Bashall Eaves
The 270-year-old secret to creating a gin brand
The Brief
Based in Lancashire’s picturesque Ribble Valley, the historic Bashall Eaves country estate is managed by a family-owned trust. Caretakers and custodians of the land, its seven tenant dairy farmers and an abundance of wildlife, the family hoped to future-proof the estate by diversifying its income. It was then that they approached LUX with the intention of creating a commercially viable gin brand.
The Insight
Flavoured gin is an intensely crowded category – rocketing to a value of £780m in 2019 alone. The volume of choice is extraordinary; with many retailers now operating a ‘one in, one out’ policy. To have any impact among retailers and consumers alike, a new-to-market brand would need to do something totally unique and ownable.
The Big Idea
During the brand development discovery phase we became acquainted with two of the family’s heirloom recipe books – handed down through the generations for over two hundred years. Lovingly handwritten in their pages were recipes that offered a unique and authentic snapshot of life in a Lancashire country house kitchen. From here we unpacked the core brand idea of ‘preserving and celebrating heritage’ that led to everything from brand naming, through to brand identity and packaging design. The three flavoured gins we developed were, of course, also inspired by the family’s recipes; including parkin cake – one of Lancashire’s most beloved bakes.
The Results
Any new entrant to the highly competitive flavoured gin market was going to have its work cut out, yet, within six months Bashall Spirits had cut-through to secure key on-trade and retail listings in its target north of England markets. The rest, as they say, is history!
30+
listings with key target retailers
Future-proof
Helping to secure the country estate for the next generation
Client Comments
“LUX was a super partner to go on our brand development journey with. Not only were we in very safe, credible hands but the wealth of industry knowledge and insight proved invaluable. We toast them with a Parkin Cake Gin & tonic!”
Fiona McNeill, Trustee at Bashall Eaves