Once a poor substitute, the quality and desirability of meat analogs have evolved so that it can be difficult to distinguish the plant-based product from the real thing–causing an explosive rise in popularity. But consumers have already begun asking what’s next beyond mimicking meat? Surprisingly, the answer is not what we are making next, but how we are making what’s next.
If we expect consumers to transform their diets then it’s time to find innovative ways of creating tasty, nutritious and fun food that’s good for you and good for the planet. Challenge accepted!
Consumers have expressed concern over the amount of processing it takes to get from a pea to a product like a plant-based burger, even going as far as to believe anything that tastes great must be “ultra-processed”, affecting their willingness to purchase. We understand this desire for simple, recognizable ingredients in products that are created with familiar cooking techniques that you would use in your kitchen. Our concepts surprise and delight thanks to the creativity of our chefs, drawing inspiration from centuries old culinary traditions around the world to expose the true potential of each ingredient.
The word from Nutritionists on the importance of fruit and vegetables in your daily diet? Make sure you get your five-a-day, and eat a range of colours. Our chefs use pulses, grains and vegetables that are minimally processed and that you would find in your kitchen cupboard and make them delicious.
In order to create the food of the future, we must look to the past. We are integrating the rich culinary heritage of cultures around the world in combination with deep understanding of local consumer preferences for flavor profiles rooted in tradition but reimagined for the future.
Part of our design thinking approach begins by looking at product design from farm to fork in order to understand the implications of the ingredients that we would need to source. From the protein source to the flavorful ingredients, enhancing biodiversity is central to our Chefs’ approach.
We didn’t want to just talk about what’s next, we want to start creating it now. We first chose the hand-held or nugget format, with the added requirement of being plant-based, when challenging ourselves to imagine the future. But why a nugget?
Their coating allows for interesting textures like crunch without sacrificing succulence or freshness. They also needing to retain heat to meet consumer expectations.
Consumed on the go, as a quick snack at home, or even as complete meals for kids–a good nugget must perform under all scenarios to be successful in the market.
We created six delicious next nugget concepts we’d love to share with you. Each exemplifies how together with our forward-thinking chefs we can accelerate innovation through creative ideation and rapid-prototyping to create your food for the future. To learn more, use the form below to get in touch.