BusinessEntrepreneurship

The Food Lab

EPICSI

If your food or drink product is getting taste complaints, losing repeat purchase, or being outperformed by competitors… this podcast is for you.

I’m Manon Galizzi, flavour expert and food scientist. I help established UK food and drink brands diagnose what’s really going wrong with their flavour and fix it before it costs them market share.

Plant-based, functional, clean-label, if something tastes “off”, we break down why, and what to do next.

Fix the flavour = Fix the sales.

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20 episodes
weekly
Avg 18 min
English

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August 13 · 9 min
EP35 Why your flavour name could be the reason your sales are slowing down
Is your flavour name actually earning repeat purchase, or quietly losing customers you'll never get back? This episode breaks down one of the most overlooked reasons food and drink brands see their sales slow down: the gap between what your packaging promises and what your product really tastes like. Most food and drink founders treat flavour naming as a marketing decision, and that makes sense, because you want something exciting that stands out on shelf. But when the name creates an expectation the product can't meet, consumers buy once and walk away without a complaint, without a review, and without ever telling you why. In this episode, I share a simple, structured taste session you can run with 10 to 15 of your own consumers to find out whether your flavour naming is working for your brand or working against it. I also walk you through a clear framework to decide whether to close the gap by adjusting the flavour or adjusting the name, so you stop losing repeat purchase to something you didn't even know was happening. 🔗 WATCH MORE Watch the previous episode here: [Link to Ep34] 👋 NEW HERE? I am Manon Galizzi, food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food and drink industry. The Food Lab is the podcast for food and drink founders who want to build brands that actually last on retailer shelves. If you want to stop guessing and start making decisions that drive repeat purchase, join our community of food founders staying ahead of the curve. 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ ▪️ Website: epicsi.co.uk 🔍 RELATED TOPICSFood and Drink Founder, Flavour Naming Strategy, Repeat Purchase, Food Product Development, Food Formulation, Flavour Profile, Consumer Taste Testing, FMCG, Food Consultant UK, Food Brands UK, EPICSI
August 6 · 12 min
EP34 The flavour mistake food brands always make when reformulating
The flavour is always the last thing food brands think about when they reformulate. And it is almost always the reason their most loyal customers quietly stop buying. In this episode, I am breaking down the part of reformulation that nobody warns you about: what happens to your flavour profile when everything else in the recipe changes. • Why more food and drink brands are reformulating right now than ever before, from HFSS legislation landing in Scotland this October, to ingredient cost pressure, to over 80 million Yuka users scanning your label • Why the sweetener fix that worked 10 years ago is now creating a brand new problem • The taste drift trap: why being too close to your own product makes it almost impossible to be objective • What your most loyal customers actually do when they notice the flavour has changed (and why they never tell you) • What went wrong for Hershey when they had to publicly reverse their cocoa reduction across the Reese's portfolio • What went right when I worked with VivoLife to relaunch their Perform range with flavour at the very centre of the reformulation • The three things I always recommend to protect your flavour profile and repeat purchase through any recipe change MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE 🔬 Book your free Flavour MOT here: https://www.epicsi.co.uk/flavour-MOT 👋 If you are new here, I am Manon Galizzi, food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food and drink industry. The Food Lab is the podcast for food and drink founders who want to build brands that actually last on retailer shelves.Join our community of food founders staying ahead of the curve and subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ ▪️ Website: epicsi.co.uk Related Topics: Food Formulation, Drink Formulation, Flavour Profile, Food Product Development, Repeat Purchase, FMCG, Food Brands, Drink Brands, Food and Drink Founder, Beverage Reformulation, Clean Label, Plant-Based, HFSS, Food Industry Trends, Product Development, EPICSI
July 30 · 10 min
EP33 Making food smaller vs making it better (the GLP-1 shift)
