Israeli heroes in the kitchen
Israeli FoodTech, vegan food producers and private chefs have united to fuel frontline soldiers and evacuees with nutritious free from meals, including chocolate muffins made with JO-MO dairy- and sugar-free chocolate.
Following the devastating events of 7 October, a restaurant kitchen in the heart of Tel Aviv became one of many turned into a command centre dedicated to churning out meals to sustain the 400,000+ soldiers, reservists and support personnel mobilised to the front lines, as well as the half-million Israeli families forced to evacuate their homes.
Omer Tal, head chef and culinary consultant for Redefine Meat, orchestrated this mountainous task and brought together a collaborative of Israeli FoodTech startups, vegan food producers and 100s of volunteers and private chefs.
“Even while in a state of shock, trying to contain the horrific events that took place, it was clear to me that we would not be returning to any form of routine soon,” said Chef Tal.
“I felt a deep-seated need to contribute in a meaningful way.”
The morning after the attack, the chef called Dor Datner and Gilad Harpaz, co-owners of 12 Tel Aviv eateries, who spearheaded the project. A Facebook post also enticed an instant and overwhelming response, and within 12 hours, the kitchen on Tel Giborim Street - which coincidentally means ‘Hero’s Hill’ in Hebrew - was active. The facility had also been rigorously sanitised to strict vegan and kosher standards with approval from the Tel Aviv rabbinate.
Several FoodTech startups provided their plant-based innovations as raw materials. Redefine Meat, Green Butcher and More Foods donated plant-sourced meat alternatives; YoEgg! Foods provided its plant-based poached eggs, Israeli Tofu donated tofu used in various dishes; and Creative Pea offered its pea-based chicken and fish. Dairy alternatives came from Plenty 4u, Mama Q and Utopi E.y.m.
As an added treat, Ornat, the company behind JO-MO Chocolates and Panda Confections contributed dairy-free and sugar-free chocolates and Roy Chocolate provided pralines. The menu was devised by private chef Noam Carmon, owner of a renowned boutique catering company in Israel.
Following an intense week, the Tel Giborim Street kitchen has closed but the campaign continues to run in full force through a number of smaller private kitchens and restaurants.
“We will continue providing raw materials for 50 meals a day for our soldiers,” said Chef Tal.
“The other companies and volunteers have pledged to continue their part until the end of the war. Moreover, some of the kits are also being earmarked for evacuated families and the survivors in hospitals … including Arab Israelis and those from the Bedouin community. Our meals were sent to everyone in need, regardless of their race or religion.”
He added, “In the midst of the suffering, sadness, anxiety and pain that continues to affect us, the Israeli community has rallied together to support and strengthen one another.
“Among the volunteers were those just returned from the funeral of a beloved relative, while others were young survivors of the Nova peace festival. For them, volunteering served as a form of initial compensation for trauma, offering precious moments to breathe and connect back to life. For many, this project has provided a glimmer of light in these dark and challenging times.”
The IBIS Rice Conservation Co - started by the Wildlife Conservation Society to protect Cambodia’s indigenous forests - has appointed wildlife TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham as its brand ambassador.
The ‘business with a purpose’ has also won its first listings in Planet Organic and Better Food stores across the UK, with D2C channel to follow later this month.
IBIS Rice works with Cambodian farmers who are involved in preventing deforestation and protecting indigenous wildlife. By engaging directly with farmers and local communities, the country’s uniquely diverse forest ecosystem is being safeguarded from destruction and a number of species are being saved from extinction, including the giant ibis, Cambodia’s national bird, of which less than 200 individuals remain.
Farmers commit to a programme of organic agriculture, zero deforestation and zero poaching, and are paid a 70% premium for their crops. Currently, around 2,000 farmers have signed up, protecting over 500,000 hectares of forest.
IBIS Rice manages all the packing and processing in Cambodia to keep the added value in the rural communities before selling it directly to the UK.
The farmers grow a local variety of long grain jasmine rice known as phka rumdoul, which has been voted the best rice in the world five times at the World Rice Forum. It’s available as rice grain - either white, brown or semi-milled - puffed into rice cakes and popped for a breakfast cereal.
“It is rare to come across a business such as this, one that truly supports its environment and the people throughout the supply chain,” said Packham.
“We live in exciting times for conservation, but equally a time when the pressure on our natural environment is at breaking point. I strongly believe that more businesses need to follow the model of IBIS Rice, who have created a model that is actively protecting forests and allowing farmers and endangered wildlife to thrive.”
