Pre-opening brand strategy for Barm, a wine and ferments bar in Valladolid.
We defined Barm’s brand strategy before opening: what it is, who it’s for, and the voice of a bar specializing in wines, beers, and fermented drinks. Created by two friends who had always dreamed of opening it.
Client
Barm
Sector
Hospitality: wine, beer, and fermented beverage bar
Market
Valladolid
The starting point: two sommeliers and a ferment bar to open in Valladolid
Barm is a wine, beer, and fermented-beverage bar in Valladolid that hosts tastings and workshops to build a community around the products. It was founded by two friends who are sommeliers: he specializes in wine, and she in beer.
The name comes from a little-known English word: the foam that forms during fermentation.
The challenge: making a fermentation bar understood without the posh elitist feel.
In Castile and León, fermented drinks are a rarity in bars and might sound like a health fad or something overly technical. Plus, the city already has wine bars and beer bars with loyal followings.
Barm needed a clear reason for people to change their usual routine. It needed a brand that was professional yet approachable quality without elitism.
What we defined in Barm's brand strategy: positioning, audience, and tone of voice.
I analyzed Valladolid’s culinary scene and defined the brand positioning: a gastro-bar centered on fermentation designed for curious people seeking new flavors without pretension.
I personified the brand through archtypes the Creator and the Explorer archetypes along with various tagline concepts and a tone of voice that was approachable, intelligent, and subtly humorous. I established these guidelines for the menu, signage, website, and social media.
I also pinpointed the brand’s key touchpoints: the storefront, the bar, the moment a customer first opens the menu, and how everything looks in a photograph.
The result: a wine and ferments bar that opened with a clear vision, staying true to its creators and who they are.
Barm opened in Valladolid on June 2, 2026, with fermentation as its distinguishing feature. A phrase from the strategy sums it up: "Living product. Open with curiosity."
The visual identity was designed by TheCloudStudio.
At the Barcelona-based studio By Grá Design, we develop brand strategy, naming, branding, and websites for restaurants and bars across Spain (as well as some in other countries that we’ll share with you as soon as they open).
When a concept is unusual, the strategy needs to explain it before the design does. Barm was a project with a very powerful concept, and we love that we were able to convey it.
What other clients say about the strategy
Finding Itziar from By Grá Design was a stroke of great luck at such a pivotal moment: the launch of a brand created with so much love.
From our very first meeting, we knew she was the one to guide us; her attentiveness, willingness to help, and ability to look beyond the obvious combined with her creativity and efficiency completely won us over, leading us to entrust her with the entire naming and strategy process for our new brand.
Bea Dávalos