Food & Drink

The Old Ship sits at the heart of Trefriw, a village in the Conwy Valley with a history most people don't know about. Dating back to the 16th century, the building is believed to have served as a customs house tied to Trefriw's time as a working inland port, with boats travelling up the River Conwy bringing goods and visitors into the area. The name itself, Yr Hen Long in Welsh, reflects that connection to trade and transport rather than any literal seafaring. When the new owners came to us, they wanted that history brought back into the brand. The brief was to create something that felt rooted in the building and the place, a refined countryside pub identity that nods to the past without feeling like a museum piece.

The building illustration became the obvious centrepiece. Rather than reaching for generic pub visuals, we commissioned a detailed line drawing of the facade itself, giving the brand something real and recognisable to anchor itself to. Paired with a considered serif wordmark and the location set in spaced capitals beneath it, the identity has a quiet confidence that feels right for a pub of this age and character. It works across signage, menus, social and print without needing to shout, because the story behind it does enough of the work on its own.