A Keene-based bakery recently celebrated seven years of success with a revamp of their product packaging labels (see our previous article, here). The new packaging showcases ongoing collaboration with label manufacturer Electronic Imaging Materials (EIM), as well as a promising career kickoff for recent alumni from Keene State College. 
Owner and head baker Brittany Migneault started The Bread Shed (TBS) at age 22. A 2012 Outlook newsletter case study described how TBS initially turned to EIM to solve a packaging dilemma for one of their bread varieties, Focaccia. The Italian flatbread is lightly brushed with oil and minced garlic, and then sprinkled with rosemary and kosher salt. EIM developed a custom label that could handle incidental ingredient exposure.
Migneault also worked with local designer Peter Harris to develop an eye-catching biscotti box. Each variety incorporates color-coded bands printed by EIM. Because the bands are digitally printed, they can easily be produced in limited edition quantities. This enables not only year-round varieties such as Almond and Chocolate Hazelnut but also seasonal specialties like Pistachio Cardamom and Orange Walnut.
For further collaboration, EIM encouraged Migneault to reach out to Keene State College, where EIM has offered internships for over a decade. She commissioned a series of sketches of TBS team members from art/design student Gavin Schlerf. These sketches became the inspiration for the new cookie packaging design, featuring a different sketch on each colorful cookie package from Oatmeal Raisin to Pumpkin Chip.
Cecilia Sica Robinson, who was finishing a degree in Sustainable Product Design, helped develop a prototype label that fit the sketches around the cookie shapes. She also recommended a special textured paper that helps convey local and rustic. KSC Graphic Design senior Paige Bourne finalized the designs so they could be digitally printed in any quantity needed. Both Bourne and Robinson joined EIM fulltime upon graduation.
As TBS continued to expand toward the seacoast, Migneault envisioned how the shared experience from the previous packaging projects could be applied to her core product lines of sliced and traditional Italian bread. She developed initial concepts using her own self-taught Adobe Illustrator skills, and then refined them through focus groups with friends, family, and other designers. Paige Bourne converted her concepts from “on-screen” to “on-package” prototypes and applied fully the developed design to over a dozen different color-coded varieties.
“Locally baked” is now prominently displayed at the top of each label, with accent circles highlighting health benefits such as non-GMO, vegan, dairy-free, and low-sodium. Though the packaging is new-and-improved, Migneault notes that the product inside has not changed, still reflecting recipes learned from her uncle Glenn Loati of La Panciata bakery in central Vermont.
As it enters its 32nd year in Keene, EIM is proud to continue to help grow a vibrant local business environment where young professionals and entrepreneurs can thrive. Do you have a labeling vision that needs nurturing? Call The Label Experts at EIM for help every step of the way.