The GLP-1 shift is not about making your product smaller. It is about making it better. Here is what UK food and drink brands need to understand right now to stay relevant on shelf. In this episode I cover: - What the research actually says about GLP-1 users and their relationship with food — and why it is more complicated than "they eat less" - The £780 million reduction in UK grocery bills and the 17% rise in premium chocolate sales among GLP-1 users in 2025 - What MMR research, Circana data, and a survey of over 11,500 British households tell us about where consumer attention is going - What these consumers actually want to eat and what they are reading on your label - What all of this means for your flavour strategy, texture, and product development - Why the food and drink brands asking the right questions today will have a real advantage in the next 12 to 18 months 👋 If you are new here, I am Manon Galizzi, food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food and drink industry. The Food Lab is the podcast for food and drink founders who want to build brands that actually last on retailer shelves. Join our community of food founders staying ahead of the curve. 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ ▪️ Website: epicsi.co.uk Related Topics: Food Industry Trends, GLP-1 and Food Brands, Beverage Innovation, Food Product Development, Drink Formulation, Food Founder Strategy, FMCG UK, Flavour Profile, Food Consultant UK, EPICSI
July 23 · 36 min
EP32 What Product Development Really Looks Like (For Food and Drink Founders)
186 trials. That is what it actually takes to develop a clean label, allergen-free, plant-based barista drink from scratch. If you are in the middle of product development right now, this episode will save you months of work and possibly thousands of pounds. In this episode, I walk you through the entire development journey of a plant-based barista drink: the formulation challenges, the flavour pairing, the foam quality issues, the protein curdling problem, and the supplier and pilot plant mistakes that cost us time and money. I share what I got wrong, what I had to compromise on, and what I wish I had known from day one. From finding the right acidity regulator to discovering that additives are not always the solution, this is the honest, unfiltered version of what product development in the food and drink industry really looks like. 👋 If you are new here, I am Manon Galizzi, food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food and drink industry. The Food Lab is the podcast for food & drink founders who want to build brands that actually last on retailer shelves.If this episode helped you, share it with a founder who is about to start their product development journey. It might save them six months and a lot of money.Join our community of food founders staying ahead of the curve and subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ ▪️ Website: epicsi.co.uk 🔍 Related Topics: Food Industry Trends, Product Development, Beverage Innovation, Plant-Based Product Development, Clean Label Formulation, Contract Manufacturing, Food Startup Strategy, Food Founders, Barista Drink Development, EPICSI
July 16 · 9 min
EP31 Stop tracking sales. This is the metric that actually matters for food brands
Stop looking at your overall sales figures and thinking your Food or drink product is doing fine. In this episode of The Food Lab Podcast, I break down why 76% of new food and drink products launched in UK retail every year quietly disappear, and why it almost always comes down to one number. Drawing on data from Nielsen, Kantar, McKinsey, and a real Tesco case study, I explain what the number is, how retailers use it to make delisting decisions, and what the research consistently shows is the number one driver of whether consumers come back. If you are a food or drink founder tracking stockists and distribution numbers, this episode is for you. In this episode: - Why 76% of food products fail on shelf - Getting listed is just the starting point - First purchase vs repeat purchase: what is the difference - What is the repeat purchase rate? - The Tesco Project Reset and what it revealed - Why taste is the number one driver of repeat purchase - Your challenge this week Watch the previous episode here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/epicsi/episodes/30-59-of-consumers-judge-your-functional-drink-on-taste--not-its-health-benefits-e3l11vr 👋 If you are new here, I am Manon Galizzi, food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food and drink industry. The Food Lab is the podcast for food and drink founders who want to build brands that actually last on retailer shelves.Join the community of food founders staying ahead of the curve and never miss an episode. 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ ▪️ Website: epicsi.co.uk Related Topics: Food Industry Trends, Repeat Purchase Rate, Product Development, Beverage Innovation, Food Startup Strategy, FMCG, Retail Strategy, Food Brand Growth, Consumer Behaviour, EPICSI
July 9 · 20 min
EP30 59% of consumers judge your functional drink on taste, not its health benefits
59% of consumers say taste is the most influential factor when evaluating a health drink. Not the ingredient. Not the health claim. Not the price. Taste. If your adaptogen product is relying on functionality to carry a flavour that isn't working, this episode will change how you develop. The global adaptogen market is worth nearly $11 billion and is one of the fastest growing categories in food and drink right now. But pick up almost any adaptogen drink on a UK shelf today and there is a very good chance it tastes earthy, musty, or flat. In this episode, I walk through the four main adaptogen ingredients I work with most, two real client stories from brands I have worked with, and the three mistakes I keep coming back to in this category. I also cover the food legislation piece that most founders do not realise is working against them, and what you actually need to do to build a functional product that consumers genuinely come back to. 👋 If you are new here, I am Manon Galizzi, food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food and drink industry. The Food Lab is the podcast for food & drink founders who want to build brands that actually last on retailer shelves. Join our community of food founders staying ahead of the curve. 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ ▪️ Website: epicsi.co.uk 🔍 Related Topics: Food Industry Trends, Product Development, Beverage Innovation, Food Startup Strategy, EPICSI, Adaptogen Drinks, Functional Food, Flavour Strategy, Repeat Purchase Rate, Food Legislation UK
