Bringing Gina to Life: The Story Behind Our Branding

History, design, and a signature that made it all click

Branding a restaurant isn’t just about picking a nice font or a trendy colour palette. It’s about capturing a feeling. The warmth of a neighbourhood spot, the honesty of simple, well-made food, and in our case, the spirit of Mattie’s mum, Gina. We wanted something that felt genuine - like it had always belonged on Chingford High Street.

But branding is a wild world. Agencies, freelancers, big names, small names - all promising they’re the one. And when you’re pouring everything into a restaurant, choosing the right person feels like a shot in the dark.

So, naturally, I turned to one of the coolest people I know - Erchen Chang of BAO - for advice. She pointed us to Imogen, a designer who, in just one video call, got it. We told her our story, our vision, our menu, and she came back with a deck full of ideas, each one a different way to bring Gina to life. The most exciting? Using Gina’s own signature as our logo - an actual piece of her woven into the restaurant.

From chophouse-style signage to playful, intimate typography, we explored everything. What felt right, what felt off, what would make Gina instantly recognisable. And while we’ve had our fair share of missteps (if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know about our disastrous interior designer saga), working with Imogen has been the one constant joy. Every penny spent on her work has felt worth it and more.

There is a tricky element about any type of creative work - it can feel like no man’s land, like anything goes, like entering the abyss. There’s not much guidance on standards because ‘creative work.’ No price lists, no clear comparisons, just a lot of "Wait, why isn’t that included?" moments, followed by "Oh, that’s normal" (only to find out later it wasn’t). I’ve made mistakes, wasted money, and lost sleep over things I couldn’t have known.

But this? This was a win.

In this newsletter, we’re sharing the early concepts, the ideas we loved (and the ones we left behind), and how we landed on a brand identity that feels truly ours.

Let’s get into it.

Photo from Chingford historical society

A Restaurant Rooted in Place

Before we even got to the logo, we spent time thinking about the themes that would shape the space - the personality behind Gina, the energy we wanted to bring into the restaurant.

One of the first things we did was explore the history of the area. Since moving to Chingford, we’ve completely fallen in love with it. If you haven’t been, it sits right on the doorstep of Epping Forest, London’s largest open space. The forest is vast and ancient, and stepping into it feels like crossing into another world. Mattie and I often take morning walks there to set ourselves up for the day ahead. It’s become a ritual, a reset, a moment to breathe before the inevitable chaos.