News

Oscar Mayer launches experimental hub for customers and suppliers

25-Jul-2024 - Last updated on 25-Jul-2024 at 11:56 GMT

The Gastro Hub aims to dispel misconceptions surrounding cooked meats while developing NPD

Chilled meals producer Oscar Mayar has unveiled an experimental customer and supplier hub at its Wrexham site as it taps into AI and consumer insights to help improve the image of chilled meats.

Part of a seven-figure investment and significant planning by the manufacturer, the new Gastro Hub will feature a dedicated insights and AI lab, market hall and innovation kitchen.

Guest will be taken on a journey through the creation of chilled meats, from concept to kitchen table, in an effort to dispel negative preconceptions that consumers may have around chilled meats.

Trips to the hub start at the ‘Taste Wheel’, where visitors are challenged on their concepts of conventional ingredient combinations, before moving to ‘Mission Control’ – a 14-metre curved video wall that showcases the highlights of the day’s visit and Oscar Mayers vision for the future of chilled meats.

Onsite innovations

Guests are then invited to try some the latest inventions from Oscar Mayers experts in the ‘Chef’s Kitchen’, followed by a trip to ‘Oscar’s Market’ that pays homage to food markets around the world. This features 10 stalls operated by supplier partners offering everything from butchered meats, fish, cheese, fresh pasta and more.

The ‘Insights and AI Lab’ will invite 50 members of the public weekly to explore new ideas across various meal categories, supported by Oscar Mayer’s very own AI app. Meanwhile, the ‘Packaging, ESG and Merchandising Shop’ will showcase how packaging is made, complete with 3D printers for immediate prototyping.

Finally, visitors’ journeys will end back at ‘Mission Control’ where all the discussions and research accumulated throughout the day will be finalised, giving customers the knowledge they can move forward with a successful product launch.

‘First-of-it’s-kind’

Ian Toal, chief executive at Oscar Mayer, described the Gastro Hub as the ‘first-of-its-kind’ for the industry and hoped it would help to speed up the innovation process for its customers.

“You can’t innovate by looking backwards, and our industry tends to only take a rear-view mirror approach, replicating what’s been done before,” said Toal. “So, this is our way of showing our customers and consumers that we understand their demands and that we’re here to do things differently.

“We’ll be using our insights, with the help of AI, to generate innovative ideas and meals for every moment of the day, every day of the week. It’s all about dispelling myths and changing preconceptions around the category, and we can’t wait to get started and shape the future of food.”