For eight banging years now, the Brewery formerly known as Eden, has traded under the symbol of a Maori Hei-tiki. Inspiration for this came from the Maori Hei-tiki carving in the vaulted ceiling of the Chancellors Den at Brougham Hall, Eden River Brew Co’s original home. (The symbol is often confused with the iconic twelfth century design of the door knocker of Brougham Hall.)
‘This easily recognisable symbol on our labelling combined with a strong brand name steered our success and gave us a direct link to our local provenance,’ says brewery founder Jason.
Although the craft beer ranges have been labelled under the Eden River Brew Co name since Autumn 2018, the traditional ales have until now, retained the original Eden Brewery labelling.
‘But we’re heading into a new era of the business and the branding needs a refresh. We’ve already seen success as Eden River Brew Co through our craft beer ranges, and now we are ready to extend this contemporary, shiny, sleek new look to our traditional favourite brews.’
Over the last few years, and despite the competitive market, Eden Rive rBrew Co has been expanding rapidly, relocating to larger premises within Penrith in May 2017, and then installing a new brewery last year to increase significantly the brew capacity.
‘And we’re still growing. A new head brewer, and with in-house bottling and canning operations coming on line mean we have more capability than ever!’
Reassuringly though, Eden River Brew Co have retained their small brewery passion for product, a seriousness about the ingredients and reverence to the brewing process.
Eden is still Eden
To simplify the branding under one iconic name offers customers consistency, and makes it much easier for us drinkers at the bar to identify the product we want to buy, be it a traditional community pub, city centre bar or UK supermarket.
Jason continues, ‘In addition, the shiny new look may entice a new audience of beer drinkers to try our more traditional ales, those people who have found us via the craft beer series and the funkier can designs.
‘We don’t want to alienate our core customers though, those who have been drinking with us from the beginning. We’re not all about image. And that’s why we have kept the same classic recipes and our promise to deliver on taste and freshness.’
So, reassuringly, behind all the shiny labels and new names there is no real material change in the beer. It could even get better, fresher and even more consistently high quality as the beer is bottled next to the vessel it has been brewed in by a team who really care.
Jason confesses, ‘Us old classics need a wipe down and reboot sometimes too!’
Proud of Eden
The Eden Valley, meandering through North Cumbria is a beautiful place, and the brewery’s home, for its staff and its beer.
EdenbRiver Brew Co love this area and are proud to live and work here.
‘It’s a great place to live. Beautiful, great countryside to play in yet you can easily get to Manchester, Glasgow, London,’ exclaims Jason. ‘And that’s why we’re sticking with promoting our tag line, “Work hard, play hard”.
‘Through our names and branding we want to celebrate Eden and North Cumbria and focus on this special area; move away from the now fading trend of naming everything after a Lake District mountain or icon.’
And that’s why there have also been some name changes within the traditional range.
Eden Best is becoming Beacon, named after the Penrith Beacon, an important area of countryside and iconic viewpoint within the town.
Eden Pale is to be Reiver, in respect of the long and calamitous history of the Border Reivers.
And Eden Gold will now be Aurum, just to show off that we did go to school sometimes and that we can be a bit clever, occasionally.
More straightforwardly, First Emperor will become simply Emperor.
Whilst Fuggle gains an ‘S’, as in Fuggles (for all the Fuggle hops flavour in there – plural!).
And Eden Cracker is, well, simply a Cracker...
All in all, they are the same great beers, just with catchy new names and shiny new labels!
‘For us, we have a name that matters. Eden is recognisable as more than just a brand, we reflect a way of life.’