Puratos is taking its mobile sensory analysis laboratory to Brighton and Newcastle in late September, inviting consumers to taste a selection of bakery, patisserie and chocolate concepts and provide feedback that will help inform future product development for the UK market.
The Sensobus is in Jubilee Square, Brighton, from 21–25 September, before moving to Grainger Street in Newcastle from 26–30 September. Visitors can take part between 09:30 and 17:30 without booking.
Puratos uses the specially equipped vehicle to conduct consumer sensory research in locations where it can recruit members of the public directly. The company says the Sensobus can accommodate up to 300 consumers a day and is designed to collect feedback on areas including taste preferences, products, pricing, packaging and communications.
New concepts go to the test
During the Brighton stop, Puratos is presenting sourdough and high-fibre breads alongside chocolate, cake and mince pie concepts, with the latter providing an opportunity to explore consumer preferences ahead of the Christmas period.
The Newcastle programme will place greater emphasis on bread and bakery applications, including sourdough, healthier bread concepts and burger buns.
Participants will be able to sample the concepts and give their opinions, while Puratos will also gather views about wider trends affecting the food industry. Feedback collected during the sessions will be anonymous and will contribute to the company’s understanding of consumer preferences when developing products for the UK.
The initiative gives visitors an insight into sensory testing while providing Puratos with consumer responses before concepts progress further through the development process. The company also combines Sensobus research with other sensory analysis techniques to examine how consumers perceive attributes such as flavour and texture.
Consumer insight informs development
For bakery manufacturers and product development teams, sensory testing can provide evidence about whether concepts that perform successfully during technical development also meet consumer expectations.
Puratos uses consumer research alongside its R&D activities to support development across bakery, patisserie and chocolate. Its wider Sensobus programme operates as a mobile testing environment, allowing products to be evaluated by consumers in different markets before commercialisation.
The Brighton sessions run until Friday 25 September, with the Sensobus then operating in Newcastle from Saturday 26 until Wednesday 30 September.
