PROJECT OVERVIEW
Slow Sauce came to me with a bold ambition: to make miso the UK’s new kitchen hero.
They were starting to create beautifully crafted, slow-fermented sauces with a strong point of view but needed clear brand foundations to confidently bring that story to life, stand out in a crowded food space, and support future growth.
I worked with the founders to define Slow Sauce’s brand strategy; purpose, positioning and personality and translate it into clear, practical guidance that could be used across product, packaging, marketing and content.
INDUSTRY
Food & Drink
SECTOR
Slow-crafted condiments / fermentation
SERVICES
Brand Strategy
CLIENT
Slow Sauce
www.slowsauce.co.uk
The food and condiment market is fast, noisy and full of shortcuts. Slow Sauce was intentionally doing the opposite; prioritising time, tradition and craftsmanship. They were starting from scratch and wanted to ensure they built something with meaning from the get go.
The challenge was to:
Clearly position Slow Sauce in a market dominated by convenience and ultra-processed food
Make miso feel accessible, exciting and relevant beyond soup
Balance deep expertise in fermentation with a tone that felt playful, not preachy
The Challenge
Defining the brand foundations
We started by grounding the brand in what Slow Sauce truly stood for.
Through collaborative sessions, we defined three core values that now underpin every decision. These values ensure the brand never tips into being overly serious or exclusive, despite its craft credentials. Keeping Slow Sauce welcoming, human and enjoyable.
Finding Purpose
Slow Sauce’s purpose was defined as:
To cultivate a world where everyone can savour a slower and more flavourful life.
This purpose reflects a broader cultural tension, a world stuck on fast-forward, and positions Slow Sauce as an invitation to slow down, cook with intention and enjoy food that’s been made with care.
It also gave the brand a clear north star: Slow Sauce isn’t here to add more to your plate, it’s here to elevate it.
Establishing Positioning
With the purpose in place, the next step was defining where Slow Sauce sits in the market — and how it clearly stands apart.
Rather than competing on speed, convenience or trend-led health claims, we positioned Slow Sauce around the value of taking your time. A brand that champions craft, flavour and patience in a category dominated by shortcuts.
The positioning balances credibility and approachability, making miso feel exciting and relevant without being intimidating or over-explained. It gives Slow Sauce a clear role in customers’ kitchens and a strong point of view that can stretch across products, packaging and content as the brand grows.
The result is a positioning that’s distinctive, flexible and easy to apply, without needing to spell everything out.
Shaping the Personality
A key part of the work was defining how Slow Sauce shows up — not just what it says, but how it feels to interact with.
The personality was designed to strike a careful balance: knowledgeable without being preachy, playful without undermining credibility. Slow Sauce needed to feel reassuring and trustworthy, while still encouraging curiosity and experimentation in the kitchen.
This resulted in a tone that’s warm, down-to-earth and lightly irreverent. Inviting people in rather than talking at them. The brand communicates with confidence, but never takes itself too seriously, creating space for enjoyment, learning and community.
The Results
Before…
❌ A strong product with a big idea, but no clear brand articulation
❌ Difficulty explaining miso’s value beyond niche audiences
❌ Risk of sounding either too technical or too vague
❌ No single source of truth for brand decisions
❌ No visual identity
After...
✔️ A clear, confident brand strategy rooted in purpose
✔️ Distinctive messaging that makes slow-crafted miso feel exciting and accessible
✔️ A brand personality that balances expertise with humour
✔️ Practical guidelines to support packaging, marketing and growth
✔️ A visual identity that sets it apart from the clinical feeling alternatives on the shelves
This project was about giving Slow Sauce clarity and confidence - not just in what they make, but in how they talk about it and show up in the world.
With clear brand foundations in place, Slow Sauce now has a platform to grow, experiment and build community all while staying true to their slow-crafted ethos.
Ready to take your brand to one of a kind status?
Let’s chat! E-mail me at hello@jennirowemacleod.com to see how I can help or book in a free chat to get started.