July 2 · 19 min
EP29 76% of food products FAIL (and your flavour brief is the reason why)
Your new flavour is not moving off the shelf and the problem started long before packaging, pricing, or marketing. It started in your flavour brief. In this episode, I break down why most food and drink founders base their flavour direction on what they want the product to represent rather than what their target consumers actually need from it. And that gap is exactly why 76% of new product launches in the UK fail in their first year. Drawing on over 10 years in the food industry, flavour house training, and work with brands from McVitie's to functional start-ups, I walk you through real case studies including marine collagen, vegan omega-3, and a pre-workout brand that found a genuine gap in the market by going against category norms. This episode will help you build a flavour strategy that is grounded in real consumer insight, not assumption. 👋 If you are new here, I am Manon Galizzi, food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food and drink industry. The Food Lab is the podcast for food & drink founders who want to build brands that actually last on retailer shelves. Subscribe so you never miss an episode! 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ ▪️ Website: epicsi.co.uk Related Topics: Food Industry Trends, Flavour Brief, Product Development, Consumer Insight, Sensory Science, Food Start-up Strategy, Repeat Purchase, Functional Ingredients, FMCG, EPICSI
June 25 · 18 min
EP28 Still getting taste complaints? You're solving the wrong problem
Still getting taste complaints after switching the flavour? You're not solving the right problem. In this episode I walk you through the 4 root causes behind almost every food and drink product taste complaint, and what a proper diagnosis actually looks like. After years training and working inside a flavour house, and working with brands like McVitie's, I kept seeing the same cycle play out with food and drink founders. Taste complaint comes in, they contact their supplier, they request more samples, and nothing really changes. Sometimes they end up with 20 or 30 flavour samples and no real direction. The problem is almost never just the flavour. Understanding which root cause is actually behind your complaint is what changes everything. In this episode I cover the wrong flavour profile, off-notes from challenging functional ingredients, an unbalanced base, and ingredient interactions, and I give you a structured 4-question taste audit you can do this week before you reach out to anyone. 👋 If you are new here, I am Manon Galizzi, food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food and drink industry. The Food Lab is the podcast for food & drink founders who want to build brands that actually last on retailer shelves. Subscribe so you never miss an episode! 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ ▪️ Website: epicsi.co.uk Related Topics: Food Industry Trends, Product Development, Flavour Development, Taste Complaints, Food Product Formulation, Functional Ingredients, Masking Flavouring, Off-Notes, Flavour Profile, Food Startup Strategy, EPICSI
June 18 · 22 min
EP27 Why your customers buy your product once and never come back
Your food or drink product is on the shelf. Consumers are picking it up. So why aren't they coming back for more? Most food & drink founders blame their marketing or their price point. To be honest, the answer is almost always in the product itself — and more specifically, in the flavour. In this episode, I break down the three flavour problems that quietly destroy your repeat purchase rate, and I give you the exact fixes for each one. Here is the number that changed everything for me: a customer who buys your product once has around a 25% chance of buying again. But a customer who buys it twice? That jumps to 50%. That compounding effect is where food & drink businesses actually become sustainable. Tasting nice is not enough. It has to be amazing. It has to be memorable. And in this episode, I show you exactly how to get there. If you are working through a specific flavour challenge and would like a professional perspective on what is going on and how to fix it, this is exactly what I do at EPICSI. 👉 Book a call here: https://www.epicsi.co.uk/quote 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ ▪️ Website: epicsi.co.uk 👋 If you are new here, I am Manon Galizzi, food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food and drink industry. The Food Lab is the podcast for food & drink founders who want to build brands that actually last on retailer shelves. Subscribe so you never miss an episode!
