Reignite senses with exciting new products

By Nicholas Robinson

- Last updated on GMT

Consumers are becoming bored with 'dull' everyday food, says Young
Consumers are becoming bored with 'dull' everyday food, says Young

Related tags Food manufacture group Chocolate

Food manufacturers must work harder to excite “bored” consumers and find ways to engage their senses, master chocolatier Paul A Young said following his involvement in Tate Britain’s Sensorium exhibition in London.

Consumers were getting fed up with the everyday food and drink products they consumed, said Young, who produced a range of chocolates that tasted like earth for the exhibition. Sensorium runs until September 20 and aims to awaken people​s senses through sight, sound, taste, touch and smell.

“Piquing consumer interest doesn’t have to mean doing something complicated,” ​said Young, who owns a London-based chain of four chocolate shops.

‘Simple’

“It can be as simple as putting two cocoa beans into a bar of chocolate for consumers, who may have never seen a cocoa bean, to eat with the chocolate bar.

“You could also consider making the wrapping smell of a contrasting scent to the chocolate inside.”

Other ideas he suggested included providing consumers with a deconstructed product, which they could put together in different ways to achieve various flavours and taste profiles.

It was also important to try to make food fun, he added. “We need to eat every day and that won’t change, so why not try to inject a little fun into the activity?

‘Bring back the fun’

“People talk about food a lot and we need to bring the fun back. It’s not just about business – we need to make money – let’s try and get the fun back,”​ he added.

How neuroscience is changing food design will be one of the topics at the Food Manufacture Group’s one-day food innovation conference, New Frontiers in Food and Drink, on Thursday, March 17 at etc venues in London.

Other topics on the day include: Combining culinary science with technology; Personalised nutrition; Insects in food; and What role for 3D printing in food?

For more information, contact Food Manufacture’s editor Rick Pendrous by email: Rick.Pendrous@wrbm.com or by phone: 01293 610231.

Related news

Show more

Follow us

Featured Jobs

View more

Webinars

PRODUCTS & SERVICES