Brasserie Blanc Brand Book by Pete Kelsey

BRASSERIE BLANC BRAND BOOK

CONTENTS PHILOSOPHY VISION PROMISE FOOD THE BRAND COMPANY HISTORY MASTER LOGO USAGE SECONDARY LOGO USAGE FONT USAGE COLOUR PALETTE INTERIORS PHOTOGRAPHY WALL ART EXTERIORS TONE OF VOICE WEB / ONLINE LOCATION CRITERIA APPENDIX COMPANY STRUCTURE MANAGEMENT TEAM MAMAN BLANC BLANC EVENTS

P05 P07 P09 P13 P16 P17 P18 P21 P22 P23 P27 P29 P31 P33 P34 P35 P36 P38 P39 P40 P41

A brand grows; it develops, like a child, into a fully formed personality. It starts with an idea; a passion to create something special and unique. Then it is honed as it evolves, keeping the best, casting off all else. This is my brand, my dream: to build brasseries which embody all that I am passionate about; where the food quality is second to none, the customer is greeted with warmth and recognition. Where we can cook real French food in a neighbourhood setting, for everyone and all occasions. A place with heart. This book details the vital elements of my brand. So that you can make Brasserie Blanc live and breathe, be the best that it can be. A coeur joie!

Raymond Blanc OBE

PHILOSOPHY a coeur joie to your heartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s content

Our Brasseries were born from something that is far more important to me than just eating: it is eating in company. Not just any company of course, company that means something to you; be they family, friends, lovers or even colleagues. This has its roots in exactly the same place as my love of food; the family table and the cooking of Maman Blanc. The food she produced was the canvas to our family life, family meals were the centre of our daily ritual. An opportunity to gather together, share news and views, sustained by simple, wholesome, home cooked food, dictated by the season. In Brasserie Blanc I want our customers to feel the heart of French family cooking; that certain glow which good food can bring. So we create an environment in which our guests can totally relax: no pomp or stiffness. We present a menu which brings a smile of recognition. So they eat and drink, they stay and talk, they come back time and time again, to their heartsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; content - a coeur joie

VISION Satisfying food: a gratifying experience. Always a pleasure.

There is much debate regarding the origins of the brasserie in France and what it actually means. I am pretty sure that brasserie (literally meaning brewery) originated from mid-market restaurants who, in the late 1800s, found themselves without wine due to the phylloxera outbreak and turned to serving beer as a substitute. The simple truth for me is that they are always more relaxed places than restaurants. By that I mean relaxed for the customer, not for the kitchen! So while the service style is softer and more informal making our customers comfortable to pop in for a snack or coffee, the quality of the food is never compromised, reassuring guests that they will always be happy that they chose us for an important family occasion or business lunch. Satisfying food: a gratifying experience. Always a pleasure.

PROMISE Real French Food, Close to Home

In many ways simple food is far harder to cook. A notable example in Brassserie Blanc is Boeuf Bourguignon. Now most people have at one stage in their lives eaten a beef stew with red wine. I have eaten many examples; some have remained ingrained in my memory. If truth be known most not for the right reasons. This simple dish has had many crimes committed in its name and yet it can be…….sublime! This is why I think it is a great example of what I am trying to achieve. Good produce is not enough, a good recipe is not enough. What a good Bourguignon needs, demands, is patience. It takes time. There are no short cuts. If done correctly, the pieces of meat are whole but can be cut with a spoon, the sauce is thick but not sticky, the taste rich but not overpowering and the aroma instantly makes you feel warm inside. Real French food. Other recipes from my childhood come back to me such as the Salade Composee or, as we call it, Maman Blanc’s Miscellany of Salad; grated celeriac with a mustard mayonnaise, cucumber and dill, beetroot with balsamic vinegar, chicory with blue cheese, Jerusalem artichoke and chives; The name of the dish stays, but with every season I change the ingredients. In fact the full Brasserie menu changes four times a year and ‘specials’ are changed, often daily, to reflect what’s at its best seasonally and locally. But good food is not enough to make our Brasseries successful local businesses, they have to be affordable; both food and wine

shouting out great value for money. Now, securing the finest ingredients and wine list at the best possible prices is a tough job, but it is something that I am not prepared to compromise on. The whole of my career has been driven by the wish, the need, to bring truly great food to everyday people, to enjoy every day! And so we have sought out the best producers, suppliers and growers and built relationships with them based on mutual respect. They know the standard of produce we require and our ethical priorities. We commit to making them our preferred suppliers; a guarantee of stability for both businesses in uncertain times. I have a file of recipes, thousands probably, developed over the years for Le Manoir or from memory, or sometimes when I have been somewhere and tasted something wonderful. This I share and reference with my chefs, to inspire the Brasserie menus. The classic dishes are all mine, with the strong French regional influences of my youth. The more local and seasonal specials we hone with the skill and experience of my team headed up by Clive Fretwell, who I trained and has worked with me for 23 years. What will the future bring? No one knows but one thing I can assure you is that nearly every Sunday you will find me having lunch contentedly in the Oxford Brasserie Blanc. Real French food, close to home.

