In a nod to its Victorian brewing heritage, Ilkley Brewery has revealed a brand new, 3D website, www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk, which aims to interact with publicans and drinkers alike as it continues its fast-paced beer journey.
The new site, designed by Leeds-based Danny Pig Designs and developed by Blue Mantis, mirrors Ilkley Brewery’s recent brand overhaul which celebrates its brewing roots (the original Ilkley Brewery and Aerated Water Company closed in 1920) alongside its fresh, forward-thinking culture. Using 3D animated graphics on the homepage, the website gives users the tools to explore the brewery and its beers as well as discover exactly where their next pint will come from.
Beer Finder
One of the website’s key functions is its Beer Finder tool which allows drinkers to see which pubs Ilkley Brewery has delivered to in the last month and which shops or supermarkets are currently stocking the brewery’s bottled beers. As the Beer Finder function develops, it will soon allow drinkers to check-in and say where they have spotted Ilkley’s beers. In time, the application will also show which bars outside the UK serve the brewery’s beers; this currently includes a bar called Oliver Twist in Stockholm, Sweden, and will soon feature bars in America too.
Launch competition
To celebrate the big reveal, the first 100 people to register on the site will be entered into a draw to win craft beer goodies. Users simply need to visit the ‘contact’ page and fill in the newsletter form.1
Speaking about the new site, Luke Raven from Ilkley Brewery, who has overseen the eight month project, commented: “We felt that our old website no longer reflected our approach, identity or business adequately so the new site was an essential part of our growth and overall rebrand.
“We wanted the new website to encapsulate our spa town brewing heritage, our stunning region, our brewing principals and our innovative approach. Our designer Danny and the web developers, Blue Mantis, worked tirelessly to ensure the project was not only spectacular and ground-breaking in terms of functionality and design, but also accessible both to our publican customers and real ale drinkers.
“Our goal was to create a place that people can explore as much or as little as they like, but ultimately a place where they can interact with us and become part of the process here at Ilkley Brewery. I feel the website definitely delivers on this front and I hope people enjoy the user experience.”
Designer, Danny Pig, added: “The inspiration for the website design came from one of the original Ilkley Brewery and Aerated Water Company menus dating back to 1873 which the guys from Ilkley Brewery discovered in the archives. We have incorporated this Victoriana style into all elements of the brewery’s rebrand – from pump clips to bottle labels – and for the website, we’ve added a hint of steampunk style humour with a modern innovative twist to reflect Ilkley’s ‘deceptively different’ beers.
“I’m really pleased with the finished outcome which I think sets the brewery apart from its competitors.”
Martyn Lee, director at Blue Mantis, said: “We were approached to design and develop a content-rich website to help increase Ilkley Brewery’s national presence within their target markets.
“The aims were clear – to stand out from the competition, utilising a high level of interactivity, but also to provide a user-friendly way to access key information about their business and particularly their products. The homepage highlights this level of innovation and interactivity by featuring a full screen parallax system with animation, showcasing the brewery and allowing access to the different areas of the website.
“The site also features a content management system (cms), this allows their staff to update any area of the website, particularly useful in keeping the news and beers up to date. Adaptive page templates adjust to mobile phones and computers of different sizes and resolution, ensuring that the information is delivered in the most suitable format.
“We are very pleased with the final site and have had fantastic feedback so far.”
To find out more about Ilkley Brewery, visit: www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk or follow Ilkley Brewery on Twitter @Ilkleybrewery and Facebook www.facebook.com/ilkley.
1 – The goody bag competition closes on 31 July. The first 100 people to register online will be entered into the draw. Employees of Ilkley Brewery or their families are not permitted to enter. No purchase necessary to enter this competition. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered.
ENDS
Image attached:
- Screen shot of the homepage of Ilkley Brewery’s new animated website
Media contact:
For further media information, please contact Katy Barraclough, Conway PR, on 07813 094945 / 01943 430257 or email katy@conwaypr.co.uk
Notes to editors:
The Ilkley Brewery Co. Ltd. was founded in January 2009. In May 2009, it launched its first beer, Olicana Gold, which was closely followed by Ilkley Best and Ilkley Original who were joined in the summer by the now famous Mary Jane.
A string of awards has followed with most of the beers now brewed by the brewery winning medals at beer competitions up and down the country.
In January 2011, Ilkley Brewery secured a debt and equity package from Glentrool Capital Partners LLP, who also provide corporate support to help grow the company. This enabled Ilkley Brewery to move from its premises on East Parade to a new 2,600 square foot brewery on Ashlands Road, Ilkley. A new 20 barrel brewing plant was installed allowing the brewery to produce 23,000 pints a week.
In October 2011, a new 30 barrel fermenter was acquired, taking production to over 32,000 pints a week. In March 2012, production capacity expanded again to close to 40,000 pints a week.
In January 2012, Ilkley Brewery was crowned one of Yorkshire’s most promising companies in the Government-backed Local Business Accelerators campaign, going onto win the national prize in August 2012 for being one of the country’s fastest growing and successful businesses.
April 2012 saw the launch of the Origins range, showcasing the best in beer styles and brewing. Medina and Siberia were the first collaboration brews with renowned beer writers, and The Chief, Victorian Pale Dinner Ale, Wit Marie, Green Goddess, and Holy Cow have since followed to much critical acclaim.
As of August 2012, bottles of Mary Jane, Ilkley Best, Ilkley Black and Ilkley Pale are available in Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Booths supermarkets across the north of England, as well as Harvey Nichols stores and restaurants nationally.
Additional SIBA medals for Ilkley Black and Lotus IPA were awarded in October 2012 (Bronze and Silver respectively).
November 2012 saw the first export sales to leave the UK.
Katy Barraclough MCIPR
Conway PR
www.conwaypr.co.uk
Conway PR
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T: 01943 430257
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