June 11 · 14 min
EP26 Your food product passes the taste test and STILL gets delisted (here is why)
Your product tastes good. Your team agrees, the reviews are positive, and the complaints are few. And yet your repeat purchase rate is far lower than it should be. So you start questioning the packaging, the price, the marketing. But what if none of those things are the real problem? In this episode I go one level deeper into the neuroscience of why consumers come back, the three specific things at taste level that quietly destroy repeat purchase rate, and how to diagnose which one you are dealing with before the damage is already done. 🎯 Not sure if your product's flavour is what's holding back your repeat purchase rate? Start with the Flavour MOT. It gives you a full expert audit of your product's taste performance, aligned with your target consumer feedback, so you know exactly what to fix and how. 👉 https://www.epicsi.co.uk/flavour-MOT ▶️ WATCH NEXT: #25 Why staying on shelf is HARDER than getting listed (the one metric that decides it) 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ 👋 If this is your first time here, I am Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. I created The Food Lab Podcast to have honest conversations about what it actually takes for food and drink brands in the UK to succeed on retailers' shelves. On this channel you will find: ▪️ Solo episodes where I break down the metrics, strategies and flavour science that food founders need to know ▪️ Behind the scenes looks at real product challenges and how they get solved ▪️ Practical frameworks you can apply to your brand right now Subscribe and let's build products consumers actually want to buy again.
June 4 · 9 min
EP25 Why staying on shelf is HARDER than getting listed (the one metric that decides it)
Most food and drink founders are pouring everything into finding new customers. New listings, new stockists, new ads. And on the surface, it looks like growth. But underneath that, there is a question most of them are not asking. Are the people who bought last month actually coming back? In this episode I share a real client story that changed the way they saw their entire business, break down the maths that make the case for retention over acquisition, and explain the one number that tells you more about the health of your food brand than anything else. 🎯 Not sure if your product's flavour is holding back your repeat purchase rate? Start with The Flavour MOT. It gives you a full expert audit of your product's taste performance, aligned with your target consumer feedback, so you know exactly what to fix and how.👉 https://www.epicsi.co.uk/flavour-MOT ▶️ WATCH NEXT: #24 76% of new food products FAIL (and nobody tells you the real reason why) 📱 STAY CONNECTED▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ #foodbusiness #foodfounder #repeatpurchase #FMCG #customerretention 👋 If this is your first time here, I am Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. I created The Food Lab Podcast to have honest conversations about what it actually takes for food and drink brands in the UK to succeed on retailers' shelves. On this channel you will find:▪️ Solo episodes where I break down the metrics, strategies and flavour science that food founders need to know▪️ Behind the scenes looks at real product challenges and how they get solved▪️ Practical frameworks you can apply to your brand right now Subscribe and let's build products consumers actually want to buy again.
May 28 · 9 min
EP24 76% of new food products FAIL (and nobody tells you the real reason why)
Every year, more than 1,300 new food and drink products are launched on UK retail shelves. And 76% of them quietly disappear. To be honest, I do not think this is talked about enough, because the reason why is so fixable. In this episode, I explain the one metric that retailers like Tesco actually use to decide who stays on shelf and who gets delisted, why your sales figures are not telling you the full story, and what the data consistently shows drives repeat purchase across every single food and drink category. 🎯 Not sure if your product's flavour is holding back your repeat purchase rate? Start with the Flavour MOT. It gives you a full expert audit of your product's taste performance, aligned with your target consumer feedback, so you know exactly what to fix and how.👉 https://www.epicsi.co.uk/flavour-MOT 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ 👋 If this is your first time here, I am Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. I created The Food Lab Podcast to have honest conversations about what it actually takes for food and drink brands in the UK to succeed on retailers' shelves. On this channel you will find: ▪️ Solo episodes where I break down the metrics, strategies and flavour science that food founders need to know ▪️ Behind-the-scenes looks at real product challenges and how they get solved ▪️ Practical frameworks you can apply to your brand right now Subscribe — and let's build products consumers actually want to buy again.
