Central Location Taste Test for Frozen Food Product Development: Identifying Winning Snack Concepts

Client

A Frozen Food Company

Service

Consumer insights

Sector

Food & Beverage

Coverage

Toronto, Canada

A frozen food company partnered with us to conduct a central location taste test for frozen food product development to understand how consumers responded to a set of crispy potato wave concepts, which flavors showed stronger appeal, and where refinement was needed before moving ahead. The study was designed to generate clear, experience-based feedback through taste test research and food product testing that could help shape the next stage of product development.

Conducted among primary grocery shoppers with children in the household, the research focused on consumers closely tied to everyday family food decisions, generating valuable grocery shopper insights. Built as a B2C central location taste test with three focus group sessions, the project combined pre-session reflection, guided tasting, and live comparison across multiple samples. This gave the client a sharper view of how each concept performed and what those reactions could mean for future development.

The Challenge

The client sought to evaluate how shoppers responded to its crispy potato wave samples, which options stood out, and what adjustments could help strengthen the concept, making consumer taste insights and a structured sensory evaluation study critical to decision-making.

The study also needed to support the R&D team by moving beyond simple liking scores and into more useful feedback around what felt right, what felt off, and what might still be missing, forming a more actionable product concept testing approach.

The client sought clarity on:

• How consumers responded to each crispy potato wave sample.

• Which concepts showed stronger promise and which could be narrowed down.

• What feedback pointed to sensory gaps or missed expectations.

• How tasting-based discussion could support product refinement.

What We Did

We designed a 1-day central location taste test in Toronto as part of a structured CLT research approach, combining controlled food focus groups, structured tasting, and moderated discussion to capture in-depth consumer reactions. A total of 21 participants were recruited to deliver 15 completed respondents across three focus groups, each consisting of primary grocery shoppers with children in the household.

Participants completed a 30-minute homework assignment ahead of the session, which was then discussed during the group. The study included 2-hour in-person sessions at a facility equipped with a kitchen, where preparation was standardized through receiving and storing products, weighing portions, and air-frying samples as instructed.

Six different potato flavor samples were served for guided tasting and evaluation, with one flavor presented at a time followed by cross-flavor comparison. This setup enabled a structured taste test research process, allowing the client to capture both immediate sensory reactions and more considered reflections, while maintaining consistency throughout the food product testing process.

The Impact of the Research

The study helped the client identify which crispy potato wave concepts resonated most clearly in a live tasting environment and where consumer feedback pointed to refinement opportunities. It provided more than preference signals; it delivered actionable consumer taste insights and deeper snack preference study learnings on how the concepts were being experienced, compared, and judged in real time.

Key outcomes included:

• Clearer visibility into consumer response across six flavor concepts.

• Stronger direction on which options showed greater promise.

• Actionable feedback to support R&D refinement and concept narrowing.

Richer shopper context for future product development decisions.

By turning live tasting feedback into product direction, the research strengthened overall product development insights and gave the client a more confident path forward for the next stage of development. Contact us to uncover product experience, consumer response, and unlock insights that shape better products.