HOSPITALITY BRAND PHOTOGRAPHY - BROKEN DOCK

I’m a real sucker for individuality. Authenticity rocks my world. And it goes without saying, that where possible, I support local, independent business - this definitely is the case when it comes to food and drink. 

I’ve always stood by the belief that people buy from people - they are your point of difference - and when I find someone good, I’m loyal.

Many moons ago before I lived in the centre of Bristol I stumbled across the “beauty” that is Natasha, at the Broken Dock. Helping me out of a sticky fix (not of my creation!) I swore that I would pay that back with my custom. Slowly, over the course of the next couple of years this beautiful Dockside restaurant became my “go to” place on the harbour. 

Lockdown was tough for everyone, not least the hospitality trade and some of that were clever, pivoted (anyone else slightly sick of that word?!!) and keep going during what was an incredibly tough time for everyone. The team at Broken Dock were one of those. 

Many a memorable December night was spent sat on the wall outside the restaurant (often in ski jackets!) sipping takeaway mulled wine and eating my body weight in (their fabulous) mince pies. Owen, Mario and Natasha often became the only people I’d see outside of the bubble of our household and between my stops for a morning coffee and my mulled wine addiction, over time I really started to get to know them, and more importantly, care about the business. 

Fast forward to the world returning to some semblance of normality and I couldn’t have been more delighted when they commissioned me to completely refresh their brand imagery for them. 

Having virtually no brand photography to talk about, we had to start from scratch. Food, drinks, staff, interiors, exteriors, events…it all needed to be photographed. Starting with one of my Ultimate Brand Collections, I did a “deep dive” (another one of those over-used terms IMHO!) into their business; where they were currently, where they wanted to take the business, their brand look and feel and type of brand images they loved. 

Meetings were always accompanied by the best coffee and some fun-filled “banter”, as we planned the best course of action for their brand photoshoots.

There was a very tight window between us being able to actually meet in person and them opening. Photoshoots often had to be wedged between staff training, menu planning, painting and decorating, wine tasting (not for me, sadly!), staff interviews and more. It certainly was a juggling act for everyone concerned and I got a real insight into how challenging things were for the hospitality industry.

The journey still isn’t over, we still have interiors, exteriors and a few of the staff to capture, but for now here’s where it all started…with cocktails!

Venetia xx

P.S. They have a very rich, urban feel at the venue, with some funky wall art and lots of beautiful wood and metal, and I wanted their images to really reflect that style. After all, its all about individuality, hey?!