Givaudan’s New Chef’s Council brings chefs to the Flavour Supplier World

Givaudan has launched the Givaudan Chef’s Council, a diverse team of culinary experts who will serve as an extension of Givaudan’s culinary staff. This programme, unique to the flavour industry, is designed to focus on culinary trends, stimulate creativity and enhance innovation in the development of new culinary concepts. The Givaudan Chef’s Council is comprised of a rotating panel of Chefs from Europe and the United States, from prominent restaurants as well as internationally renowned culinary schools, including The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

The kickoff of the Chef’s Council will take place in January 2002 in Cincinnati, in the form of a collaborative session between Givaudan and the CIA. The session will focus on global culinary trends.

"The CIA’s faculty brings their industry experience through programmes to Givaudan and also directly to our clients. We, on the other hand can enhance their faculty’s knowledge of the utilization of flavours, ingredients, and technologies," said Jeff Peppet, Director, Marketing Communications, Givaudan Flavours.

Givaudan’s Chef’s Council will serve as an adjunct to Givaudan’s internal culinary resources for training, ideation, concept development, product development, and trend analysis. The Chef’s Council will both participate in and actively contribute to the identification of innovative locations for Givaudan TasteTreks™. The Chefs will help to determine gold standard products " ingredients, dishes and recipes used to measure the quality of the manufactured product.

"This concept was developed to take Givaudan’s culinary expertise to the next level, further differentiating Givaudan’s culinary leadership in the packaged goods and foodservice industries" said Louie D’Amico, VP Sweet Goods/Savoury Business Unit, Givaudan Flavours.

With the establishment of the Givaudan Chef’s Council, Givaudan has found a unique way to respond to current food and future global trends. "While Givaudan’s Chefs have already established Givaudan Flavours as the leader in creation, technology and innovation within the food industry," adds D’Amico, "the Chef’s Council is an important resource that will bring the latest ingredients, cooking techniques and trends in cuisine to our culinary team and our customers. Together we will utilise all of these resources to develop food products that delight consumers’ palates."

"The typical American restaurant consumer has evolved," adds Peppet. "Consumer spending at restaurants amounts to 45% of the nation’s food dollar spending. What chefs are offering at various foodservice levels has led to increased interest in taste variety and experiences. The Givaudan Chef’s Council will bring this valuable outside experience to our own chefs and flavourists, and in a common effort we can serve our clients’ needs even better."

Givaudan has decided to keep the panel flexible in composition as well as regional representation in order to respond most effectively to regional and global trends.

The Givaudan Chef’s Council’s first two chefs were announced;

Hervé This joins the Givaudan Chef’s Council with a unique background consisting of Science, Literature and Journalism. He is active in the field of Molecular and Physical Gastronomy, and teaches, lectures and researches at scientific institutions in France, among other countries. This hosts his own TV programmes, has written several books on the subjects of science and gastronomy, and also pens two monthly columns in Pour la Science and Thuriès Magazine.

David Cooke, owner and chef of Cincinnati’s hot spot Daveed’s, is a gastronomic pioneer. "We really wanted to have a local chef with whom we could consult quickly, perhaps for a client brainstorming session," said Peppet of Cooke. David’s extraordinary perception of how to simply combine flavour and texture results in culinary treats that trigger every sense, and intrigue his customers again and again.

Givaudan combines the rich heritage of flavours with culinary expertise and innovative, cutting-edge technology, in its commitment to building true business partnerships with customers and in "Creating Sensory Advantage" for the global marketplace. Givaudan is a world leader in the flavour and fragrance industry.

Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor’s and associate degrees in baking and pastry arts and culinary arts. A network of more than 34, 000 alumni in foodservice and hospitality has helped the CIA earn its reputation as America’s centre for culinary education. Courses for foodservice professionals are offered at the college’s main camps in Hyde Park, NY, and at its branch for continuing education, the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, CA. For more information, visit the CIA Web site.

For further information please contact
Jeff Peppet, Flavour Communications
T +1 513 948 5655
E jeff.peppet@givaudan.com