Birch & Waite
A digital presence to serve both retail consumers and professional chefs.
Overview
Upgrading legacy code to a modern framework and unifying the retail and professional user journeys.
Birch & Waite required a complete website overhaul to reflect their premium brand positioning. The new digital presence needed to serve both retail consumers and professional chefs while highlighting their commitment to fresh high quality ingredients.
The legacy site was difficult to navigate and failed to communicate the distinct product lines for retail and professional audiences. Birch & Waite needed a robust platform that could handle recipe integration, store locators, and detailed product specifications.
Our Approach
We developed a dual pathway user experience to separate retail products from professional foodservice offerings seamlessly. This allowed us to tailor the messaging and user interface to distinct audience segments without diluting the core brand identity. By migrating the platform to a custom WordPress build, we gave the internal marketing team full control over product updates and content publishing. The architecture was specifically mapped to improve organic search visibility for recipe and product queries.
Dual pathways
We created distinct user journeys for retail consumers and professional chefs.
Recipe integration
We built a dynamic recipe database to inspire product usage.
Store locator
We implemented geographical search to drive fast in store conversions.
Key Outcomes
Streamlined navigation
Users can easily toggle between professional and retail product catalogues.
Enhanced recipe library
A highly visual recipe section encourages product discovery and long tail search traffic.
Custom WordPress CMS
The internal team can update products, stockists, and recipes without developer intervention.
Responsive architecture
Fast load times and mobile optimisation improve user experience across all devices.
Design System
The visual language reflects the premium nature of Birch & Waite products. We utilised high quality food photography and generous whitespace to create an editorial feel that highlights freshness and quality. The interface design relies on subtle interactive elements to guide users through the product categories without overwhelming the primary content.
Imagery Direction
Technical build
We constructed a lightweight custom WordPress theme to ensure optimal page speed and technical SEO compliance. The database architecture was structured to support schema markup for recipes and products.
- Custom post types for products and recipes
- Advanced Custom Fields integration for easy content management
- Geographic store locator API integration
- Schema markup for rich search results
- Automated image optimisation protocols
- Secure hosting and caching configuration
Website Experience
Product discovery
Users locate specific items through intuitive filtering by dietary requirement, category, or format.
Homepage
The homepage clearly segments the audience immediately while showcasing hero product imagery and current campaigns.
Professional portal
Foodservice professionals access bulk sizing information and commercial contact forms directly.
The Result
A powerful digital asset that serves two distinct target markets effectively.
Increased mobile engagement
The responsive design successfully captures users browsing on phones and tablets.
Efficient content management
The marketing team now updates the website internally with minimal friction.
Enhanced brand perception
The premium aesthetic aligns the digital presence with the physical product quality.