May 20 · 18 min
EP23 Gen Z's palate is MORE complex than you think (the 5 flavour trends food and drink brands need in 2026)
Most food and drink brands spend thousands making their product look TikTokable for Gen Z. But they forget one thing: Gen-Z palate is far more complex than you think. In this episode, I walk you through the 5 Gen Z flavour trends that matter right now, the 3 mistakes that are getting products delisted, and how to build a flavour strategy that actually speaks to this generation. In this episode: ▪️ Why your safe flavours are costing you Gen Z consumers ▪️ Who Gen Z really are as food and drink consumers ▪️ Trend 1: Asian flavours 3.0 and comfort-led fusion ▪️ Trend 2: Complex spice (sweet heat, salty heat, zingy heat) ▪️ Trend 3: Street food energy in packaged products ▪️ Trend 4: Unexpected combinations that just work ▪️ Trend 5: The big shift happening in drinks right now ▪️ The 3 mistakes that will get your product delisted ▪️ How to build your Gen Z flavour brief from scratch 🎯 If you are developing a food or drink product for Gen Z and want to work through your flavour strategy, drop a comment below or head to my website to find out how we can work together. 👉 www.epicsi.co.uk ▶️ Companion episode to watch next: How to research your target consumer's palate → #22 📱 STAY CONNECTED▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ 👋 If this is your first time here, I'm Manon Galizzi, food and drink flavour consultant and founder of EPICSI. My mission is to help food and drink founders develop products that taste great, sell well and stay on retailer shelves. On this podcast you will find: ▪️ Practical flavour strategy for food and drink founders ▪️ Behind the scenes of real product development ▪️ Honest conversations about what it really takes to build a food or drink brand Follow the Food Lab Podcast for weekly episodes! The Food Lab is the go-to podcast for food and drink founders who want to develop products with a clear flavour strategy, understand their target consumer's palate, and build brands that achieve repeat purchase and grow market share. Whether you are just starting out, scaling up or reformulating an existing product, this is the place to get honest, practical and expert guidance on all things flavour.
May 14 · 25 min
EP22 Why Trying to Please Everyone With Your Flavour Will DESTROY Your Brand
If you've ever said "we want to appeal to everyone" about your food or drink product, this episode is going to hit home. Because trying to please everyone with your flavour strategy is one of the most common mistakes I see food and drink founders make. And it's also the fastest way to end up with a product that resonates with no one and gets pulled from shelf. In this episode, I share real examples from my time at McVities, a brilliant case study from Condimentum's next generation mustard, and what happened when a marine collagen client assumed they knew what their target consumers wanted. Spoiler: they didn't. ▪️ Why you cannot please boomers AND Gen Z with the same product ▪️ The Condimentum mustard story (and what they got brilliantly right) ▪️ The familiarity principle and why your brain thinks kimchi is dangerous ▪️ How to actually research your target consumer's palate ▪️ Why you must understand your product base BEFORE your consumer ▪️ The 4 flavour mistakes that are costing food brands their shelf space 🎯 Want to stop guessing and start making smarter flavour decisions for your food or drink brand? Head to my website to explore how I help founders develop products their target consumers actually want to buy again. 👉 https://www.epicsi.co.uk/ 📱 STAY CONNECTED ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk ▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/ 👋 If this is your first time here, I'm Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert and the founder of EPICSI. My mission is simple: to help food and drink founders create products that taste incredible and keep consumers coming back for more. The Food Lab is the podcast for food and drink founders who want to make smarter flavour decisions, avoid costly product development mistakes, and launch products that actually sell. Whether you are developing your first product or reformulating an existing one, I'll give you the food science knowledge you need in a way that actually makes sense. No jargon, no overwhelm. Just practical, honest advice from someone who has worked with food and drink brands of all sizes. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a new episode! 🔔
May 7 · 36 min
EP21 The BRUTAL truth about clean label product development (and why 186 trials is actually okay)
