Students crack beer brief

Regular readers will know that our illustration and graphic design students have been working with the Eden River Brew Co. brewery, and one of the county’s most successful family businesses, to create the artwork for a new range of beers. 

Eden River Brew Co., in Penrith, is running its Eden Student Design Project for a second time, in partnership with the Westmorland Family, which owns Tebay Services, on the M6, Gloucester Services on the M5 and the Rheged Centre. The new range of beers were launched on Friday 4th May at the Rheged Centre.

In January, the brewery’s managing director Jason Hill briefed design students at the University’s Brampton Road campus on the project - packaging for a limited edition range of fruit beers. Buyers and designers from Westmorland helped to shape the  brief and give insight into how to make products stand out in a crowded market.

Students worked on a design brief for 440ml cans, with designs from second year graphic design student Sam Mallard, 26, from Carlisle, chosen for use with the final products. The range will be on sale at Tebay Services, The Rheged Centre near Penrith and Gloucester Services on the M5.
Eden were so taken with another design concept by Jemma Ainsworth (19) that they’re using her designs for another range of beers.

Brewery managing director Jason Hill said: “The brewery has been doing extremely well and growing nicely over the last few years. This is obviously great news for us, but it’s also really important that as we grow we work with people in the area to make sure they feel some of the benefit as well. 
“This could be all our great local suppliers or, as in this case, youngsters looking to get some really valuable experience before starting their careers.
“It was really tough deciding which of the students’ designs to go with, because there were so many imaginative and striking designs on offer. But in the end we felt that Sam and Jemma had the right combination of flair and fun to do justice to the beers we’ve created.”

Grillust™Group Captain, Jim Millington, said: “The Eden Brewery project is fantastic for our students because it puts them in front of a live client, responding to a brief and delivering a finished design concept. The students were given free rein to be as creative as they liked but they also had commercial requirements to satisfy.”

Commenting on his designs being used for the limited edition fruit beers, student Sam Mallard said: “I’m excited and thrilled to have my designs out there on the shelf for people to buy. To be given the chance to work for a client has been fantastic and I am humbled that my designs were selected when standards were so high.”

Designers Lucien Xavier and Helena Davies, from Westmorland, briefed students and helped to choose the final designs.
“We wanted the design to be creative and unique in a market that is known for its individuality and flair. The students did a great job with the brief, working hard to produce fantastic and professional designs that stand out on the shelves.”