Driven by Innovation
Glendale Foods have grown over the last 34 years to become a highly flexible, innovative food manufacturing expert. The desire to create the very best tastes, blending current and emerging food trends with the best ingredients and most up to date manufacturing and packaging technologies, has meant that we have been able to build very strong relationships with our customers, creating bespoke, menu led products.
Our dedicated New Product Development (NPD) team are constantly looking for the newest trends and national palette changes to create constantly evolving menus, alongside our dedicated, in house chefs and development team.
With over 34 years’ experience of passionate innovation in food manufacturing, a dedicated development team and state of the art facilities, we have become skilful in delivering our clients briefs.
Chris Bates
Chris Bates
Innovation and NPD Team Leader
Classically trained chef, with many years in food development and innovation, Commercial Director Chris Bates leads our innovation team. Chris has won red rosettes, various national competitions and many product development awards for innovation. He’s also successfully launched products into most of the high street restaurant chains and also major retailers such as Waitrose, Iceland & Morrison’s.
The Innovation Process
1. Market research
Our dedicated New Product Development (NPD) team are constantly looking for the newest trends and national palette changes to create constantly evolving menus, alongside our dedicated, in house chefs and development team.
We use various sources of inspiration and market research such as magazines, field research, new restaurant openings, up and coming chefs, Food Safari’s as well as food blogs and social media to keep up to date with the latest food trends and new product innovation.
2. Concepts
The New Product Development Kitchen is the heart of the centre. This is where our two dedicated NPD chefs combine their experience, imagination and the work of the NPD team’s work to translate, refine and perfect the clients brief or their own designs.
We are always delighted to work alongside the client in the NPD Kitchen to see their ideas come to life, if desired. Regardless, the aromas of fine meats, savouries, soups and sauces are never far away
3. Recipes and Testing
Our chefs operate a scaled down version of the production kitchens, with the use of mincers, bowl chopper, sauce kettles, mixers and vacuum formers, allowing us to scale up any product from a personal menu to an international range.
The Pilot Room allows us to identify and adapt any scaling up issues that may be encountered from our new creations in production, meaning that when we take it to production, there are no surprises.
4. Production and Distribution
After the unveiling and tasting of new products occur in our Presentation Suite, our findings are tweaked and changed until ultimate perfection is reached.
Once our clients are happy with the outcome, it is ready to be moved into full scale production and distributed into any market sector that is required.