â&#x20AC;&#x153; If the Le Manoir is Haute Couture; elegant, sexy, where every stitch, fold and pleat is lovingly created, then Brasserie Blanc is my favourite pair of jeans.â&#x20AC;?

Clive Fretwell, Executive Chef

FOOD “if Le Manoir is a delicate waltz then Brasserie Blanc is the Can Can”

The obvious problem with a growing brand and portfolio is that I cannot always be available day to day to develop and control of the food we proudly serve. But that does not mean we compromise, I have stated over and over that compromise is suicide as far as I am concerned. Instead I have my man on the inside, someone whom I trained and have known for almost 25 years. A man I can trust to be my eyes and hands in the kitchen when my own have to be elsewhere.

Clive has always been an early riser. There are not many UK chefs who can chart a course from commis to head chef at Le Manoir in just over 3 years. Or who hold their own in a Michelin starred kitchen on a year’s placement in Geneva. But his card was marked as a star from the beginning; student of the year at Bradford catering college, swiftly followed by The Renshaw Cup, Associated Fisheries cup and the Bakery Cup. Director of Le Petit Blanc Ecole de cuisine, individual Gold medals at The Bocuse D’Or, Lyon, world championships in 1990 & 1992. Best Oriental Restaurant in London while executive chef for Itsu. It’s no wonder that it was Clive who changed Raymond’s view on the potential of young English chefs at a time when if you were going to be great, you had to be French. Like Raymond, Clive got much of his early encouragement and culinary education from his mother. As a local cook of some renown in Bradford, Mrs Fretwell was often to be found busy preparing a wedding feast with a pre-teen Clive as commis. Family fable has it that Clive cooked his first Sunday roast aged 5, complete with Yorkshire puddings. These days Clive has responsibility for the entire Brasserie Blanc estate. Working with Raymond on four full menus every year, plus over 50 specials, events and openings. All that after he’s made his family their breakfast and packed lunches each morning. It’s lucky he doesn’t need much sleep.

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BRASSERIE BLANC – THE BRAND So now you understand how we have come to be; the things that are important to us and make us who we are. If we were to summarise them, this is what we’d look like. It is important because it allows you to make the right decisions, suggestions and choices affecting our brand.

PHILOSOPHY

(the spirit, the heart and soul) ~ A Coeur Joie To ones heart’s content

VISION

(The way the company engages in business) ~ Satisfying food, gratifying experience Under the guidance of Raymond Blanc

PROMISE

(the promise we make to our customers) ~ Real French food, close to home

SUPPORTED BY OUR BRAND STANDARDS

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DRINK

Always; Selected personally from the vintner Best in category Great value Never; Anonymous Average

PEOPLE

Always; Warm and engaging Knowledgeable Energetic Caring Never; Indifferent Arrogant Tired Jobs-worth

ENVIRONMENT

Always; Busy but calm Warm, welcoming and inviting Local Never; Hectic Snooty Big/corporate

EXPERIENCE

Always; A true pleasure Leaving one with a sense of self congratulation Right for the occasion Never; Unnerving Indifferent Inappropriate

MARKETING

Always; Food/drink focused Based around a story/food experience or insight Relevant to the person/ season/occasion Never; Discount focused Clichéd Mass market

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FOOD

Always; French at heart Honest and authentic Fresh and interesting Of known provenance Never; Led by fad or fashion Flash or drab Intimidating Anonymous

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BRASSERIE BLANC HISTORICAL TIMELINE Raymond Blanc opens the first Le Petit Blanc in Oxford

1999 - 2005

A further four Le Petit Blanc restaurants open accross the country

2006

Le Petit Blanc acquired by the current management team. Le Petit Blanc relaunched as ‘Brasserie Blanc’, a new board appointed with Raymond Blanc as Director and ‘Chef Patron’

2007

New Brasserie Blancs open in Leeds

2008

We open our doors in Milton Keynes, Winchester and Bristol

2008

Maman Blanc shop launched in Milton Keynes

October 2008

Blanc Events launches its two function halls in Bristol alongside the Bristol Brasserie

May 2009

Our Portsmouth restaurant opens in Gunwharf Quays

March 2010

New opening in The City, London

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1998

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BRASSERIE BLANC MASTER LOGO MARQUE Usage To be used for all Brasserie Blanc printed material and display purposes where the logo is applied to a white or neutral background.

