Firing Up Creativity with Culinary Inspiration

Written by Luisa Gibbons

Culinary creativity with rapid prototyping is central to Cubo’s ability to drive impactful innovation.

Drawing on our team of creative development chefs, extensive global network of product development experts and co-founder Mike’s own background at La Gavroche, we channel culinary insights to inspire your own innovation and R&D teams! Bringing stretch and challenge to uncover new opportunities.

Without a doubt, you are the experts on your categories and brands. Consumers can provide invaluable direction in terms of opportunities for innovation and can even help you to shape the proposition to ensure it delivers. But the creative input and fresh perspective that development chefs can provide can be a gamechanger.

We have heard frustration from several FMCG manufacturers that their (talented but very stretched) R&D teams often end up creating variations on a theme, rather than driving blue-sky innovation. This is often compounded by an essential but time-consuming focus on product reformulation. Even the most creative food developer often gets pushed into this through some of the process and cultural shackles that many rigid innovation processes impose!

Creative chefs don’t suffer these same constraints. They think differently (often more laterally) about developing food and drinks – skills that can effectively complement the technical knowledge and category experience of your team.

They focus on flavour, texture and appearance combinations that will wow, rather than being tied (consciously or not) by what’s gone before and what your brand currently is, allowing exciting new routes to be uncovered.

Co-creation between your teams, consumers and chefs can help fast track development (with rapid prototyping and feedback gained immediately), as well as unlocking new opportunities for growth.