IBIS Rice is a conservation project started by the Wildlife Conservation Society to protect Cambodia’s last indigenous forests. . Farmers are paid a premium for their crop and IBIS Rice pack and process the rice themselves in Cambodia, giving added revenue and security to rural communities while creating a paddy-to-plate business model that eliminates unnecessary steps in the supply chain.
The pandemic was a time of stocking up on essentials and keeping products on shelves, but now that supply chains have recovered, consumers are ready to explore new products.
According to 84.51°’s October Consumer Digest, innovation is revving back up in the CPG space.
The Cincinnati-based data provider provides real-time insights around consumers’ interest in new products across different categories, their motivation to try them and perceptions of their expandable consumption habits.
Shoppers seeking innovation, but still price conscious
Shelf-stable grocery, fresh bakery and frozen food lead as categories where shoppers would most like to see new products available. Shoppers are looking for options that come with functional benefits, clean ingredients and higher protein options.
Given financial pressures, shoppers remain mindful of the price they are paying even when making decisions on trying new products (77%), followed by concern about flavour (71%) and instore availability (62%).
New product discovery
The most frequent ways shoppers report discovering new items to try are instore display (47%), product advertisements (45%) and product coupons (42%).
They’re most likely to try new products if there is a price reduction or comes with a discount coupon.
Perceptions of expandable consumption
Expandable consumption treats - like snacks, candy and drinks - are ripe for consumer experimentation. Purchase decisions are often made at the time of purchase, even in addition to planned purchase.
Consumers cite the ability to ‘quickly and easily use’ a product as their primary reason for buying more snacks/candy (48%) and drinks (40%), followed by paper products (38%).
The global flavour house has spotlighted the latest flavour trends for desserts and confection.
Simplicity and familiarity are key for desserts and confections
Standing out in a crowded marketplace means building on classics, not strictly focusing on indulgence and innovation. Mintel research reveals 44% of consumers consider the best desserts are the simplest, indicating that simple doesn’t mean basic or boring, but rather reliable and trusted, perhaps with an occasional twist for interest.
Dessert indulgence is about more than flavour alone
According to Mintel, 48% of people say texture is an important part of the overall experience of eating desserts. Brands looking to enhance indulgence can layer flavours and textures to help products stand out in a saturated market. More than 39% of consumers are interested in unique flavour pairings withing the dessert category.
Women are an ideal target market for desserts and confections
Not only are women the biggest consumers of most desserts and confections, they’re also the most open to innovation in new flavours. Reaching women in this category doesn’t require hitting every mark, but rather picking a few key areas and doing it really well to stand out.
All genders have similar taste choices when it comes to desserts
There is a shared consensus across the genders regarding what constitutes an inventive dessert, although, in the past three months, cookies, chocolate candy and ice cream have emerged as the most consumed - and desired - desserts.
Enhancing classic flavours is a safe way to balance familiarity with adventure
Nearly half of those surveyed in a Mintel study expressed interest in sampling desserts or confections with a caramelised or more pronounced take on familiar flavours.
Desserts remain an accessible luxury, as snacking continues to surge
Heightened consumer stress presents opportunities for desserts and confections to satisfy the desire for small indulgences. Despite economic challenges and reports of reduced spending on non-essential items, most desserts and confections sustained their positive trajectory as affordable luxuries.
Social media trends are having a growing influence on dessert flavours
As younger Americans drink less alcohol, their interest in alcohol-inspired flavours is also falling, but other beverages such as cold coffee, latte and horchata are growing in dessert innovation. Inspiration for these flavours is increasingly shared in the form of ‘viral’ social media trends among younger consumers, who show a higher interest in innovative flavour profiles than other demographics.
Older consumers show less interest in ‘new’ flavours
Boomers seek uncomplicated, traditional desserts. As individuals age, they may indulge less frequently, emphasising the significance of quality when treating themselves.
Chilli is a distinctive dessert flavour that gets greater attention from male consumers
Flavours like hot honey are making pathways into the dessert and confection domain. This shift may also encourage further exploration of international cuisines, many of which combine a hint of spiciness with sweetness.
Global pastry flavours like baklava, cobbler and churro are rising stars
These internationally inspired flavours fall into the ‘novel category’ for now, however, they’re poised for mainstream status in coming years.
Exotic fruit flavours like lychee, melon and passionfruit are gaining momentum in desserts and confections
These novel flavours are often paired with familiar favourites like mango or peach to balance a sense of familiarity and accessibility with adventure.
The Pastry World Cup is continuing its selection process for the Grand Finale in January 2025.
