Granite 5 turns 27: looking back on a year to remember
Granite 5 has just turned 27!
That’s 27 years of websites, campaigns and digital projects, and of working with some truly brilliant clients.
To mark the occasion, here’s a look back at where it all started, what’s changed, and the year we’ve just had.
Where it all began
Back in 1999, our founder Jill Davies came across websites and was instantly hooked. A former commercial pilot with no coding experience, she taught herself HTML and started building sites for local businesses. In those days, simply having a website could give a business a real head start.
Our name came along a little later, over a summer BBQ. A team member’s horse was called Granite, and there were five people around the BBQ. Granite 5 was born.
27 years of change (and counting)
A lot has happened since that first dial-up connection. Search changed how people find businesses. Smartphones put the web in everyone’s pocket. Social media arrived, paid channels grew, and data became part of every good decision. Most recently, AI has started to change how people search, discover and choose.
We’ve gone from building pages with HTML tables to creating bespoke WordPress websites and helping clients prepare for AI search. Every shift has been a reason to learn something new, and to help our clients feel confident about it too.
It’s one of the things we enjoy most about working in digital: there’s always something new to learn.
Highlights from our 27th year
Our 27th year has been a busy and happy one, with a few moments we’re especially proud of.
- A new Managing Director. In January, Sue Roochove stepped up from Head of Client Services to Managing Director, having led the launch of our Digital Growth Service.
- Agency of the Year. We were named The Strategist 2026 Digital Marketing Agency of the Year (UK).
- An international award. Our website for Vitae picked up a Web Excellence Award, recognising a project the whole team was proud of.
We also made time to get together as a team. Our sunny punting trip along the Cam is still a team favourite, and a good reminder of how lucky we are to call Cambridge home.
Growing alongside our clients
Our WordPress websites have been at the heart of Granite 5, and they still are. Over 27 years we’ve kept adapting as digital technology has moved on, so the sites we create today are modern, accessible and easy for teams to manage, and ones our clients are proud to share.
As digital has evolved, so has the way we work. That’s why our Digital Growth Service is now just as important to us. As our clients’ Digital Growth team, we bring strategy, search, content, campaigns, conversion and data together in one ongoing programme, helping the right people find them and turning visits into real results.
The two go hand in hand. A great website gives growth a strong foundation, and ongoing growth work keeps that website improving month after month.
What hasn’t changed
The technology may look completely different, but the heart of Granite 5 is the same. We still live by our values of People, Results, Innovation, Diversity and Excellence. We still treat every client project as if it were our own. And we’re still a close-knit team, with people like Ricky, who joined us as an apprentice back in 2011, growing their careers with us.
We’re still proudly rooted in Cambridgeshire too, working with charities, membership organisations, science and tech businesses and B2B companies, many of whom have been with us for years. Those long friendships mean more to us than any award.
Here’s to the next chapter
A huge thank you to everyone who has been part of the Granite 5 story: our clients, partners, friends and, of course, our wonderful team, past and present. We couldn’t have reached 27 without you.
In our founder, Jill’s words, “After 27 years in digital, one thing has certainly stayed the same: digital never stands still. Neither do we.”
Here’s to year 28, and all the exciting things it will bring. If you’d like to talk about what’s next for your organisation, we’d love to hear from you.
