Mindsparkle*

logo_image

Abmo

Bordeaux, France

October 29, 2026

Mindsparkle Mag

One Estate, Two Lives: The Identity of Relais du Castelet

Outside Fontvieille, among ancient olive trees, Relais du Castelet is a Provençal table d’hôtes run by self-taught chef Jean-Baptiste Bert and his partner Fanny Martin. Vegetables are harvested a few steps from the kitchen, and Fanny brings a family legacy of regional food preserves to the table. When the house decided to launch its own line of artisanal groceries, it turned to Paris and Bordeaux-based studio Abmo to shape an identity for both the estate and its products.

Abmo framed the brief as one identity with two lives: a place people visit and a range they take home. The visual identity had to feel as natural on a restaurant menu as on a jar of lavender honey sitting on a shelf. Rather than splitting the system in two, the studio built a single toolkit of mark, type and texture that moves freely between the dining room and the grocery range.

Instead of inventing a new icon, Abmo looked to the property itself. An ancient symbol carved into a rock on the estate, read as a fertility motif, was redrawn into a hand-stamped seal. The mark carries the history of the land into every application, from debossed leather to the corner of a business card.

Hand-drawn white logo for Relais du Castelet on a dark green background, showcasing brand identity in restaurant design.
Hand-drawn, earthy brown shapes arranged on a light background, reflecting branding for Relais du Castelet.

The typography sets the tone just as firmly. In place of the polite serifs that usually signal Provençal hospitality, the studio drew condensed capitals by hand and left their edges intentionally worn. The result evokes woodblock printing and gives the wordmark enough weight to hold its own over full-bleed photography, in colour and in black and white.

Collage of textured paper featuring a yellow fertility symbol and bold typography for Relais Castelet en Provence.

The new epicurean range of olive oil, honey and preserves is where the system becomes tactile. Paper labels with raw textures and ink-stamped shapes reflect the honesty of the ingredients inside each bottle and jar. Every product gets its own colour and stamped form, while the shared typography keeps the line recognisable as one family on the shelf.

Three jars featuring hand-drawn typography on labels, showcasing olive oil and citrus jam against a warm brown backdrop.
A dark glass bottle with a cork, featuring a textured white label displaying hand-drawn typography against a warm background.
Three bottles of olive oil with hand-drawn typography and earthy green and yellow labels, showcasing Provençal branding.
Label featuring bold typography and earthy tones, showcasing Provençal olive oil branding.

Beyond the shelf, the identity extends across everything guests touch at the table d’hôtes. Leather menu folders carry a debossed seal, business cards pair the wordmark with the stamped textures, and signage guides visitors through the olive grove to the restaurant. The same restraint runs through each piece, so the estate and its products read as a single, coherent world.

A textured white business card featuring bold black typography for Le Relais du Castelet against a dark brown background.
A textured yellow fertility symbol on a white card, set against a dark brown background, reflects brand identity design.
Brown leather pieces featuring a circular embossed logo, showcasing the elegant simplicity of the Relais du Castelet branding.
A canvas tote bag displaying the hand-drawn typography and earthy colors for Le Relais du Castelet brand identity.
Instagram profile for Relais du Castelet featuring hand-drawn typography and images of food and wine.

Photography by Anne-Cécile Granone rounds out the story, putting the team, the land and the food at the centre. The team appears in branded tees, while the estate’s horses, trees and dirt tracks carry the seal into the landscape. Through careful typography and narrative craft, Abmo turns the culinary heritage of Relais du Castelet into a timeless visual statement.

A smiling young man in a white t-shirt with hand-drawn logo sits against a textured rock surface, captured in black and white.
Two chefs in a minimal kitchen, focusing on their tasks, wearing white shirts and dark aprons, captured in black and white.
A dirt path lined with trees under a cloudy sky, featuring hand-drawn typography for Le Relais du Castelet branding.
A green sign on a tree reads "Accès au Restaurant," set amidst a sunlit Provençal landscape with olive trees.
An artfully arranged dish with layered leaves, garnished with edible flowers, on a textured beige plate.
A white horse stands next to a foal in a field, featuring hand-drawn typography on its side, set against a cloudy sky.

The best of the week. Every Friday.

Includes freebie bundle, unseen BTS insights and more.

We respect your inbox.

close

Submit

Submit your Design case study, Website or Job listing. Request an interview or brand promotion.

Plus

Become a Plus reader. Gain access to exclusive content, featuring unseen project insights and more.

Pro

Join the Pros. Gain maximum visibility on Mindsparkle & access to all premium features.