The first question you might have is, “Why would an agency reveal how they do things?” What benefit do we have from “pulling back the curtain” on our social media agency – to name just one tool we have in our belt – when so much of the marketing industry is so secretive?
Well, we know that marketing agencies can often feel mysterious or intimidating, especially for local, independent pubs and restaurants who may be taking their first step into the world of digital marketing.
At Brew, we do things differently; we pride ourselves on being more human, more transparent, and more grounded in real experience – thanks to our 16 years as a digital marketing agency in hospitality.
So, take a peek behind the curtain and see how we work, who’s doing the do, and why it all matters. You might decide you want to be part of it.
Who we are (and why we exist)
In case this is your first time here, let us introduce ourselves. We’re Brew, a full-service digital marketing agency for pubs, restaurants, and hospitality brands.
Hospitality is at the heart of everything we do, from helping people discover their new favourite pub to incentivising them to share their experience online afterwards, spreading the word to other pub lovers nearby.
Though we’re partial to a bit of quality time at the pub, our experience goes far beyond a packet of scampi fries and an IPA after work. Our team is made up of industry experts with proven success in real-world businesses and digital strategy, from campaign planning and client management to copywriting, design, and paid advertising, to name a few.
We’re also big fans of keeping this industry accessible for everyone, avoiding buzzwords, jargon, and big words for the sake of big words. Who’s that for, really?
The way we work: What it’s like to work with Brew
If you like what you’ve heard so far and think you’d like to work with an agency like us, here’s how we take a potential client from a first chat to a successful marketing campaign.
- Enquiry → Discovery chat: We’ll have a chat – ideally over a cuppa – to discuss what you’re looking for. What can we help you with?
- Brand and audience deep dive: From there, it’s our turn to get to know your business in-depth. What are you trying to achieve, and who do we need to reach?
- Time to strategise: Based on our deep dive, we’ll have agreed on the channels and campaigns we’re looking to support. Here’s where we put an expert plan together.
- Launch, review, improve, repeat: Then, it’s go time! We’ll launch your campaign – whether it’s email marketing, social media, a new website, and more – keeping track of how it’s performing and what can be improved next time before we do it all again.
We’re not the kind of agency who will say yes to something we don’t think we can achieve. We want you at your digital best, and false promises will never get you there. If we think your goals don’t align with our skills, we’ll help you get in touch with experts who can help.
Meet the team (yes, we’re real humans)
There are far too many experts to name, but allow us to introduce just a few of the key people behind the agency:
- Matt: Our Australia-based director, with 25 years of experience in marketing for the likes of the NHS, the BBC, Comic Relief, Goodyear Dunlop, and Lonely Planet. Likely by the pool right now.
- Julie: Our social media specialist. You’ll never catch her in a photo, but if you speak to any of our clients on social media... you’ve likely had a chat with her.
- Scott: Our lead designer, blessed with an eye for brand identity, striking designs, and a passion for style tiles and Swiss design. Don’t ask.
- Adam: Our UK-based technical director, keeping us at the forefront of tech and security in digital marketing. May race NFT horses.
- James: Lead project manager extraordinaire – if he’s managing your project, you know you’re in good hands. Also makes a mean burger.
- Emm: Neurodivergent and proud to be different. A social media strategist who isn’t afraid to bring a splash of colour and dark humour to a meeting – and don’t we need a little more of both in this world?
And that’s really just a handful of people at Brew. Every single member of the team come from creative backgrounds and are experts in their field. They’re weird and wonderful, just how we like them.
What makes Brew different?
If we had to list off a few things, we’d say:
- Our love for content strategy, crafting a brand’s tone of voice, storytelling, and copywriting efforts to bring people through the door.
- Our passion for local, independent businesses and ethical marketing.
- Our flexible, collaborative style; clients are partners, not accounts.
- No one-size-fits-all solutions; every project is shaped around the client, not just the market.
We can also build a pretty great pub website – ask anyone.
Real results, not just pretty posts
We’re not about one-off viral posts – although they’re nice to have now and then. We’re all about building trust and loyalty over time, meaning that the audience you build isn’t going anywhere. Once they’ve bought into what you do and sell, they’re sticking around.
But why tell you when we can show you?
Here’s what our clients have to say after working with us…
Restaurant marketing: Miller & Carter
“We were especially impressed with how Brew embraced new trends and features to promote our brand storytelling, showing that they really understood the assignment. Thanks to Max, Beatrice, and the content team for all of their hard work.” - Ellie Rowell, Marketing Executive
New pub website: 1000 Trades
“The team at Brew are specialists in what they do, and know the hospitality sector inside out. They undertook a deep dive into our business and brand; the result is a website that looks stunning and reflects who we are, and that is easy to update and fine-tuned to drive traffic in an intelligent way.” - John Stapleton, Pub Owner
Hospitality website development: Mitchells & Butlers
“We worked with Brew to deliver a pragmatic and cost-effective solution to updating our dated corporate website… The result is a significantly improved designed, with much improved useability and a consistent look and feel.” - Sophie Chadd, Digital Production Manager
Intrigued? We think you’d love our case studies.
What’s next for Brew?
We have a lot planned for this year and beyond, but here’s a glimpse of what we’re currently focusing on:
- Expanding our client base in the hospitality sector: We added four more brands to our client portfolio recently!
- Further honing our niche: Understanding the hospitality sector on a deeper level by becoming industry leaders, creating the new Pints & Profits Report; providing insight into the state of digital marketing in hospitality with actionable recommendations for pubs and restaurants.
- Improving work-life balance: We’re leading the charge as one of the first agencies in the UK to work to a nine-day fortnight, meaning every two weeks is a four-day week!
- Inspiring and training the future: We’re continuing to work with local universities, like Birmingham City University, to offer marketing graduates opportunities beyond lectures and into the real world.
- Winning awards: We were the winner of Digital Marketing Agency of the Year at the 2025 We Are Creative Awards, and were also finalists for the Midlands Marketing Awards, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Awards, and the Birmingham Awards.
If you want to be part of all of that… let’s chat! No pressure. No hard sell. It can be as easy as chatting about your business over a pint at the local pub. In fact, we’d recommend it.
Hospitality is personal – so is our work
We truly believe that marketing – and really, any partnership or workplace – should feel human, not corporate. That’s part of why we’re giving you insight into who we are and how we work.
First and foremost, we’re people. Our love of digital marketing and everything that comes with it is secondary. We’re hoping you feel the same way about yourself.
Great marketing starts with a good conversation, and hopefully a brew.
Go on – we're buying.
Matt Bowell
Matt has been in marketing for 25 years, clocking up many years for institutions like the NHS, the BBC, Comic Relief, Goodyear Dunlop, and Lonely Planet in the UK and abroad. Matt leads the client service team as one of Brew’s directors.
