House of Charcoal
A rebel environmentalist brand on a mission to protect future generations through the art of fire-cooking.
House of Charcoal is a premium, provocative British charcoal ecom retailer dedicated to providing high-quality, sustainable charcoal sourced exclusively from the UK.
"This site looks fantastic, and it’s always exciting to see a new project come to life like this. The focus on positioning the brand to compete with petrol stations and similar retailers is particularly strong…"
Judges Comments, UK Ecommerce Awards
They pioneer the importance of using clean, chemical-free charcoal that supports local artisans and maintains environmental responsibility. Their mission extends beyond sales, aiming to educate and cultivate a community of fire-cooking enthusiasts through their Fire Academy, Club, Events and more.
The Brief
We were tasked with creating House of Charcoal’s brand and GTM strategy - shaping an identity that ignites curiosity about their products, process and industry as a whole. With their British roots and sustainable practices at the helm, their charcoal is more than just an eco-friendly alternative, but rather an essential ingredient that creates unparalleled flavour.
Scope
- Brand Positioning
- Visual Identity
- Brand Messaging & Tone of Voice
- Website & Asset Design
Our Approach
Brand Positioning
We positioned House of Charcoal as a rebel environmentalist brand — a challenger to cheap, imported charcoal and a champion of British fire-cooking traditions. Their positioning centred around education, sustainability, and flavour — reframing charcoal as a craft, not just a commodity.
Visual Identity
The identity was built to feel raw, elemental, and confident. We drew inspiration from fire rituals, nature, and heritage — balancing bold typographic layouts with atmospheric visuals that evoke heat, stillness, and intention.
Brand Messaging & Tone of Voice
We crafted a tone of voice that felt provocative but informed — serious about sustainability, without sounding sterile. Messaging combined earthy, sensory language with clear storytelling around impact, sourcing, and flavour.
Website & Asset Design
We developed a content-rich website in collaboration with Wiro — built for both ecommerce and education. The site supports product discovery, storytelling, and brand trust, while collateral like pitch decks and packaging assets were designed to scale the experience across physical and digital touchpoints.
The Activation
We've successfully positioned House of Charcoal as a leader in the British charcoal market - growing a community of dedicated fire-cooking enthusiasts, chefs and charcoal producers. Their content strategy continues to test new and exciting ideas, educate and inspire customers, and spread the word of sustainable fire-cooking and big flavour. They continuously reinforce their brand values and mission to buying British and burning British, in efforts to protect future generations and fight against practices that cause harm to nature, people and our planet.
In 2024, House of Charcoal and Developer agency, Wiro, picked up the Ecommerce Startup Website of the Year award from UK Ecommerce Awards, with judges noting:
"The customer journey and storytelling were seamlessly executed and the education led approach to showcasing such a versatile product was both strategic and impactful."
The only thing standing between being an option and becoming the obvious choice is your brand positioning.
