The Alexir Partnership were delighted to be approached by top packaging designers Ziggurat Brands to join them in the development of eye-catching, premium packaging for the well-known brand ‘Tom’s Pies’.
This famous pie brand was founded in 2006 by chef Tom Cull, later joined by Tom Little, and started by supplying local delicatessens and foodservice. Tom’s Pies are created from only the best and freshest ingredients, sourced locally wherever possible. These multi-award winning pies, lovingly handmade in Devon, quite clearly needed the best packaging for their next steps into the retail market and Ziggurat Brands cherry-picked Alexir for their expertise in the food packaging market.
Evidently such an exquisite brand design from Ziggurat demanded a top quality constructional design and sophisticated finish to convey this premium theme. Great preparation was required by the print team at Alexir to achieve the exact colour matches and led to six colours plus varnish with foil blocking to shadow the brand name. There was also embossing on the ‘rolling pin’ to further enhance its tactile appeal. As well as the premium finishing, the brand owners were looking for an ‘opening experience’ like no other pie brand in the market place. Ziggurat were keen to explore an idea they had which revolved around a perforated opening.
The perforated opening was achieved by working closely with the team at Alexir, whose expertise in cardboard engineering and understanding of packaging line capabilities proved invaluable. Labelled ‘The Grand Opening’, perforations were integrated into the design from the top flap through to the bottom of the front face of the pack, allowing the consumer to open the whole pack to reveal the pie nestled on a background of the story of Tom’s Pies printed on the reverse of the board. Tom’s Pies has since secured a listing for a range of five pies in the online retailer Ocado: Steak & Ale, Chicken & Wild Mushroom, Chicken, Ham Hock & Leek, Lamb with Chickpea & Chorizo, Mushroom & Spinach with White Truffle Oil (rsp £3.49/ 260g).
