The Other Bird, a Hamilton, Ontario-based hospitality group that offers culinary experiences across its six Southwestern Ontario restaurants, chose Moongate to create a cookbook to showcases their unique offerings and their flare for charming hospitality. It was the ideal brand extension and had to reflect the unique differentiation of the company in a practical, user-friendly product: the humble cookbook.
Under Moongate’s guidance, the cookbook was an instant hit. Today, whether you’re visiting The Other Bird’s chef-driven and meat-focused Rapscallion Rogue Eatery, playful taco bar The Mule, Two Black Sheep or the elegant-and-boutique Arlington Hotel in Paris, Ontario, you’re bound to see quickly dwindling copies of the cookbook on display and for sale.
THE SITUATION
The Other Bird is a Hamilton, Ontario-based hospitality group that offers culinary experiences across its six Southwestern Ontario restaurants. They’re “a group of hospitalitarians with a passion for great food, perfect drinks and making people happy.” With one eye on creating addictive ambiance and delicious fare to match and the other on expanding their unique value proposition, Executive Chef Matt Kershaw and CEO Erin Dunham approached Moongate to create a cookbook that showcases some of their unique offerings and their flare for charming hospitality.
THE SOLUTION
As is customary with all our work, Moongate spent many hours getting into the shoes – or in this case, the aprons – of our clients. And yes, we sampled our share of Chef Kershaw’s locally raised morsels.
After meeting with founders and customers, the voice and tone of the book (and all related media and collateral) was clear: it needed to be an honest and raw (sorry) ode to the common promise of all Other Bird rooms; a promise of home cooking held to the highest regard. Words had to sizzle on the page. So there was this: “Of course, some party-goers may be saying ‘oh my god, there’s more food?’ To which your reply should be, ‘f- yeah, there’s more food!’ Because you’re a debaucherous host who isn’t satisfied until your guests are satisfied.”
The design and binding were equally memorable – ringside visual how-to bound in a durable keepsake meant to be referred to over decades. And always with the expectations of duplicating family cooking with all the reckless abandon.
THE RESULT
The cookbook was an instant hit. Today, whether you’re visiting The Other Bird’s chef-driven and meat-focused Rapscallion Rogue Eatery, playful taco bar The Mule, Two Black Sheep or the elegant-and-boutique Arlington Hotel in Paris, Ontario, you’re bound to see quickly dwindling copies of the cookbook on display and for sale.