Mint Sauce Media

17/09/2026

We always build two moodboard directions before a client picks one.

Not because we're indecisive, because a brand this personal deserves options, not just our first idea presented as the only idea.

For The Old Post House, this was the direction that won. It leaned into the building's own history rather than inventing something new, heritage cues like stamp references and hand-drawn shopfront illustrations, paired with classic elegant type and a rich, deep burgundy that feels established rather than trend-led. The idea was to create something that felt like it belonged in Addingham, not just something that had opened there.

Once a direction gets chosen, that's honestly where the real work starts. A moodboard is just a feeling on a page, the job after that is translating "rich burgundy and hand-drawn charm" into an actual logo that still reads clearly on a coffee cup, a paper bag, a shopfront sign, at every size, in every context.

You can see it come together here, from board to that final line-drawn building mark, right through to how it sits on packaging. Every heritage detail on that moodboard earned its place in the final identity, nothing got added just because it looked nice.

If you're about to brief a designer, don't be afraid to ask to see more than one direction. The best brands usually come from a proper choice, not a first draft.

16/09/2026

Autumn is all about reflection and preparation - and your website deserves the same care.
Small, thoughtful updates now can make a big difference in how polished, trustworthy, and ready your brand feels as you head into the new year.

Save this post for some inspiration for the little Autumn jobs that you can do.

15/09/2026

You don't need to be a business to need a brand. You need one if you're asking people to trust you.

We've spent the last few weeks working on a website for something completely different to our usual client work: a farmer-led, landscape-scale conservation initiative. No products, no sales funnel, just a network of farmers trying to work together across a shared landscape.

And it's actually one of the clearest examples of why branding matters that we've worked on all year. When you're asking dozens of independent people, who might not even know each other yet, to see themselves as part of the same thing, your identity has to do real work. It has to say "this is bigger than any one of us" while still feeling grounded and human.

Branding isn't decoration. It's the shortcut that tells a stranger whether they belong somewhere before they've read a word.

If you're building something collaborative, save this. It'll matter more than you think when you're trying to get buy-in.

14/09/2026

🚨 New Branding Launch!

Naming a coffee shop after the building it lives in is such an easy win, if you actually build the brand around it properly.

We got to do exactly that with The Old Post House in Addingham. The building used to be the village post office, so instead of inventing a personality from nothing, we pulled the identity straight out of the building's own history.

That little line illustration of the shopfront isn't decoration, it's the actual building, arched windows and all, so locals recognise it before they've even read the name.

The colour palette leans into deep burgundy and warm neutrals, which does two jobs at once. It feels a bit more elevated than your average coffee shop, but it's still warm enough that you'd happily sit in there for two hours with a laptop and no one would rush you out. That balance mattered because the brand needed to work everywhere, cups, takeaway bags, signage, not just look nice on a logo file.

This is the bit of branding people underestimate. It's not really about the logo itself, it's about whether that logo still makes sense stamped on a brown paper bag in someone's hand on a Tuesday morning. If it holds up there, you've done it properly.

If you're opening somewhere with a bit of history behind it, don't waste that. It's usually the best material you've got.

14/09/2026

A lovely new chapter for The Old Post House

It’s always exciting to see a new brand out in the real world, and we’re really pleased to have played a part in bringing The Old Post House to life.

We worked with Matthew on the new brand identity, taking inspiration from the building’s past as the village post office and creating something that feels right at home in Addingham.

It’s been a pleasure helping Matthew put his own stamp on the place, and we’re wishing him and the team every success with The Old Post House.

If you’re local, make sure you pop in, say hello and, of course, grab a coffee and something good to eat. ☕️🍰

Good luck, Matthew. We can’t wait to see what comes next!

Sorry for going a bit quiet here lately, a few of you may have noticed we've been undergoing some changes behind the scenes...

As of today, we're no longer Ginger Plum. We are now “The Old Post House”.

This space has been somewhere people meet friends, catch up on village news, and slip away from the real world for a while, long before it was a cafe, and hopefully for many years after too. I don't feel like this place is mine. It's yours. I'm just taking care of it for now, and the new name is my way of giving it back to the people of Addingham.

A few thank yous, because none of this happens without a lot of help:

To Gill Plummer, who built this beautiful place and shaped this community into what it is today: thank you for letting me build on your achievement. Enjoy every minute of retirement, you've earned it.

To my wife and her (our) family, who have supported us through our first year here, from keeping the cake stand full to painting the facade and everything in between: I am forever grateful. This couldn’t have happened without you. I am forever grateful.

And to every single one of you who has walked through that door over the last 7 months: thank you. The support has been completely overwhelming, and I hope you feel this place is just as much yours as it is mine.

But don't worry, nothing's changed but the sign. Same good coffee, same good cakes, same good community.

