A group of pioneering farmers had an exceptional breed of lamb and more than 200 proposed names, none of them right. We saw the challenge differently.

Talking with chefs revealed that value wasn’t simply about provenance. It was care, time and connection with the people behind the ingredient that mattered. In their eyes, the farmer is the hero.

So the strategy wasn’t price, scarcity or fine dining cues. It was to make the people the brand. The ‘Luminaries’ — a cast of true-to-life characters — ran through the name, mark, narrative and operational standards (The Lumina Way), creating a system that carried the story from breeding to plate.

Sales rose 200%. Revenue 300%.