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Colour Reproduction The logo should be reproduced in two colours, Pantone 1815 (burgundy) and Pantone 1245 (mustard). See colour palette chart for specific breakdown and alternatives for 4c process and online use. Minimum size The version as shown here should used for all applications where the logo can be reproduced at greater then 50mm wide. For reproduction at smaller sizes please refer to the ‘Alternative logo versions’ section of these guidelines. Maximum size No maximum size - all logos will be supplied as vectors and can be scaled to any size.

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Real French food, close to home BRASSERIE

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Clearance Logo to be reproduced with clear space amounting to 1/3 the cap height of the ‘BLANC’ element of the logo between it and any supporting text or other logo. See example shown.

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BRASSERIE BLANC MASTER LOGO - PREFERRED VERSION Usage To be used for all Brasserie Blanc printed material, signage and display purposes where the logo can be applied onto the Brasserie Blanc burgundy background. Note: this is the preferred reproduction of the logo marque.

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Colour Reproduction The logo should be reproduced in two colours, Pantone 1815 (burgundy) and Pantone 1245 (mustard). Minimum size As previously stated. Clearance As previously stated. Usage Limitation This logo is never to be used floated within a box and applied onto white or neutral backgrounds. This logo is intended for use only when the entire background area can be painted in the custom burgundy colour, otherwise revert to the master version shown opposite, or one of the alternatives shown overleaf.

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BRASSERIE BLANC LOGO ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS BB_logo_small Use this version of the logo for any applications smaller than 50mm wide, or for when production restraints won’t allow for exact reproduction of fine detail, such as stitched-in logos on chef’s clothing. BB_logo_mono A mono version is available for printed applications in one colour only, and for reversed-out applications where, for size restrictions the drop shadow element of the logo won’t, or can’t, be reproduced. Other applications of this logo include embossing onto wine menu covers.

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BB_logo_linear This version is for use solely on fascia signage or any other narrow format application where the available depth does not allow for reasonable reproduction of the master logo. See ‘Exterior’ pages for further usage guidelines for signage applications.

HOLDINGS PLC

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BLANC BRASSERIES HOLDINGS PLC SECONDARY LOGOS - MAMAN BLANC AND BLANC EVENTS

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MB_logo_plaque The plaque version of the logo is the master identity. Its primary application is for accreditation of all â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bought-inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; produce in the format of a hang-tag plaque attached to all products. Minimum size 50mm wide, cut to shape and applied directly. There are seasonal and specific variations of this logoform available. All retain the same type format and signature shape.

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MB_logo_white This version of the logo is used for all applications when printing onto white or light coloured backgrounds, to a minimum size of 30mm wide. Examples include marketing items, signage and packaging. BE_logo Blanc Events operate the banqueting halls at the Bristol site. The primary application for this logo is for all marketing and communication material plus the standalone website www.blancevents.com.

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The logo can be reproduced as shown here or reversed white out of a silver or dark coloured background. Minimum size 30mm wide.

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FONT USAGE Brasserie Blanc employs the use of two primary fonts for all its written communications, supplemented by two further derivatives for specific purposes such as signage or for sub-brand distinction. Primary Fonts Trade Gothic Light / Regular The sans serif font used for menu contents (English version), adverts and marketing material body copy. Sabon Regular / italic The serif font used for menu contents (French version), adverts and marketing material headline copy (set in u/case). Secondary Fonts Trade Gothic Bold 20 condensed The sans serif font used primarily for headlines and signage.

Trade Gothic Light

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Sabon Regular

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Trade Gothic Bold 20 Condensed

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Filosofia italic

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Filosofia italic The serif font used specifically for the Maman Blanc marketing and body copy.

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COLOUR PALETTE Burgundy - Pantone 1815

Primary Colours Burgundy - Pantone 1815 CMYK - 0C 90M 100Y 61K RGB - 138R 31G B3

Mustard - Pantone 1245

Mustard - Pantone 1245 CMYK - 0C 28M 100Y 18K RGB - 213R 159G 15B

Gold - Pantone 872

Gunmetal - Pantone 8402

Teal - Pantone 7469

Secondary Colours Gold - Pantone 872 CMYK - 40C 54M 100Y 24K RGB - 133R 100G 7B For use in marketing and communications, printing onto a white or light background. Gunmetal Silver - Pantone 8402 CMYK - 10C 10M 10Y 60K RGB - 114R 113G 114B Used exclusively for the Blanc Events logo, communications and marketing. Teal - Pantone 7469 CMYK - 81C 45M 20Y 45K RGB - 28R 77G 106B Used as a secondary, or in limited instances, to replace the burgundy colour.