Here's to The Old Post House. See you soon. ☕

11/09/2026

The perks of being your own boss, exhibit A.

We started listing these out mostly to make each other laugh, and then realised it's basically a love letter to why we do this. No one's clocking us in or out. No one's raising an eyebrow at the podcast choice.

We just get to decide what a normal Friday looks like.

Swipe through for a few of the things we've got away with this year that absolutely would not fly in a normal office.
Some of it's just because we like it that way, some of it's actually just... good business, if you squint.

If you run your own thing, you'll recognise at least one of these.
Tell us which one's you in the comments, we're nosy.

10/09/2026

September hitting different this year? Same.

We put together this one because every September I get that "right, let's sort EVERYTHING" feeling, and it turns out that's not just me being seasonal.

There's actual research on why the start of a new term does this to your brain more than January ever manages.

Swipe through for the science bit, but the short version is: if you've been meaning to sort your website or finally get your branding looking like the business you're actually running, now's a genuinely good moment to do it. Your motivation is doing you a favour, might as well use it.

Save this for when the September buzz wears off and you need reminding why you started. And if you're ready to actually get it booked in rather than just thinking about it, drop us a message, we'd love to help.

09/09/2026

It's day one back in the studio as a twosome (Schools back today!) and I've opened my email at least ten times without actually doing anything in it.

We took proper time off this summer, walked a good chunk of the Lake District and the Howgills - (Seriously, this place is the best kept secret I've ever known! The fells were practically deserted, and weirdly the people we did meet up there were from York and Harrogate!)

Switched phones to aeroplane mode more than we'd like to admit, and I genuinely stepped away from client work for a while. Which was brilliant. (Chris was running it as a one man show for the last 6 weeks!) And also means coming back has felt less like flicking a switch and more like slowly turning a dimmer up.

There's a bit of pressure in this industry to bounce back looking productive on day one. Truthfully I'm easing in gently this week, clearing inboxes, re-reading briefs we half forgot, and letting our brains catch up before we start making big decisions for clients.

If you run a small business, you'll know that rest doesn't always end the moment the "back to work" date arrives.

Anyone else still finding their feet this week? Drop it below.

26/08/2026

When should you stop making the founder the entire brand?

When your business grows from “I” to “we”, your brand needs to grow with it.

In the early days, it makes perfect sense for the founder to be front and centre.

You are the business.
Your story builds trust.
Your expertise is what people are buying.

But at some point, things change.

You hire a team.
You take on bigger clients.
You become known for what the business does, not just what you personally do.

And yet your website still says:

“Hi, I’m Claire. I help…”

Your About page is entirely about your personal journey.

Your services are framed around what you do.

Your photography is just you.

And your website gives very little indication that there’s actually a capable team behind the business.

That can create a credibility gap.

Because if you want to be perceived as an established company, your website needs to communicate the capability of the business - not just the personality of its founder.

That doesn’t mean hiding the founder.

Quite the opposite.

Your story, perspective and personality can still be hugely valuable.

But the balance changes from:

“This is my business.”

to:

“This is the business I’ve built.”

That’s an important distinction.

Your founder story should open the door.

Your brand, team, expertise, results and client experience should convince people to walk through it.

If your business has grown significantly but your website still feels like a personal portfolio, it might be time to rethink who’s actually at the centre of your brand.

Is your website selling you, or the business you’ve built?

24/08/2026

Eight years in business teaches you when to say yes.

More importantly, it teaches you when to say NO.

When we first started Mint Sauce Media, like most business owners, we wanted every opportunity.

You want to be helpful. You want clients to be happy. You want the project. And, naturally, you want to pay the bills.

So it can be very easy to agree to things you know deep down aren’t right.

The unrealistic deadline.

The design decision you know won’t work.

The project that isn’t really a good fit.

The “quick little job” at 6pm.

The request to make it look just like a competitor.

The WhatsApp message on a Sunday morning that somehow feels like it needs answering immediately.

Eight years later, we’ve got much better at saying no.

Not for the sake of being difficult, but because experience has taught us that boundaries usually lead to better work.

If you’re paying us for our expertise, I think we have a responsibility to use it.

That means we won’t nod along with an idea we genuinely believe is wrong for your business.

We won’t promise a deadline I don’t think we can deliver properly.

And we won’t start designing something simply because you’ve asked for a logo or a website. I want to understand why you need it and what it needs to achieve first.

Of course, you don’t have to agree with everything I say.

But you will always get the advice we genuinely believe is right, even when that advice is:

“I really don’t think you should do that.”

I think that’s part of what you’re paying us for.

Eight years of running Mint Sauce Media has taught us plenty, and we're still learning.

But one lesson has definitely stuck:

Saying yes to everything doesn’t make you good at business. Knowing when to say no often does.

What’s something you’ve learnt to say no to since running your own business?