The Value of Recipe Development. Let’s Look at Instant Noodles.
They’re noodles.
But there is a culture.
There are Connoisseurs and Afficianados.
Let’s compare an imaginary smaller brand to Pot Noodle.
Pot Noodle and company X err bloody Elon stealing a letter, I’ll say company Y are selling the same thing.
Instant noodles.
Company Y sells them for 19 cents.
Pot Noodle sell them for 119 cents. (*price is inaccurate it just rhymes, unofficial but about 90p)
The ware cost of the noodles is very similar. It’s noodles.
But customers are happy to pay much larger margins.
It’s because of the seasoning: it’s about the secret sauce. Big Man Ting.
Oodles of noodles cause oodles of streudle eating, poodle owning, rich business owners.
Man’s got bars fam you get me?
Company Y
First let’s look at company Y.
They’re cheap, packaging is minimal to save printing costs.
Small sachet of seasoning.
Tastes very similar to powdered chicken or vegetable stocks you get etc.
It does the job.
It is what it is.
Don’t you dare say a bad word about instant noodles.
We’ve all been there.
Pot Noodle
Now let’s look at a UK player in the game. I picked Pot Noodle because I can’t type the name of other noodle companies. The underground noodle community know the Asian ones with the red rim and angry writing. I love all noodles.
Pot Noodle is a UK Company that originated in South Wales in 1979.
In 1992 they added sachets of sauce.
This sauce elevated the humble instant noodle to something more, to a delicious meal. Lots of concentrated flavour.
Pot Noodle were smart and thought to take the time to develop a recipe.
One good chef working for hours on the magic seasoning powder was worth more selling 1000000s of packets of cheap noodles in a saturated market.
Pot Noodle made it unique, and made it great. So people paid more, but got value for money.
Let’s think how they could do it?
What Could We Doodle?
How would we approach a task like this?
Could we start with something like orange zest that is a waste product from a juicing factory and reverse engineer a seasoning out of this?
This would help use wastage and help the planet.
Togarashi is a Japanese seasoning of mandarin peel and chilli amongst other things.
Could we go down that direction?
What sauce sachets could we add?
Pot Noodle have seriously explored this. It’s kind of scary that korma noodles existed.
Walk the aisles of an Asian cash and carry and you will know the condiments my friend.
Let your brain think in the noodle pathway and you will find your answers.
Be noodles my friend.
This was an excerpt from the forthcoming book BUSINESS CHEF HOTEL RESTAURANT EFFICIENT KITCHEN by Barney Khan. www.barnkhan.co.uk
