring sensory food service to life. The Barista Bar connects daily rituals with treat and impulse. The LOFT restaurant’s welcoming bar and open kitchen with surround high seating, is another hive of excitement allowing customers to engage with creativity from chefs from week to weekend.
Natural materials, warm tones, stone, and timbers are softened with planting, creating a neutral canvas for this exciting new food experience.
As part of the brand refresh, we evolved the Donnybrook Fair logo, keeping its monochrome familiarity, into a contemporary, aspirational distinct clean mark to embody the premium and quality cues calling out to be tasted. A logo that celebrates the brands excellence across all assets – online, comms and in-store. Inspired by the quality products and produce of Donnybrook Fair, we created a foodie-inspired colour palette that captures the different textures and tones of quality food found in store.
“Cocktails, camembert and cooking classes: Donnybrook Fair comes to Dundrum”
The Irish Times
The result:
This flagship inspires customers through great food variety, knowledge, sensory interactions, and social dining experiences. The undisputable skills of chefs take centre stage at every opportunity, bringing prepping, making, and serving to life, creating buzz, anticipation and customer interaction with every visit.
The store has captured the imagination of customers with meat and fish categories performing above expectations at 20%+. The Chef’s Corner is +40% since launch. LOFT business is growing, with weekends at capacity for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
“Household has partnered the Donnybrook Fair team in the successful rejuvenation of its positioning, brand identity and store experience, creating something we are all proud of and the customer loves”
Dermot O’Connell, Head of Donnybrook Fair