186 trials. That is what it took to develop this plant-based barista drink from scratch. A clean label brief, no allergens, no seed oils, no stabilisers, and a client who knew exactly what she wanted. In this episode, I am pulling back the curtain on the entire journey. The technical challenges, the mistakes I made, the partners who completely let us down, and the intellectual property lesson every food founder needs to know before signing anything with a contract manufacturer. If you are thinking about developing a drink product right now, or you are already in the process, this episode could save you months of work and a lot of money. In this episode: ▪️ Why 186 trials is actually okay ▪️ The brief: clean label, no allergens, no stabilisers ▪️ Tasting 12 plant-based barista drinks in a London coffee shop ▪️ The flavour pairing challenge (and why buttery was an immediate no-go) ▪️ The foam disaster (it looked like a bubble bath) ▪️ How to stop your proteins curdling in coffee ▪️ The MOQ mistake that cost me 6 months of work ▪️ The pilot plant that turned out to be a complete scam ▪️ Why additives are NOT always the solution (a food science myth) ▪️ The intellectual property trap: what I have seen happen to food founders ▪️The 4 questions you must ask your contract manufacturer before signing anything 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠Book your Flavour MOT today⁠⁠⁠ If you found this episode helpful, leave me a comment and follow The Food Lab Podcast!💌 ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Subscribe to my newsletter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠to receive every week directly in your inbox the biggest challenges in food and drink product development and how to solve them. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram (@⁠epicsi.uk) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn (Manon Galizzi)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or via my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ I'm Manon Galizzi, a flavour expert and food scientist with 10+ years in the industry, including training at a flavour house and working with iconic brands like McVitie's, Yeo Valley, Burger King, and Jacob's. I founded EPICSI to help UK food and drink brands nail their flavour strategy and choose the best flavour profile, especially for challenging formulations. If your sales are declining due to taste complaints, I diagnose what's wrong and rebuild your flavour profile. If you're launching functional or plant-based products struggling with bitter, fishy, or earthy notes from marine collagen, plant proteins, or adaptogens, I help you choose flavours that actually mask or complement those notes. I specialise in clean-label, additives-free, plant-based, and functional food product development. Research shows flavour is the #1 driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, customers return. Get it wrong, they don't.
April 30 · 27 min
EP20 9 Food and Drink Trends from Expo West 2026
What happens at Expo West in the US typically arrives in the UK two to three years later. Following the Food & Drink Expo at the NEC Birmingham, I am sharing the nine key trends from Expo West 2026 that will reshape our industry. In this episode, we explore why fibre is moving beyond gut health and how convenience is beginning to outweigh health claims for the busy consumer. We also dive into the "all in one" functional drink shift and the surprising resurgence of dairy and meat. A significant part of this discussion focuses on how GLP-1 medications are changing buying habits in the UK. I look at how brands like Marks & Spencer and Greggs are already adapting with nutrient dense and smaller portion options. Most importantly, I discuss the one thing these trends often overlook, which is the flavour. As a food scientist and flavour expert, I explain why taste remains the number one driver for repeat purchases, regardless of the latest health trend. I am Manon Galizzi. I help food and drink brands solve the flavour problems that are costing them repeat sales. In this episode: • The growth of fibre and the GLP-1 connection • Why convenience is beating health in the US • The "Real" food movement and clean label demands • Why Gen Z is moving away from caffeine • The protein saturation point • Creatine moving into the mainstream for women • The rise of the multi-benefit functional beverage • Why meat and dairy are making a comeback • How to develop products for the GLP-1 consumer 👇 Which of these nine trends surprised you the most? Let me know in the comments. 🔗 ⁠⁠Book your Flavour MOT today⁠⁠ If you found this episode helpful, leave me a comment and follow EPICSI YouTube channel!💌 ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Subscribe to my newsletter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠to receive every week directly in your inbox the biggest challenges in food and drink product development and how to solve them. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram (@⁠epicsi.uk) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn (Manon Galizzi)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or via my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ I'm Manon Galizzi, a flavour expert and food scientist with 10+ years in the industry, including training at a flavour house and working with iconic brands like McVitie's, Yeo Valley, Burger King, and Jacob's. I founded EPICSI to help UK food and drink brands nail their flavour strategy and choose the best flavour profile, especially for challenging formulations. If your sales are declining due to taste complaints, I diagnose what's wrong and rebuild your flavour profile. If you're launching functional or plant-based products struggling with bitter, fishy, or earthy notes from marine collagen, plant proteins, or adaptogens, I help you choose flavours that actually mask or complement those notes. I specialise in clean-label, additives-free, plant-based, and functional food product development. Research shows flavour is the #1 driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, customers return. Get it wrong, they don't.