After a cycle of national selections, the European selection of the Pastry World Cup will be held on 21 and 22 January 2024 during Sirha Europain.
Under the eagle eye of Pierre Hermé, president of the competition, eight teams from Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK will have 5½ hours to make various treats, including:
- 3 frozen desserts with Capfruit fruit puree (+ 1 dummy)
- 3 pastry pieces: Paris-Brest revisited with Elle & Vire dairy products (+ 1 dummy)
- 8 restaurant style desserts incorporating a hot chocolate soufflé Valrhona
- 1 sugar artistic piece
- 1 chocolate artistic piece
- 1 buffet including the artistic sugar and chocolate pieces, the frozen dessert dummy and the pastry piece dummy.
Introduced during the 2021 Grand Finale, the restaurant dessert style test has been reinvented. These chocolate desserts - which must include two different textures and two different temperatures - must include a Valrhona chocolate hot soufflé.
The creation of a soufflé adds an extra challenge. Candidates will have to be delicate and concentrated if they want to live up to the demands of this test: making a soufflé on the spot, sticking to the precise technique but incorporating a surprising twist.
During the continental selection, the Elle & Vire pastry piece will highlight a local culinary heritage. They will revisit the Paris-Brest - a French pastry staple made from choux pastry.
Made without the use of mould or freezer, this dessert is the result of meticulous hand-crafted work, made without the use of a mould or freezer. Participants will need rethink the pastry, using new flavours, mixtures, techniques and creams to obtain textures that are off the beaten track.
The technique has to be perfect, but the candidates are also expected to convey the right emotion to the jury, who are looking for a memorable experience.
Only three teams will then qualify for the chance to shoot for the Pastry World Cup.
Growing Kent & Medway has awarded a share of over £1.6m to 13 UK businesses to fund projects that will sustainably transform the horticultural and plant-based supply chain.
The projects selected provide solutions to some of the biggest sustainability challenges currently facing the F&B industry, from next gen tech to recycling wastewater to breeding new varieties of fruit for snacks.
The funders were particularly interested in projects that focused on creating circular economies and finding new uses for waste products. Nim’s Fruit, for example, was awarded £22,000+ to repurpose its fruit and vegetable powders.
“Sustainability is a core principle guiding our actions and we are proud to have achieved a zero-food waste status within our business,” said founder Nimisha Raja MBE.
“For some time, we've aspired to utilise our byproducts to create new products to help consumers reduce food waste at home, but unfortunately, limited financial resources have held us back.”
Other grants were awarded to Tensei Ltd to test different agri-waste materials as polymer fillers in order to reduce the amount of virgin or recycled plastic used in packaging; Canterbury Brewers & Distillers to develop a new system that will produce speciality mushrooms, using the waste grain, water, CO², and energy from their new whiskey production facility.
“We are investing in real-world business innovation and research projects that demonstrate how science-led, sustainable innovation can be deployed throughout the supply chain,” said Dr Nikki Harrison, programme director for Growing Kent & Medway.
“This not only benefits the environment by helping Kent businesses become more sustainable but also stimulates economic growth. Fresh thinking can help create new revenue streams and new markets from waste byproducts and processes.
“While these projects demonstrate the exciting innovation happening in Kent and Medway, we expect the knowledge that is gained to help transform our food systems throughout the sector.”
Recipients of the Growing Kent & Medway Collaborative Research and Development grants:
- Worldwide Fruit: Next generation apple breeding for resilient UK production
- AG&HT Miles: Development of sustainable recycled growing media
- Edward Vinson: Use of phenotyping and genomics to breed for plant architecture in strawberry
- Recoir: Use of microbiome amendments to improve propagation efficiency, cultivation sustainability, productivity and resilience in the Kent and Medway raspberry industry
- Rumwood Green Farm: A phenology-perceptive integrated biocontrol programme for large raspberry aphid control
Winners of the Business Sustainability Challenge grants:
- Tensei: Application of agri-residues (second harvest) as bio-fillers in injection moulded plastic blends for use in fresh produce packaging
- Totally Natural Solutions: Development of sustainable CO2 natural liquid hop extracts with high impact ester profiles and functional benefits to beverages
- A C Hulme and Sons: Managing energy usage in apple cold storage in Kent
- Stoneset Management Group: From whiskey to mushrooms
- Grow Up Group: Boosting water efficiencies of high care controlled environment horticulture in Kent using new innovative British technology
- Nim’s Fruit: Re-purposing fruit and vegetable powders
- The Squerryes Partnership: Development of onsite wine production and processing for Squerryes winery
- Evogro: A novel method of seed delivery for vertical farming.