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INTERIORS In deciding upon the interior look and feel, we wanted to keep some of the classic elements of the traditional brasserie, but to lighten and modernise and make it instinctively our own. Flexibility was essential for the many and varied environments in which we may choose to operate.

- White linen tablecloths

In came wood, candles, tablecloths and lighting which flatters. I found a delightful artist based in Winchester called Jenny Muncaster whom I sent real Maman Blanc recipes to and using these she created canvases showing tables bulging with the ingredients ready for cooking. I mixed these with grainy black and white pictures of myself and the team hard at work. These are not the posed Grand Patron set photos but the real thing. A photographer followed me for two days and nights, even I can not pose for that long! The results are Brasseries that are welcoming, warm and inviting, like coming home. Why would you want to design anything else?

- French encaustic floor tiles

- Tan leather banquette seating - Open plan kitchens (where possible) - Dark oak flooring

- Zinc bar tops - Daily specials blackboards - Pewter candelabras - Uniformed waiting staff - white shirt, black tie and black waistcoats - Brasserie Blanc branded white porcelain tableware - Display dresser featuring books and wine - Maman Blanc mobile shop unit for sites without separate retail area - Signature lighting rig - High tables BRASSERIE

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Each image is treated to give it a high contrast, heavy grain feel reminiscent of classic ‘Brassai’ shots from the 1950s. They capture Raymond Blanc at work, in conversation and offering advice in the kitchens of Brasserie Blanc. They are not posed or in any way contrived, but show him as he is - passionate and committed. This series is supplemented by other images treated in the same way; fresh produce at the local market, detail shots of our interiors and even our wine suppliers at work in their vineyards. We use these on our walls, our menus and website, each representing a part of the Brasserie Blanc story.

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To support our marketing and PR campaigns we often use colour images. Examples of these can be seen on the previous page spread. Whilst no explicit rules govern how we like to see the brasseries represented, a few general principles apply; - all images should capture the relaxed and informal nature of Brasserie Blanc. - concentrate on mood and details rather than the room as a whole. Drop focus is widely used to pick out certain features. - try and capture images of our team; at work and with the customers. - avoid fish-eye or wide-angle lenses, tinting or post-production enhancement.

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Photography is a key element in Brasserie Blanc’s interiors and literature. All our Brasseries have a selection of grainy, black and white images which are unique to our brand.

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WALL ART

Jenny’s collection of paintings for Brasserie Blanc is inspired by actual recipes from Maman Blanc. About this Jenny says, ‘I adore these recipes and I can begin to tell a story about them in my paintings, from sourcing the ingredients at the local market, scribbled notes on shopping lists and the paraphernalia of all those cooking implements to the actual food itself’. ‘My paintings are about illustrating the beauty of food using colour and texture with a lot of passion and a pinch of humour! Raymond’s mother’s recipes are a great source of inspiration. Interpreting them in my distinctive way is almost as good as eating the food itself and I look forward to working on many more!’

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In addition to the paintings, our walls feature a series of custom drawn vintage- style posters based on our seasonal offers, for the Carte Blanc gift card and the Maman Blanc shop. Each one evokes a classic French illustrative style, be it 1930s skiing posters, 60s political graphics or 1970s drinks posters. Examples of these are shown in the collage across pages 14 and 15. Corner spaces, balconies and corridors feature ‘Le Corbeau et Le Renard’, (‘The Fox and the Crow’) stenciled onto the wall in both the original French and its English translation This classic cautionary tale by Jean De La Fontaine is taught to every child in France in their infancy. The theme has been used by French cheese makers since the early 1900s. So synonymous have they become, that most French people will think the cheese held by the crow is Camembert. A framed collage of these box labels is displayed in the lavatories in each Brasserie.

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Every Brasserie Blanc features a selection of paintings by Jenny Muncaster. There is an illustrative feel to much of her work, her paintings possess a naïve charm and are both quirky and colourful, imbuing a sense of joie de vivre.

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EXTERIORS The Brasserie Blanc estate covers everything from Grade II listed former Quaker meeting halls to purpose built modern steel and glass units. Imposing a degree of uniformity across such varied buildings presents a challenge, but with strict adherance to our brand guidelines the face we present to the public should always remain coherent, approachable and impactful.

