Samuel Smiths Old Brewery: An example of Feel Design’s long standing partnerships with their clients

In the dynamic world of food, drink, and hospitality, a strong brand presence is essential for success. For over a decade, a unique partnership between Feel Design Southport and Samuel Smith’s Brewery has redefined what it means to blend traditional values with modern digital innovation. This collaboration, spanning a portfolio of historic pubs, characterful hotels, and key recruitment platforms, showcases how a deep understanding of a client’s ethos can be translated into a powerful and cohesive online identity. The result is a seamless digital experience that not only attracts customers and potential employees but also faithfully reflects the soul of one of Britain’s most cherished and independent breweries.

Feel Design’s partnership with Samuel Smith’s is more than a simple web development project; it’s a long-term commitment to preserving and promoting a distinct heritage. Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery, established in 1758, stands as Yorkshire’s oldest brewery, a testament to enduring tradition. Their pubs are famously havens from the modern digital world, eschewing televisions, music, and corporate branding in favor of conversation, human connection, and a timeless atmosphere. This philosophy is at the core of the challenge Feel Design embraced: to create a digital presence that doesn’t contradict this analog brand but rather complements it, acting as an inviting gateway to the real-world experience.

The design team at Feel Design has meticulously crafted a suite of websites that each serve a specific function while remaining united by a singular, recognizable brand aesthetic. The main brewery website, samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk, is the anchor of this digital ecosystem. Its clean, classic design and a focus on high-quality photography immediately convey the brand’s commitment to quality and tradition. The site acts as a hub, providing a clear overview of the brewery’s history, its range of beers, and its core values. It’s here that Feel Design establishes the visual language—a sense of heritage and authenticity—that is then consistently applied across all other platforms. The site’s e-commerce functionality, allowing customers to purchase bottles, draught, and fruit beers, demonstrates how Feel Design can integrate modern business solutions without sacrificing brand integrity.

Perhaps the most significant project in this partnership is the development of the hotel and pub websites. Feel Design has successfully addressed the challenge of creating a user-friendly online booking system for a brand that values face-to-face interaction. The samuelsmithshotels.co.uk website, for instance, serves as a central point for discovering the brewery’s collection of traditional pubs that offer characterful accommodation. The design is simple and elegant, featuring stunning images of the historic properties that capture their unique charm. Feel Design has developed a system that allows visitors to browse hotels by location, view details, and book rooms online, providing a convenient service that doesn’t detract from the pubs’ historic feel. The site’s effectiveness lies in its ability to present these establishments not just as places to stay, but as experiences rooted in a rich history.

The individual pub sites, such as ye-olde-cheshire-cheese.co.uk, are where Feel Design’s talent for detail truly shines. Each site is a bespoke reflection of the pub it represents, yet they all share a common design DNA. For Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a legendary London pub, the website’s design immediately immerses visitors in its history. The site highlights the pub’s traditional menu, with its signature Steak & Kidney Pudding, and details the range of beers brewed by Samuel Smith’s and served from oak casks. Most importantly, Feel Design has created a seamless interface for online table booking and room hire, a critical feature for a modern hospitality business. The functionality is intuitive and simple, ensuring that a customer’s journey from a digital click to a real-world booking is effortless. This balance of historic charm with contemporary convenience is a hallmark of Feel Design’s work.

This approach is replicated across all the pub sites provided, including the George and Vulture, the Captain Kidd, and the Rose of York. Each website uses Feel Design’s template to showcase its unique features—be it a riverside location, historic architecture, or specific food and drink offerings—all while maintaining a cohesive and reliable user experience. This unified design strategy is not just about aesthetics; it’s a smart business solution. By creating a scalable and consistent framework, Feel Design ensures that each new site can be launched efficiently, while the brand’s integrity remains intact. The hand-painted pub signs, a key part of the brewery’s physical branding, are often a prominent feature on the websites, creating a powerful link between the online and offline worlds.

Beyond the customer-facing sites, Feel Design has also played a pivotal role in the brewery’s human resources and operational strategy. The recruitment websites, workinapub.co.uk and runapub.co.uk, are a masterclass in targeted digital marketing. These sites are designed to attract a specific type of applicant: couples who are eager to embrace a hands-on, traditional pub management role. The websites are direct and informative, outlining the unique benefits of working with Samuel Smith’s, such as rent-free accommodation, comprehensive training, and a deep sense of community. The design is practical and trustworthy, with a clear call to action and an easy-to-use application process. Feel Design has crafted a platform that not only finds the right people for the job but also communicates the company’s culture and values to prospective employees, ensuring a good fit from the very beginning. The site’s success is highlighted by the fact that the company recruits for salaried managers, not tenants, and has fostered a loyal workforce over the years.

The work of Feel Design Southport for Samuel Smith’s Brewery is a prime example of effective digital design in the food, drink, and hospitality sector. Their partnership demonstrates a deep commitment to understanding and preserving a brand’s core identity, translating it into a robust and functional digital ecosystem. By creating a consistent, user-friendly, and visually appealing suite of websites, Feel Design has not only helped Samuel Smith’s attract customers and talent but also celebrated the unique, historic character of the brewery. Their work proves that you don’t have to choose between honoring tradition and embracing modern technology; with the right design partner, you can do both, creating a powerful, long-lasting brand that stands the test of time.