Case Study: Three Valleys Gin

Website Design & Development | e-Comm | 2024

1. Project Overview

Rick Stein at Coogee Beach is a premium coastal restaurant by world-renowned chef Rick Stein, set on Sydney’s iconic beachfront. The team required a sophisticated yet understated website that reflected the brand’s focus on fresh seafood, coastal living and effortless elegance.

The goal was to create an online presence that felt authentic to the Stein philosophy - simple, honest, and beautifully executed - while building anticipation ahead of launch and providing an intuitive booking journey for guests.

2. The Challenge

The brief demanded a fine balance between premium design and relaxed coastal charm. The site needed to:

• Translate a well-established global brand for a new Australian audience.

• Showcase cinematic imagery and video without compromising page speed.

• Feel inviting and editorial, with subtle nods to the sea and seasonal dining.

• Integrate seamlessly with booking and mailing systems to drive conversions from day one.

3. The Approach

The process began with a full creative discovery - exploring the restaurant’s story, coastal setting, and the culinary legacy behind the Stein name.

Design Direction
A soft, ocean-inspired palette of sand, white and deep blue was paired with elegant serif typography and full-bleed imagery. The layout prioritised space and storytelling, allowing photography and video to convey the experience without clutter.

Build & Integration

• Developed on Squarespace 7.1 with custom CSS for flexibility and performance.

• Integrated SevenRooms booking flow and Contacta eDM capture.

• Added SEO-focused page structure for menus, events and booking visibility.

• Embedded a hero video header and responsive gallery optimised for mobile.

• Installed Google Analytics 4 and UTM tracking for campaign insights.

4. The Outcome

Share tangible results and impact:

• Metrics (if available): “+45% increase in online bookings within 3 months.”

• Qualitative results: “Improved brand consistency,” “Simplified booking process,” “Positive client feedback.”

• Before/After visuals: Great to show the transformation side by side.

The new site launched alongside the restaurant’s pre-opening social campaign and quickly became the brand’s digital focal point.

Results:

• Over 1M social impressions driven to the site during launch week.

• High conversion from early-access enquiries to confirmed bookings.

• Strong organic SEO results, with the site ranking first for “Rick Stein Coogee Beach.”

• Positive feedback from stakeholders and guests for its clarity, tone and design.

6. Tools & Tech

• Squarespace 7.1 • Custom CSS • Google Analytics 4 • SevenRooms • UTM Tracking • Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom