So does the website do justice to those history-chasing romantics of homespun cooking?

Upon accessing the homepage, visitors first see high-resolution product shots of typical British food items—apricot and peach preserves, for instance—that entice foodies to bite deeper into the virtual world of Mrs Bridges. The page is set against a soothing color palette consistent with the brand’s overall cream-and-charcoal color scheme. Refraining from using Flash introductions and other gimmicks, the brand has a simple menu bar—with a squiggly font evocative of grandma’s handwriting—and directs visitors to different areas of the site.

With this sales limitation in mind, the brand could also appeal to a larger target demographic by adopting a strategy where gift baskets could be customized for different occasions such as corporate groups, picnics and other events—similar to the locally-sourced food company Origin8.

But what it lacks in salesmanship, the Mrs Bridges website almost makes up for in recipes. This exciting section offers several beautifully photographed recipes and the option of downloading a PDF document of the recipe—a thoughtful gesture adopted by the brand for those who might want to print the recipe or save it for later use.

Unfortunately, the customer’s online experience with the brand ends there. As the website of a heritage brand, one would expect some grandma-like storytelling enlightening customers about the history of the brand. Nowhere on the site does one see any intriguing background story or quirky information about the life of Mrs Bridges or the way in which she nurtured the brand. For a brand built around an actual person with a compelling success story, that is a missed opportunity.

The brand should also invest in additional resources to make the website more interactive. A suggestion box, for example, would allow customers to offer their own new product ideas. A specialty food club similar to the one found on Stonewall Kitchen’s website would be an exciting initiative designed to generate customer loyalty. Or a complimentary club where customers register and interact with each other about recipes and other cooking trivia would be prudent. Also, a newsletter that updates members about developments within the company would ensure the brand stays fresh and relevant in the consumer’s mind.

After all, when branding to customers online, you can’t have too many cooks in the kitchen. Perhaps Mrs Bridges will one day have all of the ingredients for the perfect website recipe.