Flavor Summit 2022 Overview

Throughout quality-focused volume foodservice, American menus and the American dining experience are undergoing a revolution in flavor. Diners are expressing an interest in freshness, world cuisines and authenticity, flavor experimentation, and new menu formats and dining concepts as never before.

The Flavor Summit, now in its 15th edition, brought together a select group of top VPs and directors of food and beverage, corporate and executive chefs, and other experts in American foodservice to explore, discuss, and taste their way through a stimulating set of hospitality and related kitchen and dining management issues.

The 2022 Flavor Summit explored topics that highlighted the convergence of comfort, indulgence and health in menu R & D; a 2022 update on world cuisine discovery and flavor trends; post-pandemic hospitality leadership; innovation in food space design, operations and real estate strategies; the changing landscape of sustainability concerns and the stewardship experience; disruption in the wine world from producer and consumer perspectives; and kitchen technology and the net-zero emissions trajectory.

Panels included:

• A deep dive into the sustainable post-pandemic kitchen, including the role of independent restaurants, the function of kitchen design, and how to retain employees, as well as a discussion on developing creative strategies in a constantly changing environment while also leading in health and sustainability.
• Flavors in context, including plant-based innovation for traditional dishes, an exploration of Mediterranean sauces beyond the usual suspects, the role of chilies in a climate-friendly kitchen, and how the biodiversity found in traditional African foodways can help maximize sustainable practices.
• All about drinks: explored the modern matrix of food, wine, and beverage trends from the point of view of chefs, experts, and sensory scientists; plus an introduction to the rapidly expanding world of flavorful, sophisticated non-alcoholic drinks and how to pair them with globally inspired dishes.

Join us March 7-9, 2023 for the next Flavor Summit!

Photos

Presentations

“Welcome and Overview” Greg Drescher (CIA)

“Food and Hospitality, Looking Past the Pandemic: Leading Through a Landscape of Change “ Michiel Bakker (Google)

“Food and Hospitality, Looking Past the Pandemic: Leading Through a Landscape of Change “ Brad Nelson ’84 (Marriott International)

“Pizza & Beyond: Shareable Options to Attract Customers & Drive Sales” Michael Ponzio (Union League Club)

“The Economics of Personality: Independent Restaurants, Hotels, and Real Estate in a Post-Covid World” Phil Colicchio (Cushman & Wakefield)

“Flavor Odyssey: Olive Oil, Sauce Making, and the Plant-Forward Mediterranean Kitchen” Greg Drescher (CIA)

“A Sensory Scientist and a Chef Consider Chilies: From Crafting Deliciousness to Climate-Friendly Menu R&D” Jean-Xavier Guinard (UC Davis)

“A Sensory Scientist and a Chef Consider Chilies: From Crafting Deliciousness to Climate-Friendly Menu R&D” Shirley Cheng (CIA)

“Sustainability Beyond the Plate: Designing A More Energy Efficient Kitchen in an Era of Net-Zero Emissions Commitments” Richard Young (FSTC)

“Creamy and Craveable Classics: Plant-Based Innovation for Traditional Dishes” Amanda Cohen (Dirt Candy)

“From American BBQ to Asian Aromatics—Charting the Modern Matrix of Food, Wine, and other Beverage Trends” Miranda Breedlove (Hyatt Hotels)

“From American BBQ to Asian Aromatics—Charting the Modern Matrix of Food, Wine, and other Beverage Trends” Lars Kronmark (CIA)

“Outlook 2022: Hospitality Training, Retention, and the Culture of the Workplace” Dina Altieri ’91 (ACF)

“Outlook 2022: Hospitality Training, Retention, and the Culture of the Workplace” Eddie Heintz (Caymus Vineyards)

“Respect the `Aina: A View from Hawaii on Stewardship, Sustainability, and the Leadership of Chefs” Peter Merriman (Merriman’s Hawaii)