April 23 · 16 min
EP19 How 2 Great Suppliers Cost These Food Brands THOUSANDS
Imagine having a brilliant food or drink product and a genuinely good supplier or contract-manufacturer, yet spending months—and thousands of pounds—stuck in a loop of terrible samples. In this episode, I break down the story of two drink brands (one vegan supplement/protein and one marine collagen) that hit a wall despite doing everything "right." If you feel like you're burning time and money waiting for samples that never hit the mark, this is a must-watch. Inside this episode: • The Shared Wall: Why different brands and different suppliers hit the exact same development trap. • The 3 Root Causes: The hidden reasons you’re stuck in an endless loop of feedback and frustration. • What Flavour Houses Actually Need: The missing piece of information you aren't giving your suppliers. • The "Game-Changer": The one shift in your approach that fixes your flavour profile and gets you to launch. Stop the cycle of wasted samples and start getting the product your brand deserves. 🔗 ⁠Book your Flavour MOT today⁠ If you found this episode helpful, leave me a comment and follow EPICSI YouTube channel!💌 ⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to receive every week directly in your inbox the biggest challenges in food and drink product development and how to solve them. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram (@⁠epicsi.uk) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn (Manon Galizzi)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or via my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ I'm Manon Galizzi, a flavour expert and food scientist with 10+ years in the industry, including training at a flavour house and working with iconic brands like McVitie's, Yeo Valley, Burger King, and Jacob's. I founded EPICSI to help UK food and drink brands nail their flavour strategy and choose the best flavour profile, especially for challenging formulations. If your sales are declining due to taste complaints, I diagnose what's wrong and rebuild your flavour profile. If you're launching functional or plant-based products struggling with bitter, fishy, or earthy notes from marine collagen, plant proteins, or adaptogens, I help you choose flavours that actually mask or complement those notes. I specialise in clean-label, additives-free, plant-based, and functional food product development. Research shows flavour is the #1 driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, customers return. Get it wrong, they don't.
April 9 · 10 min
EP18 Packaging gets the interest, FLAVOUR gets the repeat purchase
Do you know how many of your customers actually come back and buy your food product again? Not roughly. Really. Because repeat purchase is the number that tells you the truth. Last week I spoke at the Nourish conference organised by the Tastebuds Collective, and I heard something that anchored what I think about what actually drives food and drink repeat purchase. Spoiler: it's not your packaging. It's not your brand story. It's not even getting onto shelf. So what is it? And why are so many food and drink founders getting this wrong? In this episode, I share: • The biggest industry shifts happening in 2026 • What a school chef taught us about what customers really respond to • Why functional brands struggle between product development and scale-up • The one thing most brands are too close to their product to see If you're struggling with repeat purchase, this episode will change how you approach your food or drink product. You need help with the flavours of your product(s) but you don't know where to start? 🔗 ⁠⁠Book your Flavour MOT⁠⁠ today If you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast! 💌 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to my newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive every week directly in your inbox the biggest challenges in food and drink product development and how to solve them. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. I'm Manon Galizzi, a flavour expert and food scientist with 10+ years in the industry, including training at a flavour house and working with iconic brands like McVitie's, Yeo Valley, Burger King, and Jacob's. I founded EPICSI to help UK food and drink brands nail their flavour strategy and choose the best flavour profile, especially for challenging formulations. If your sales are declining due to taste complaints, I diagnose what's wrong and rebuild your flavour profile. If you're launching functional or plant-based products struggling with bitter, fishy, or earthy notes from marine collagen, plant proteins, or adaptogens, I help you choose flavours that actually mask or complement those notes. I specialise in clean-label, additives-free, plant-based, and functional food product development. Research shows flavour is the #1 driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, customers return. Get it wrong, they don't.
