One of the things we love most at Quattro Foods is developing bespoke recipes for our customers.
As one of the UK’s leading food manufacturers and suppliers we create tailored food solutions for retailers, including independent restaurants and leading high-street chains and supermarkets. You tell us what your customers want to eat, and we come up with creative ideas that will keep them happy.
We conceive the ideas for your sauces, soups, fillings, curries, pastes and desserts and then we set about sourcing the ingredients from local suppliers, and getting to work in the kitchen to create your product.
Our end-to-end service begins with conception and culminates in the production and distribution of your product.
And the best bit?
What’s the most important aspect of any food? The taste, of course. So how do we make sure we’ve got the combination of flavours and textures just right? And not just in the opinion of the chefs who create the products! How do we gather wider opinion to make sure that the customer gets the best product? We hold team tasting sessions – which are by far and away our favourite days at Quattro HQ!
Tasting sessions
Self-confessed perfectionists, we will not sign off a product until we’ve got majority opinion on its taste. Only glowing reviews across the board from discerning foodies give us the ‘go ahead’. From blind tastings to more structured, formal sessions, tasting days are taken extremely seriously in our sector and as passionate food-lovers in and out of work, every Quattro team member fully understands the importance of getting this right.
All quiet on the tasting front
When some senses are at peace, others become heightened. So make sure the sight, smell and hearing of your tasters are not overworked, especially smell, which can affect the impact of the taste. Keep the room quiet and free of aromas or noisy distractions. It feels like the kitchen is the most practical and most obvious place for a tasting session, but in reality, with all audio and olfactory distractions considered, it’s possibly the worst place for it, so find a quiet, aroma-free room.
Water works
Tasters should drink water at room temperature between samples to clear their palette.
Use utensils wisely
Avoid disposables. Not only do they taste of wood or plastic and can alter the taste of the product, they are also extremely unhealthy for the environment.
Hunger games
Your tasters should avoid eating or drinking for a couple of hours ahead of the session, so they come armed with a fresh palette that’s ready to taste at its best.
The order of the day
What to taste first? More subtle flavours should be at the top of the menu, with spice at the end, especially ginger, chilli or mint or other strong, distracting flavours.
Only taste?
No, there’s so much more to consider! The appearance of the products should be assessed along with the aroma, texture, ideal portion size and then you can move onto the flavours and finally the aftertaste – is anything lingering? And is it unpleasant?
What’s in a word?
Each product should be categorised by taste groups: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami/savouriness.
The Quattro team is in the business of offering our customers the best food, so we get tasting and testing so you can get eating – enjoy!