PepsiCo has formed an exciting partnership with Chef Ferran Adrià, arguably the best chef in the world, at the 3 Michelin star restaurant El Bulli in Spain.
The opportunity for PepsiCo to develop new food innovations and learn about leading cuisine trends lies at the heart of this new partnership between the company and Chef Adrià, who transformed fine cuisine with his 'cocina de vanguardia,' the term he prefers to molecular gastronomy.
Building upon a successful relationship with Adrià and PepsiCo's Spanish business since 2005, this global partnership will enable PepsiCo to create food innovations that bring new flavors, tastes and experiences to consumers across the globe. One specific area of focus is the exploration of the culinary arts to enable PepsiCo to broaden its portfolio of healthier choices. This includes developing taste enhancement ingredients and natural preserving techniques in order to reduce the use of fat and oil in current products, therefore making them healthier.
PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi was in Roses, Spain to acknowledge the partnership and dined at El Bulli, the 5-time recipient of the Best Restaurant in the World by Restaurant Magazine, before it closes on July 30th to become an Innovation Center for creative cuisine and gastronomy at least until 2014.
Adrià has been linked to PepsiCo for a while through earlier successful partnerships in which PepsiCo received advice on the creation of such products as Lay's Craft 100% olive oil or cream Alvalle. Now the agreement is an even more enriching international cooperation, including all PepsiCo brands worldwide.
Adrià, who describes himself as an artist, shared his passion with Nooyi and her team at a session at El Bulli. "While I know they think they have a chef in front, I am expressing myself using the language of an artist in the kitchen," he said.
From this philosophy, the prestigious Chef will create new snack products, more choices for breakfast, and will share samples, food trends and observations from around the world, expanding PepsiCo's portfolio of healthier products.