March 26 · 17 min
EP17 I Received a Functional Product That Tasted TERRIBLE. Here's What I Did
You know your functional product has a taste challenge. The earthy notes, the bitterness, that lingering fishy aftertaste that just will not go away. You know it. But you are not quite sure where to start, or what a proper process even looks like. In this episode, I am taking you behind the scenes of exactly what happens when a functional food or drink brand brings me their product and says, this doesn't taste great, can you help? From the moment I open the product and taste the raw base, to the flavour workshop, to the full day of trials with my client, this is what the process actually looks like, the unglamorous, spreadsheet-heavy, nose-wrinkling reality of it. In this episode: What I am actually doing when I taste a product for the first time, and why that first tasting tells me everything The difference between "I don't like it" and feedback that actually moves your product forward Why I do up to 200 trials per project, and what I am looking for in each one What a flavour workshop really looks like, and how it gets your whole team aligned The moment in every project when the energy in the room completely shifts If you already know your product has a taste problem and you want to understand what a structured process looks like, this one is for you. 🔗 ⁠Book your Flavour MOT⁠ (25% off with code MOT26 (only few spots left!) If you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast! 💌 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to my newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to receive every week directly in your inbox the biggest challenges in food and drink product development and how to solve them. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. I'm Manon Galizzi, a flavour expert and food scientist with 10+ years in the industry, including training at a flavour house and working with iconic brands like McVitie's, Yeo Valley, Burger King, and Jacob's. I founded EPICSI to help UK food and drink brands nail their flavour strategy and choose the best flavour profile, especially for challenging formulations. If your sales are declining due to taste complaints, I diagnose what's wrong and rebuild your flavour profile. If you're launching functional or plant-based products struggling with bitter, fishy, or earthy notes from marine collagen, plant proteins, or adaptogens, I help you choose flavours that actually mask or complement those notes. I specialise in clean-label, additives-free, plant-based, and functional food product development. Research shows flavour is the #1 driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, customers return. Get it wrong, they don't.
March 19 · 12 min
EP16 You are doing EVERYTHING right (and your food product development is still stuck)
You have been going back and forth with your supplier or your contract manufacturer for months. You keep getting the samples, you do the testing, and every single time at the end of the tasting session you have things like, I don't know, I'm not sure, let's ask for more options. And you go back to square one again. This episode is about one of the main reasons your food or drink product development keeps going in circles. And I can tell you right now, it is not what you think. In this episode you will learn: ● Why "I like it" and "I don't like it" is costing you months of back and forth with your supplier ● The two dynamics that are killing your tasting sessions, the silent ones and the loud ones ● How to create a tasting culture that actually produces useful, actionable data ● What a flavour lexicon is and why it changes everything ● Why none of this works without a proper flavour strategy behind it This episode is also a little bit special. I recorded it as part of Podcasthon, a global charity event where podcasters around the world dedicate an episode to a cause they care about. The cause I am supporting is Cancer Research UK, because I think we have all lost someone we love way too soon because of cancer. The donation link is in the show notes below. If your team keeps leaving tasting sessions with no clear direction, this episode is for you. 💛 ⁠Donate to Cancer Research UK⁠ 🎙️ Listen to the previous episode here 🔗 Book your Flavour MOT If you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast! 💌 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to my newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to receive every week directly in your inbox the biggest challenges in food and drink product development and how to solve them. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. I'm Manon Galizzi, a flavour expert and food scientist with 10+ years in the industry, including training at a flavour house and working with iconic brands like McVitie's, Yeo Valley, Burger King, and Jacob's. I founded EPICSI to help UK food and drink brands nail their flavour strategy and choose the best flavour profile, especially for challenging formulations. If your sales are declining due to taste complaints, I diagnose what's wrong and rebuild your flavour profile. If you're launching functional or plant-based products struggling with bitter, fishy, or earthy notes from marine collagen, plant proteins, or adaptogens, I help you choose flavours that actually mask or complement those notes. I specialise in clean-label, additives-free, plant-based, and functional food product development. Research shows flavour is the #1 driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, customers return. Get it wrong, they don't.

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