Inside Nursh Flavor Research
Great flavours don’t appear out of nowhere. They are tested, questioned, adjusted and, most importantly, tasted. At Nursh, flavour research is not something that happens after a product is finished. It’s where product development begins. Because before a product can succeed in the market, it needs to work in the mouth, in the mind and in real life. That belief sits at the core of how we approach R&D, and it’s why we work closely with our Nursh Flavor Scouts, real people who help us shape the food and drinks of tomorrow.
If it doesn’t work for real people, it doesn’t work. No matter how clever the formulation.
From lab to living room
In our lab, chefs and food scientists continuously develop new ideas, from snacks and drinks to sauces that push flavour forward. But before anything moves on towards scale-up or market introduction, it has to pass a simple test: does it actually work for consumers? Instead of relying on abstract surveys or hypothetical questions, we take a product-first approach. We put real products in people’s hands and observe what happens when someone tastes for the first time. What do they expect, what surprises them, what feels off, and what would make them come back for another bite? Those first reactions are often unfiltered and instinctive, and they tell us far more than post-rationalised opinions.
Case study: the Matcha Bowl
Our first Nursh Flavour Research project of 2025 focused on one concrete product: the Matcha Bowl in IQF drops, developed together with Cube as the fourth flavour in their “smoothie bowls without a blender” range. Not a mood board or a concept description, but a real bowl, prepared and served exactly as intended. The ambition was clear. This product had international potential, but one key question needed answering first.
Will consumers actually crave this?
A qualitative set-up, built for food
To answer that question, we deliberately chose a qualitative research set-up, designed specifically for food and drinks. Together with our partners at Try & Tell, we combined structure with depth. Classic taste KPIs such as appearance, aroma, flavour liking, intensity, texture perception and overall acceptance were assessed through closed questionnaires using Likert scales, giving us clear reference points and comparability across respondents. In parallel, we went beyond scores by inviting participants to elaborate through open qualitative questions and short video feedback, captured while they were tasting.
Scores tell you what happens. Language and video tell you why.
Why product-first research works
Testing products exactly as they’re meant to be experienced makes all the difference. Texture, mouthfeel, aroma, toppings and serving context simply cannot be judged on paper. Video adds another crucial layer, because you don’t just hear feedback, you see it. Hesitation, doubt, surprise or delight become instantly visible. These are insights that numbers alone can’t capture, but they are essential when building a story that buyers and stakeholders actually believe.
Depending on the development stage and product type, Nursh Flavour Research can be run as a central location test in our lab or extended to home use tests, allowing validation in real-life consumption settings where preparation, usage and context come into play.
From insight to formulation decisions
All results from the Matcha Bowl research were translated into a clear, visual Try & Tell dashboard, bringing together taste KPIs, qualitative answers and video fragments in one easy-to-use environment. This gave Cube instant visibility on where the product resonated, where friction appeared and which assumptions were confirmed or challenged. Crucially, these insights didn’t live in a report drawer. They were directly linked back to formulation decisions: what to keep, what to tweak and what to let go.
Beyond validating taste and liking, the research helped sharpen the right usage moments, identify the consumer segments that truly resonated with the product, and define the reasons to believe that make this Matcha Bowl relevant beyond Belgium.
This feedback loop, from lab to consumer and back to formulation, is where R&D becomes truly effective.
Curious how Flavour Research could strengthen your next product decision?
Let’s talk.