Mustard Research Logo

Food and Drink

Food & Drink

We often target the opinion of the grocery decision maker (quite often Mum) – but we have also engaged with children, Dads and grandparents. We have also engaged with b2b audiences – including independent retailers and buyers. In addition to the traditional research methods, we also use more innovative approaches in the food & drink sector – including our Pickles app and other ethnographic techniques / observations (e.g. watching households prepare and consume meals).

Find out more

Food and drink research expertise

Innovation & NPD

Innovation and NPD

We have used our Popcorn innovation process to explore opportunities for brand stretch within categories including home baking. These programmes have involved us observing Mums as they prepare meals (looking out for unmet needs and coping mechanisms) and laddering to understand fundamental emotional needs when in meal-prep mode.

Learn more

Product and Concept testing

Product and Concept testing

In addition to helping clients develop brand new ideas, we have used research to refine and develop existing ideas. We have recently worked within healthy snacking, cakes and biscuits, on-the-go hot snacks and dairy categories. These have including qualitative programmes to explore and develop concepts (often within the purchase / consumption context), and surveys to measure appeal, consideration, price sensitivity, etc.

Learn more

Comms development / testing

Communications developing / testing

We have delivered research in the food & drink sector to develop and refine communications campaigns – including testing the appropriacy of creative executions for TV, radio, outdoor, digital, etc. We have also been asked to help research packaging design and messaging for clients in both food and drink categories.

Learn more

Brand research

Brand research

Our research has been used by clients in the sector to develop and launch new brands – including a new cup-cake brand and a brand of iced biscuits. We also conduct brand tracking for a major UK manufacturer of pies and savoury pastries. Tracking and understanding perceptions of the ‘food and drink offer’ is also an integral part of our work we conduct across theme parks and other leisure attractions.

Learn more

U&A (needs and behaviours)

U&A (needs and behaviours)

We often deliver category reviews – helping clients understand more about who is buying their products. We help clients understand when, why, where, for what occasion, etc. Also, who is not buying and why. Such projects have helped clients understand the growth potential for individual brands and SKUs by capitalising on the triggers and overcoming the barriers to purchase.

Learn more

How Mustard supported Lamb Weston in the innovation process

Lamb Weston was developing a new concept for an on-the-go convenience food product and Mustard worked with them to determine demand and inform further developments.

Read more

Our Thinking

Recent news and articles – please feel free to explore, share, post comments and join in the conversation!

Can you see the signs? Semiotics and market research
A Real-time Christmas
A Real-time Christmas -Mustard Research
The 12 Emotions of Christmas
The 12 Emotions of Christmas
Christmas – here and gone before you know it. And now what?
The “big shop” decision making process
Christmas dinner
Food & Drink Generational Trends
The kings and queens of cake
View all Articles

Our people

Our people are our business. The Mustard team is an eclectic mix of skilled, passionate researchers and strategists. We’re all in the job to make a difference, and love nothing more than seeing our clients win.

More about us