Founded in the late 1960s, Ginsters is well-known among British snackers. But by 2022, it had a perception problem. Despite widespread recognition, the savoury pasty brand was struggling to attract new customers.
For many, the name evoked hangovers, service stations and “emergency food”, rather than quality or taste. A dissonance between the product and how it was perceived became a commercial barrier.
“Ginsters was highly salient,” says marketing director Sarah Babb, “but it didn’t stand for much in the minds of new consumers.” Research revealed deep-rooted associations with poor quality, shaped not by the food itself, but by legacy distribution channels.
“The reality of our quality was just not understood,” Babb explains. “We needed to tell the nation the truth.”
To address this, Ginsters invested in a full identity overhaul, carried out by London agency Bloom, in a bid to put taste, provenance and personality front and centre.
Repositioning a British staple
Ginsters’ brief to Bloom was to challenge misconceptions and reposition the brand for modern consumers, without alienating its loyal base. The identity overhaul, launched in 2023, combined design refinement with a clearer, more confident brand voice.
It’s worth noting the logo barely changed at all – just some slight tweaks to the lettering of the wordmark, and the addition of “Est 1967” to underline that Ginsters had pedigree.
The before and after of the Ginsters logo
The most visible change came through the brand’s use of illustration. As a Cornish brand, famous for its Cornish pasty, it wanted to lean into its local roots in a new way.
The previous rural scene – described by Bloom as dark and pastoral – was replaced with a contemporary, layered composition depicting Cornish landmarks and local character.
“We wanted to shift from historical caricature to a living, breathing Cornish world,” says Ishbel Lohman, strategy director at Bloom.
To maintain credibility, the creative team grounded the new illustration system in Ginsters’ archives, referencing everything from vintage slogans to delivery vans and local farming scenes. “We saw illustration as a way to convey provenance, taste, and personality without relying on nostalgic tropes,” Lohman explains.
The before and after Ginsters illustrations
Food photography, updated typography and a conversational tone of voice rounded out the system. Crucially, the new design aimed to elevate the brand without losing approachability.
“The risk was going too playful and undermining product credibility,” Lohman says. “We worked to balance joy with trust.”
Commercial results
Since the relaunch, Ginsters has reported a significant uptick in both sales and brand health. In 2024, it was named one of Britain’s fastest-growing grocery brands, with sales up 14.9% year-on-year to £133.5 million. Volume sales rose by 51% in the months following the rebrand, with the brand now holding a 50% share of the UK’s pasties and slices market.
The new Ginsters packaging by Bloom
A national campaign titled Taste the Effort, developed in parallel with the new identity, reached 93% of UK adults and helped recruit over half a million new households (Samworth Brothers Annual Review 2023–24, p14). “We’ve seen measurable uplift in associations like ‘uses the best quality ingredients’ and ‘tastier than other brands’,” says Babb. “Those were key objectives from the outset.”
Internally, the brand tracks equity measures in partnership with Kantar, alongside sales and penetration. “Strong brands are grown over years, not months,” Babb adds. “But we did measure increases in penetration as well as market share and brand sales growth to understand the impact in the more immediate term.”
Expanding reach and deepening relevance
The rebrand also laid the foundation for Ginsters to diversify its portfolio and reach new audiences. With a refreshed identity, the brand was in a better position to innovate beyond its core range.
In 2023, the brand introduced a new Pockets range of handheld pastries, targeting younger shoppers and food-to-go occasions (Bakeryinfo). Shortly after, it launched a limited-edition Heinz Beanz & Cheese slice and partnered with Walkers to create a flaming hot sausage roll sold exclusively on TikTok Shop, which sold out in under eight hours.
The new Ginsters visual identity by Bloom
The new launches reflect a more confident, and at times playful personality, designed to attract younger audiences while maintaining trust. “We’re speaking to younger shoppers in new ways,” says Babb. “The brand now has a revitalised personality that feels genuine and fun.”
It’s also clear that the refreshed tone of voice and illustrative assets have also improved consistency across touchpoints, from packaging and ads to social and retail displays.
External recognition and industry impact
The rebrand has also drawn recognition from peers and press. Samworth Brothers’ insight team won an AURA ROI Award for the research that informed the brand strategy, and the identity work has been featured in trade and design titles including Convenience Store and Food & Drink International.
For Bloom, the project has helped consolidate its position in FMCG branding, particularly in modernising legacy brands without erasing their equity, such as Robinsons Squash and Diageo’s single malt whisky portfolio.
The new Ginsters visual identity by Bloom
“Ginsters shows what happens when you respect the past but aren’t afraid to move things on,” says Lohman.
While the brand’s new identity is already delivering results, the work isn’t done, according to Babb. “When we started, the only distinctive brand asset we truly held was the logo. Now we have a full suite. The goal is to keep building that memory structure and consistency over time.”
Lessons in legacy
Ginsters’ transformation offers a clear lesson for other heritage brands: meaningful change doesn’t require erasure. “It should be an evolution of a story, not a revolution,” says Babb.
The rebrand succeeded by tackling perception barriers head-on through design, messaging, and consistent execution. In doing so, Ginsters has not only grown its market share but built the foundations for a stronger, more culturally relevant brand.
As the Ginsters team put it, the pasty is back – and it’s got something to say.
The new Ginsters illustration by Bloom