Pete’s Interview with
Restaurants Brighton
By Nico of Restaurants Brighton, 8 May 2024
Occupation: Founder and Director, Good Noise
Meet Peter Collingridge, one of the visionaries behind Good Noise, a cutting-edge hospitality branding agency based in vibrant Brighton. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for creativity, Peter leads a team of talented professionals dedicated to crafting unforgettable brand experiences for clients in the hospitality industry. Drawing inspiration from the eclectic energy of Brighton and the ever-evolving landscape of the hospitality sector, Peter brings a fresh perspective and innovative approach to every project.
Tell us about what you do and how you can
help hospitality businesses?
We’re branding and design agency specialising in hospitality. We do all sorts of things including brand strategy and services that include designing menus, logos, websites, signage, wall art and more, but what we really do is help businesses to connect and form a relationship with their customers in a meaningful way.
This is what we love about what we do because it means we really get to know our clients and their business well as part of the process.
Why is your business hospitality specific?
Well partly by luck and partly by design. Steve (my business partner and co-founder at Good Noise) spent many years heading up the branding team for an interior design company that was hospitality focused and in doing so built up a large amount of experience and connections in the sector, so it was always the obvious to continue with that when we started Good Noise, plus we love the eating out! But the main reason is that we love the people in hospitality. They are an amazing mix of people from all different backgrounds but are united by shared passion for they do in a way that you just don’t see in other sectors.
Why is branding and design so critical for marketing success?
There are so many (pretty geeky) layers and ways to answer this question and we don’t want to send your readers to sleep!
But, a simple answer is that the right branding sends a message to your customers that tells them that you are ‘their sort of people or business”, and that makes them want to be a part of what you’re doing.
Design is how we communicate that message and ultimately give them a great experience. So, if you’re branding doesn’t connect with your potential customers, then you are going to have to work so much harder to get them to pay attention to your marketing in the first place and ultimately give you a try. In short, if you are investing in marketing with the wrong branding then it may end up being a costly but ineffective approach.
Which brands in Brighton do you work with?
We’ve been lucky enough to work with so many great people and brands in Brighton over the years. A few are: Burnt Orange, Wild Flor, Furna, Tutto, Chilli Pickle, Julien Plumart, Capsule Records, The Foghorn, as well as few London brands too including Jose Pizarro who we are working with on a completely new concept.
We are also currently working with an amazing Brighton institution on a rebrand, but it’s still under wraps so we can’t share just yet – we are really excited about the brand launch.
The next new concept opening we have is a coffee house in George Street, Hove called ‘Chasing Rabbits’. It’s going to be a must visit for coffee enthusiasts!
Is there a hospitality project that you are especially proud of?
We are proud of all our projects, however big or small, but one that really stands out is working with Dave Mothersill on his restaurant, Furna. The attention to detail throughout Furna is just incredible. An example would be that the gold thread that formed part of our brand design was carried through and incorporated into the design of the bespoke furniture.
Dave was really open to different ideas and little details that would elevate the customer experience like the handmade bill slip boxes we had commissioned – It’s pretty rare to have that level of freedom so it was a real joy!
Where would you like to go and eat next?
The BIG question! We are very lucky in Brighton to have so many amazing restaurants and especially independents. The downside of that is that you have to make some difficult choices when it comes to eating out! One place that I haven’t visited yet is No No Please on Preston Street, so that’s probably my next meal out.
That said, I’ve always got a big list of old and new favourites and ‘not tried yet’ to work through!