Tim and I left ‘big’ agencies in July 2003. We had already decided to start an agency and we knew the principles on which it would be founded, we just didn’t have a name. It was a sunny Thursday, we were sitting opposite Treohans, having a beer outside the Abbeville and planning our future… an agency that would offer clients everything from strategy, creative and digital through to TV production.

As a local fan, I started waxing about Treohans, how it sells everything you need for successful living. Ironmongery, paint, toys and of course, a delicatessen. If it’s not on the shelf, they’ll normally have it ‘out back’ and on the rare occasions it isn‘t, the friendly response is ’I can get it for tomorrow’. It’s the centre of the community, an independent business owned by friendly people who choose to run it in a way that benefits their customers.

Tim casually pointed out how this mirrored our agency discussion and as the clouds parted, a shard of sunlight illuminated Treohans (not really). While the principles fitted, we felt that calling the agency ‘Treohans’ was as appropriate as calling a cat ‘Ian’ so after a quick ‘name-storm’, The Minimart was born. An agency where a brand can find everything it needs. Where we’re strategic, passionate about creative work, where we write for TV, print and digital, make films and consider the business issues faced by our clients as if they are our own.