Anneli’s ales
Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:05:00 GMT
Anneli Halliwell (left), who designed a range of beer labels, pulls a pint with brewer Tara Mallinson
TALENTED young designer Anneli Halliwell isn’t a beer drinker – but she used her skills and imagination to come up with combinations of colours and typefaces that sum up the special qualities of a range of connoisseur ales produced by an award-winning Huddersfield brewery.
Some of the most discerning real ale fans around have already encountered Anneli’s designs when they attended the 2011 Oktoberfest, organised by the Huddersfield branch of CAMRA.
Among the beers available at the festival were a range brewed by the Huddersfield-based Mallinsons Brewery Company, established only in 2008 but already noted for its wide range of high quality cask-conditioned real ales.
Owner and head brewer Tara Mallinson wanted to brand her new range of single-hopped beers with pump clips and bottle labels, in time to launch them at the Oktoberfest. So she approached the University of Huddersfield School of Art, Design and Architecture, where a competition was organised among design students. There would be a cash prize and the chance to see the winning designs displayed in pubs and bars.
Anneli, who is from Saddleworth, entered the contest – despite the fact that she doesn’t drink beer! She relied on tasting notes and descriptions of the special qualities of each of the ales to come up with colour schemes that reflected the special qualities of the beers. She also used her special skills in typography to come up with designs for the lettering. They included beers with names such as Brewer’s Gold, Centennial, Citra, Chinook and Amarillo.
Anneli won the competition – just as she was also on her way to gaining a first class honours degree and a coveted Chancellor’s Prize at the University of Huddersfield, for which she had to achieve the feat of averaging marks of 80 per cent or more in her final-year assignments.
Brewer Tara Mallinson commented: “It was really exciting to see the options that the students came up with and it was difficult to choose between them. Anneli’s designs however stood head and shoulders above the rest. She was very attentive to detail and utterly professional in all her dealings – even completing the design work whilst on holiday! We’ve been really impressed and Anneli is now working on bottle designs and other products for us.”
University senior lecturer Margot Swift added: “It’s great to get students to deal directly with clients. They have a different experience of working on design solutions and we encourage collaborations and placement years for all students. They can put their knowledge of markets, consumers and contemporary, fresh design solutions into the real world.”
Although Anneli, now aged 23, will not be sampling the wares, she is delighted by the appearance of the pump clips and labels she designed. She is now a trainee design teacher, gaining experience in a wide range of schools and colleges.
