House of Charcoal

Industry: BBQ Fuel
What we Did: Brand Photography & Filming for Start Up

From Concept to Launch

Project Overview:

James Doyan is the founder of the UK Start Up – House of Charcoal.  A new brand that is inspired by the possibilities pure, British charcoal can create. Both on and off the grill.  James wanted to work with CREATE because of our background in branding and marketing combined with our experience in food photography and filming.

The Brief:

The first (and super critical) part of the project from our perspective was providing feedback and input to  the visual identity created by unearthed.agency.  Kate worked for a leading Brand Agency in London prior to becoming a photographer and wanted to ensure that there was a clear set of brand guidelines to work from – outlining colour palettes, photography/filming styles and how to apply all elements of the brand in final communications.

Once this was in place we drove around the UK with James for shoots with his network of ‘fire friends’ – the UK charcoal producers and chefs who all understand that natural charcoal is the most important ingredient in any barbecue.

We were commissioned to create a new library of content to be used across all branded communications – website, social media and product.  But probably the most important piece of work for the new-to-market company was to craft the House of Charcoal’s brand story.  That critical video that potential customers can watch when they first interact with the brand.

The Results:

“Working with Kate and Brent took any stresses and pressures away from what could and should have been a very challenging photography and video shoot for our new to market brand.  We were expecting shoot support but received a whole lot more.  It was an absolute pleasure to work with a single team of absolute professionals who take on board and appreciate your objectives and ambitions but elevate the output by challenging and honing aspects beyond our skillset, but second nature to such professionals.  Not sure how they did it, but the quality, insight, steering, value and commitment they delivered was way over expectation and they were instrumental in bringing our brand to life, from concepts, through refinement and outstanding execution.”

JAMES DOYAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR

House of Charcoal website

Food Photography

A person pours hot coals with flying sparks from a chimney starter onto a grill, where two steaks are cooking over the grates. Food and grilling tools are visible in the background.
Close-up of glowing hot coals and burned wood chunks with ashy white surfaces, emitting orange and red light in a fire pit or grill.
A person sprinkles salt onto a large, raw steak they are holding over a wooden table outdoors, preparing the meat for cooking. The background is slightly blurred.
Sliced medium-rare steak with a seared crust, served on a dark plate, placed on a rustic wooden table with scattered dry leaves nearby.
A roasted leg of lamb with herbs sits in a cast iron pan surrounded by potatoes and garlic, inside a barbecue grill with glowing coals visible on one side.
A person uses tongs to place a thick, bone-in steak onto a hot, flaming grill outdoors. The grill grates glow with heat, and flames rise near the steak as it cooks.
A cooked, glazed roast sits in a black cast iron pot on a rustic wooden surface. A pair of brown suede oven gloves lies nearby.
Chicken pieces with a charred, smoky coating are sizzling on a grill over glowing red coals, with wisps of smoke rising from the meat.
A whole golden-brown roasted chicken sits on the grate of a round grill, with smoke rising, indicating it was freshly cooked. The background is blurred and dark, keeping focus on the chicken.
A hand reaches into a fire pit filled with charred root vegetables, including carrots, onions, and beets, roasting on hot coals and surrounded by ashes.
A rustic pan filled with roasted red onions, garnished with chopped fresh herbs, sits on a weathered wooden surface. The onions are caramelized and glistening, creating a hearty and appetizing appearance.
Broccoli stems grilling directly over hot, glowing charcoal and ash on a barbecue grill, with smoke rising from the coals.
A person uses tongs to place grilled meat onto a wooden plate near a barbecue grill, with a cutting board and knife on the table beside them.
A whole fish rests on herbs atop a wooden plank on a grill, with charred lemon halves nearby and glowing coals underneath.
A person sprinkles red spice over raw, marinated chicken pieces in a black pot on a wooden surface, preparing food outdoors.

Website & Brand Guidelines

Text 05 Photography Styles overlays an industrial scene with a burning gas flare, partially reflected in a puddle. The top corners read Brand Guidelines 2024 and House of Charcoal.
A dark-themed website showcases grilling tips with images of meat, vegetables, and flames. A hand serves grilled meat on a wooden board below, with a call to Become a Founding Member and a form to select membership options.
A collage shows hands filling a brown paper bag, glowing charcoal, stacked firewood, a bag labeled White Flame being filled, firewood pieces, and a close-up of a camera filming wood, illustrating artisanal charcoal production.
A grid of six images shows charcoal in various stages, people walking in a wooded area, a close-up of fire, and grilled steaks on a barbecue. Each image is paired with a short article title about charcoal or grilling.

Charcoal Production Photography & Film

A man with a beard stands with arms crossed in front of a large, industrial metal charcoal furnace. He wears a dark jacket and boots. A shovel leans nearby, and a pile of coal sits at the mans feet.
close up of charcoal
Two men stand in front of a large black metal furnace outdoors. One man gestures toward the open door, revealing burning wood and flames inside, with smoke rising around them.
A smiling man in a dark shirt stands behind a rustic wooden table outside. The table holds a roasted chicken, a cast iron skillet with onions, black gloves, garlic, and bags of charcoal. A corrugated wall is in the background.
Several brown paper bags with red Whittle and Flame branding and an illustration of a person with logs are arranged in rows on a dark, rustic surface.
A person in a blue protective suit and helmet stands indoors, shoveling black charcoal pieces from a pile on the floor into a wooden crate. The setting appears to be an industrial or warehouse facility.
A puddle on muddy ground reflects industrial gas flares with flames burning, next to a pile of cut logs in the background. The sky and some power lines are also visible in the reflection.
Aerial view of a forest showing a clear contrast between dense green trees at the top and sparse, autumn-colored foliage at the bottom.
A rusty metal pipe with bolts and valves emits white steam against a weathered, corroded metal surface. The steam creates a cloud-like effect near the junction.
man sawing up a charcoal bag that has been filled
Dark, shiny pieces of charcoal are piled in a wooden crate, with sunlight softly illuminating part of the scene. A gloved hand is visible on the right side, likely sorting or handling the charcoal.
Three people stand in front of two large metal kilns; one person adds wood, another tends the fire, and the third holds logs, all working in an industrial outdoor setting with smoke rising from the kilns.
An orange camera shutter icon above the text Sony Europe Imaging Ambassadors on a white background.

Kate

Logo of Rotolight lighting company

Masters of Light

An orange camera shutter icon above the text Sony Europe Imaging Ambassadors on a white background.

Brent

Location

West Country | Greater London | South

Call Us

Kate: 07725 233247

Email Us

info@createhub.uk