Thornbury, Gloucestershire is an unusual place to find gourmet food and a restaurant with an eye toward branding, but this indeed is the location of the Good Food Guide’s Restaurant of the Year for the South West. This British restaurant, with the unassuming name Ronnie’s, is offering classic British fare and was offered the award after winning recognition in a vote of more than 23,000 people in the UK.

The Ronnie’s brand is focused on offering a gourmet experience in an area where chain restaurants dominate. The service is one of the elements most often cited in recommendations. Ronnie’s is known for friendly, attentive, and highly accommodating employees. This upscale experience has become a key part of the restaurant’s brand.

Offering food that is both fresh and local, prepared in a manner consistent with gourmet standards, is another key part of the brand. Ronnie’s has managed to tie South Gloucestershire foods and gourmet sensibilities together in a way that few people would have predicted possible. The chef, owner Ron Faulkner, was classically trained and brings continental experience to local ingredients.

Ecologically sensibility is another central part of the Ronnie’s brand. The focus on local food is better for the planet, while the location, in a naturally renovated building from the seventeenth century, offers natural and luxurious surroundings that are proudly all natural and sensitive to the environment. A focus on the local ties into this closely. Not only is the food local, the decor is as well. The restaurant was remodelled with locally procured and recycled materials, while the walls are decorated with art from artists both from the area and from all around the UK.

The Ronnie’s logo design is central to the brand. The red colour is both attention-getting and associated with dining, but in this case the red is tempered with a little earthy brown and youthful orange, creating a colour that represents the restaurant completely. The sole image of the restaurant logo design is of an R in this rich hue, in an artistic and hand drawn font that hints at the quality and uniqueness of the fare. The name of the restaurant is written at the side in a rounded, all lower case font that is friendly in a soft grey. The overall image of the UK food and drink logo design is modern but high quality, which is exactly what the restaurant is trying to communicate with this image.

In addition to lunch and dinner, Ronnie’s has a coffee lounge serving snacks and beverages to people looking for lighter fare. This lounge is a continuation of the brand, with attention to detail and high quality consistent with the restaurant. This invites many people who visit the lounge for coffee to try the food on another visit.

The award was presented in the annual Which? Awards this summer in a ceremony at the British Museum. Heston Blumenthal was the presenter, while other celebrities took part in the awards as well. Ten awards total were given out for superior businesses in the UK. It’s easy to see Ronnie’s gaining more national attention and more success after being recognized for a job well done.