“Father Simon was open to being challenged”; Wonderhood brands a Soho church coffee shop

“Pick up a double ender then buy a double espresso” is a line of copy that features in a new brand identity for Sacred Grounds, a coffee shop owned, run and housed by St Anne’s Church in London’s Soho. The tone is “knowingly a bit provocative” says Wonderhood Design, the studio behind the work – but so is Soho. With the venture being community-driven, Wonderhood decided to tap into that history, delivering the name, logo, bespoke fonts, colour palette and advised interior and exterior design.

“As we were defining the brief, it became quickly apparent that the tone and copy would have to do several things,” says Wonderhood. “We had to land the fact that we are serving great coffee, showcase the links to St Anne’s Church, but also celebrate the fact that we’re in the heart of Soho.” Some core aspects that Wonderhood wanted to capture was the LGBTQIA+ community, sex shops, and the coming together of cultures.

“Father Simon was open to being challenged with the tone, and with St. Anne’s being an inclusive church, we wanted to celebrate the history of the area without judgement.” It boils down to a fairly simple goal, to welcome people in the space.

The design lifts “classical cues and ornate details” from the church and sets them in the local context with copy and colour choices. Trendy coffee shop must-haves like merch were also considered, with tote bags and clothing available for purchase in Sacred Grounds cafe.

“There’s already 100s of cookie-cutter coffee shops in central London, so it was important that the headlines grabbed the attention of the Soho community in a way that’s tonally distinctive, memorable and fun. We wanted to add a sense of personality and playfulness to what can be quite a minimal approach to the local independent coffee shops.”

Sacred Grounds is the first work to come from Neighbourly Fund, an annual pro-bono design initiative by Wonderhood Design focused on supporting local Soho businesses, specifically helping increase chances of success in a “landscape dominated by chain establishments”.