Many of our restaurants have terraces, these are dressed with brushed aluminium cafe-style tables and chairs, umbrellas and raised planters finished in dark hardwood. We keep any advertising and external messaging to a minimum, limiting this to menu boards. A-boards and ground level cafe barriers displaying the Dine with Wine offer.

The main fascia signage can be either the master logo as described on page 17 of this document, fret cut and internally illuminated, or the linear version of the logo for narrow fascia, painted on and top-lit. Both versions of the logo may co-exist on one fascia but not in the same plane. The logo device is also applied to any awning valance, sun shades and cafe barriers.

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TONE OF VOICE The tone of voice that we use in all aspects of our brand is as important as what we actually say. When we speak, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always enthusiastic, knowledgeable and passionate about our topic, but never overbearing or arrogant. In our writing we are warm and inviting, never distant or corporate. We are always personal in our approach. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t confuse with unnecessary terminology or jargon. We talk about our team, not our staff. Our Brasseries, not our units or sites. Our food and wine, not our product. We write with love and respect. The smile in our hearts shines through onto the page for all to see. The best example we can offer is our seasonal newsletter, Le Raymonde, which offers insights into seasonal food, cooking tips and travel guides to (often overlooked) French regions.

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WEB / ONLINE Customers may well meet the Brasserie Blanc brand for the first time via the web. Perhaps as research prior to making a booking, following a recommendation or out of pure curiosity. Whatever the impetus, what is vital is that the website captures the spirit and ambience of the Brasseries. Our website home page welcomes you with a statement from Raymond accompanied by rich, full-width images. The navigation is clear, the menus and locations pages easy to find and regularly updated. Raymondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pages on food and wine offer exclusive insights into French food and culture. As with the newsletter there is no hard sell. Apart from the necessary information, there is an extensive archive of features including tips, recipes and more. Brasserie Blanc also has links with websites for Blanc Events, the function halls in Bristol (www.blancevents.com) and a retail site at www.mamanblanc.com.

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SITE CRITERIA The Brasserie Blanc brand has many distinct elements, both physical and ethereal. As such can sit happily in many different types of building and location. We have Brasseries in historic sites as well as extremely modern developments, each sympathetically designed to bring out the character of the building whilst making it unmistakably Brasserie Blanc. Size is an issue! We only consider locations offering more than 4,000 sq ft of which more than 2,500 sq ft should be on the ground floor, and very much prefer sites with al fresco dining. We always choose to be near the centre of a provincial town or on a major connecting road, and rarely put our Brasseries in prime shopping areas or pedestrianised zones.

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APPENDIX

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BRASSERIE BARCO COMPANY STRUCTURE

BLANC

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BRASSERIE BLANC MANAGEMENT AND BOARD BRASSERIE BLANC MANAGEMENT Raymond Blanc Director and ‘Chef Patron’

John Lederer Managing Director

Clive Fretwell Executive Chef

Rory Marthinusen Operations Manager

Norman Hall Finance Director

Mark Derry Executive Director

Norman Hall Finance Director

Ian Glyn Non-Executive Director

BRASSERIE BARCO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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John Lederer Director

Stephen Edwards Non-Executive Director

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Jeremy Hardie Chairman

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MAMAN BLANC Whereas the Brasseries attempt to bring a little of my family table to my customers, the Maman Blanc shop brings foods and tableware which remind me of my own culinary journey. Traditional and authentic brands full of nostalgic recollection; items no French childhood would be complete without or no proud housewife would do without. Cookware that I am now happy to endorse. An eclectic selection based on our founding principles of creativity, authenticity and personality. And while you could never recreate my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen, you can now add little sprinklings of Maman Blanc. www.mamanblanc.com

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BLANC EVENTS Since the Autumn of 2008, Blanc Events, our private dining facility in Bristol has operated two banqueting halls, ‘Bakers’ and ‘Cutlers’. Situated in the heart of the brand new Cabot Circus development in the centre of Bristol, these halls date back to the 13th century and formerly were used as a Quaker meeting hall. The names ‘Bakers’ and ‘Cutlers’ refer to the Bristol guilds which would have located themselves in these rooms from the 16th century onwards. Each room retains the original features from this period and provide a stunning backdrop to any occasion. Blanc Events very much takes its lead from our Brasseries; always a great venue for smaller weddings and family celebrations, and so a natural extension for us into larger corporate and private dining events. Our aim is to cut through the complexity of event organisation and to offer our Brasserie Blanc experience of good food and warm hospitality to greater numbers. www.blancevents.com

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