Food Innovation Solutions

Ahh garlic 🧄 a store cupboard staple and hero of the kitchen for millions of households!

To celebrate , we asked our Head Development Chef Ben Rowland to create a mouth-watering recipe spotlighting the magic ingredient.

He did not disappoint with his Roast Garlic, Rosemary & Fino Focaccia, served with Wild 3-Cornered Leek Flower & Herb Butter - yum! 🤤

Congrats KellyDeli on the launch of Kelly’s Market in partnership with Tesco 👏 We're super proud to have been a part of this project, from concept to launch!

Kelly’s Market is a vibrant grab-and-go food offer bringing delicious hot and cold food from all corners of the world! Customers can choose from over 60 dishes ranging from Southeast Asian street food to Mexican comfort food, available in-store, through Click & Collect and delivery.

The first Kelly’s Market is open in Wokingham Tesco, with a further nine pilot stores set to open across 2023 🙌

We’re very proud to announce our first proprietary brand launch! As our customer base knows, we don’t just like to talk about innovation at FIS Group - we believe you have to land it. With entrepreneurialism at our core, in 2020, we launched our first virtual brand and operated a dark kitchen for six months as an internal test and learn to become true experts in this space. Since then, it’s long been our ambition to develop and launch our own proprietary brand into the retail market.

Last year Food Innovation Solutions director Danny Butt was selected to sit on a panel of experts whose goal was to explain the meteoric rise of the 6th sense, kokumi, and expand on its potential benefits when considered in product development.

Fast forward two months and our MD Kelly Dowson was inspired by the power of kokumi and its close relationship with umami. Using our expert team of researchers and product developers, we discovered that a unique combination of umami and kokumi could be formed in very specific applications to become what we believe could be the 7th sense... 'KUNAMI'!

Kelly was so passionate about this discovery that she set the task of bringing 'kunami' to market and to life through a product launch...

So without further adieu, we’re pleased to announce the launch of “Dowson's Kunami Gin”, infused with parmesan rind and a proprietary mix of glutamate-rich ingredients. Dowson's is a luxurious drink to enjoy as an aperitif and engage your flavour receptors. We recommend having it over ice with neutral tonic water and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Launching on our website and nationally on 01/04/2023 and available for £34.99 a bottle.

*For one week only, use the code “APRILFOOLS” for a 20% discount*

‘Fusion’ has become a divisive word in the culinary world.

The term dates back to the ‘80s when chefs like Roy Yamaguchi and Wolfgang Puck began to combine flavours from different cultures, creating innovative dishes that quickly g*ined popularity across the US.

As the trend g*ined traction across the globe, in a bid to stand out, an increasing number of chefs began haphazardly combining ingredients that didn’t necessarily work well together. By the ‘90s, fusion food had fallen out of style.

Fast forward to today, and fusion cuisine is back in the consciousness of a new generation seeking fresh, innovative dining experiences.

Our latest blog explores three trends emerging from the fusion cuisine genre - Wafu Italian cuisine, third-culture cuisine, and chaos cooking. Read here: http://ow.ly/Mkgg50Nfa27

Image source: PastaRAMEN

Great to see Sainsbury's continue its initiative to cut down single-use plastic from their stores.

The retailer has already removed plastic wrapping from loose fruit, vegetable and bakery items, and eliminated black plastic from its chilled ready meals, but moving to vacuum-packed minced beef in place of the plastic tray that we are used to will save an incredible 450 tonnes of plastic annually!

The innovation also means there is no air for the product to spoil, plus the packages are smaller, giving customers more room in their fridges and freezers. Bravo 👏

http://ow.ly/ieIY50N5L1J



Image source: Sainsbury's