Issuer: The Food Nursery
Issued: 19th of Feb 2010

Unique NPD agency The Food Nursery opens

London 13th 2010.  Today new food and drink innovations agency The Food Nursery throws opens its doors for business. Specialising in evolving good food ideas for the food and drink industry, The Food Nursery is where new food and drink ideas are born, and is one of only a handful of dedicated food and drink innovators on the entire planet.

Born out of a culinary friendship that spans a decade, founders Greg Wixted (ex marketing & advertising agency head)  & Calum Watson (Ex award winning chef for Marco Pierre White and food innovator)  have worked together for much of that decade and first met when Wixted was called upon to handle the marketing of Watson’s restaurant group.

Over the past 6 months they have worked on the concept and client offering of The Food Nursery and gathered their team of experts into the fold. The Food Nursery boasts some of the best names in the food business and coupled with a team of strategic marketing experts they are set to feed the imagination of the food and drink industry. The team have all worked with an impressive array of clients and brands Wixted heads the Culinary Thinkers (marketers) team and Watson the Culinary Innovators (chefs & foodies).

The process is simple, putting together panels of food experts, chefs and marketers that can span every food and drink category so its gives clients truly knowledgeable innovators and thinkers.

When is comes to research The Food Nursery has put together consumer panels,  a kids tasting, super cooks mum  and panels to bounce our ideas off. Throughout the process the research teams test the concepts and products with target audiences to gain real in depth insight and understanding.

Commenting on the launch Greg Wixted said ‘ NPD is key to not only keeping your current customer but winning new ones, but for some companies it can be a slow process. We’ve created a global network of recognisable, award winning and qualified chefs, food scientists, demonstrators, food writers and food critics and consumer insights experts, so we know we have the very best people innovating on our client’s behalf and we do it faster with our fast track innovation cycle, saving time and money.’

Leading the Culinary Innovations team is Calum Watson, previously Executive Head Chef & Director of Operations of world-renowned culinary genius Marco Pierre-White’s entire business.  At his side are some of the leading chefs including:  Nancy Lam , restaurateur and TV chef, Nick Munier the face of the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, Michelin Starred chef Graham Flannery and Fiona Hunter one of the UK leading food nutritionists are just some of the 100 innovators in their network.

Leading the Culinary Thinkers team will be Greg Wixted, who has worked at two of the world’s leading agencies and was heading a UK based agency and is also a trained chef is supported by  team of  10 marketers who include;  ex agency planners, innovations & insights experts and copy & concept writers who between them have worked on such brands as Nestle, The National Dairy Council, The Meat & Livestock Commission, Unilever, Masterfoods, PepsiCo, Danone, Scottish & Newcastle, Welch’s, KFC, Interbrew, Gerber Foods, Unilever, Coke and Alpen.  Look in any kitchen cupboard, whether domestic or professional, and you’ll find products that have their creative stamp all over them.

“The Food Nursery knows that consumers the world over have very different tastes and needs; we have the global experience to ensure everyone’s palate is satisfied. We have taken this knowledge of diversity and put it into creating practical yet pioneering services for our clients

but most importantly everything we do is backed up with consumer insight and feedback.” Says Waston.

The agency offers 6 core services including for its launch and will be developing more. It is currently working on setting up a food trends panel and will also be launching an office in Dublin at the end of January 2010

Core services include:

·         Recipe Development

·         Food Idea Generation Days 

·         Six-Week Fast Track Innovation Cycle

·         Restaurant & Food Retail Concepts

·         Food Service Solutions

·         NPD product consumer testing

Whether working with clients to inspire, create and develop innovative products and services, strategic food product development or creating recipe development, idea generation or gaining consumer insights the Food Nursery brings real measurable results and a clear way forward for their clients.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

·         For more information, case studies, full credentials visit the  www.thefoodnursery.co.uk

·         Amanda Rogers +442071937057 or amanda@thefoodnursery.com

·         Both Wixted & Watson are available for interview

·         Follow us on: Facebook Food Nursery  and Twitter.com/thefoodnursery