Imagine discovering exactly what’s wrong with the flavour of your food or drink product—and knowing precisely how to improve it—within just one week. No endless testing cycles, no months of uncertainty, and no guessing games. Just clear, expert insights.
That’s exactly what the Flavour MOT is designed to provide.
In my previous article, I explained why I created the Flavour MOT and how it fills a gap many food and beverage brands struggle with. Today, I’ll walk you through the entire process so you know exactly what happens behind the scenes—from the analysis I perform to the insights you receive and how you can apply them to improve your product.
Transparency is important to me, so here’s a full look at what you can expect.
What Happens After You Book
The process begins with information gathering.
Once you book a Flavour MOT, you’ll send me key details about your product—such as the ingredient list and any consumer feedback you’ve collected.
Consumer feedback is incredibly valuable. While I have a trained palate from my background working in a flavour house and as a flavour specialist at McVitie’s, I’m aware that my sensitivity to certain flavour notes may be stronger than the average consumer.
If only I notice something unusual, changing the product may not be necessary. That’s why understanding how your actual target audience experiences the flavour is essential.
Next, you’ll send the product itself along with the packaging, plus small samples (about 20 grams each) of the main ingredients. This gives me everything needed for a thorough evaluation.
Investigating Your Product Like a Flavour Detective
This is where things start to get interesting.
My process often feels like detective work.
I begin by tasting the finished product to determine whether the flavour matches the promise on the label.
For example, if your packaging says chocolate brownie protein shake, does it truly deliver that experience? If it claims lemon and raspberry, are both flavours noticeable?
Then I taste the key ingredients individually.
If the product has a strong earthy note, excessive bitterness, or any off-flavours, I work to identify the source. Sometimes the issue comes from a single ingredient. Other times it’s the interaction between ingredients or simply an imbalance in the recipe.
In many cases, the solution isn’t replacing ingredients or changing suppliers. Often it’s simply adjusting proportions—reducing one component while increasing another.
But before recommending changes, I need to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem.
What I Evaluate During the Analysis
When assessing your product, I approach it from a food scientist’s perspective and analyze several key elements.
First, I examine the aroma—what does the product smell like?
Then I focus on flavour and taste balance. I evaluate the fundamental taste components: sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami. I look for harmony between these elements and check whether anything dominates or feels missing.
I also assess texture and mouthfeel. Is the product smooth, gritty, thin, or creamy?
Finally, I evaluate the aftertaste. Does anything unpleasant linger once the product is swallowed?
To fully understand the flavour profile, I taste the product multiple times until I have a clear picture of what’s happening.
Beyond flavour, I also review the packaging and labeling. I check whether claims are accurate, whether any regulatory issues might arise, and whether there are claims the product could legitimately make but currently doesn’t.
All of these factors play a role in success within the FMCG market.
Why Benchmark Products Matter
Another important part of the evaluation is determining how your product fits within the market.
One of the first questions I ask brands is whether they’ve identified a benchmark product.
If you’re developing a chocolate protein shake, what type of chocolate flavour are you aiming for? Is it similar to a chocolate bar? A brownie? A cocoa powder drink? Something dark and intense or smooth and milky?
Chocolate alone can represent many different flavour profiles.
Without defining the flavour direction you want, it’s easy to develop a product without a clear target. Part of my role in the Flavour MOT is helping you clarify this flavour strategy.
The Traffic Light Reporting System
Once all testing and analysis are complete—usually within one week of receiving your materials—I compile the findings into a report using a simple traffic light system.
Green Light:
Everything that’s working well. These are elements you should keep exactly as they are.
Red Light:
Critical issues that need immediate attention because they are holding the product back.
Orange Light:
Opportunities for improvement. These changes aren’t urgent but could significantly enhance your product.
This final section often includes strategic insights related to marketing, positioning, and potential opportunities within your target market.
Case Study: The Goat Milk Ice Cream Idea
At a wedding last year, I met someone who owned a small goat farm. He was producing goat milk and goat yogurt and was considering launching goat milk ice cream.
He asked me if vanilla and chocolate would be good flavours to start with.
My first question was simple: What does your goat milk taste like?
Surprisingly, he described it as fairly neutral.
Then I asked another question: Why do customers travel out of their way to buy yogurt from your farm?
He couldn’t immediately answer.
Was it because of unique flavours like verbena? Because it’s local? Because of quality?
Goat yogurt is widely available in supermarkets, so what made his product special?
If verbena yogurt was his best seller, that could reveal something about what his customers actually value.
Helping brands think about these kinds of positioning questions is a big part of the Flavour MOT’s strategic insight.
Case Study: When Spices Overpower the Product
In another project, a client sent a product where the spices dominated the entire flavour profile. The taste was harsh, earthy, and unbalanced—and one of the key flavours listed on the packaging was barely noticeable.
In the report, the red light section recommended reducing specific spices that were overwhelming the blend and increasing the ingredient responsible for the missing hero flavour.
I also suggested introducing a creamier component to soften the harshness and create a more balanced flavour experience. Identifying a benchmark product was another key step so the flavour direction could become clearer.
The orange light section focused on broader improvements. These included exploring a high-protein positioning that suited the market, refining consumer feedback surveys that contained confusing questions, and reconsidering how the product was positioned.
After receiving the report, the client had a clear roadmap: what to keep, what to fix immediately, and what opportunities to explore.
What the Flavour MOT Includes (and What It Doesn’t)
The Flavour MOT delivers expert analysis and practical recommendations, but it doesn’t include full product reformulation.
Some brands prefer to implement the recommendations themselves—and that’s completely fine. The report provides everything needed to guide improvements.
However, if you want hands-on assistance with formulation trials and testing, additional services are available through my Fix and Choose packages, where I handle the development work directly.
The Flavour MOT is designed to give you fast clarity, allowing you to decide what level of support you need next.
Not every brand has the time or budget for a six-month development project. But every brand deserves to know whether their product actually tastes the way it should.
Timeline: From Booking to Final Report
The full process typically takes two to three weeks from booking to completion.
Once I receive your product, ingredient samples, and supporting information, the analysis itself usually takes about one week.
This makes the Flavour MOT especially useful if you’re preparing to launch a product, pitch to investors or retailers, or respond to negative customer feedback.
Quick answers can make a big difference.
Book Your Flavour MOT
The Flavour MOT is now officially available.
To celebrate the launch, the first 10 bookings receive a 25% discount using the code MOT26.
Here’s what you’ll receive:
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A complete product analysis from a food scientist with over 10 years of experience
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Detailed tasting notes covering aroma, flavour balance, mouthfeel, and aftertaste
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Identification of the root causes behind flavour issues
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Benchmark product guidance to define your flavour direction
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Clear recommendations on what to keep, fix urgently, and improve
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Packaging and labeling review
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Practical next steps for improving the product
Use the code MOT26 at checkout to claim the discount.
Because understanding exactly what needs fixing is always better than guessing.
