FOOD TRIALS
This is successful method of testing food before finalising it. Food trials are food tests by people who matter. First are the cooking professionals who evaluate the food on technical grounds. Then there are the gourmet experts who have special palates to discern the nuances of taste. The gourmet experts may be housewives or common people who have knowledge of taste. Gourmet experts can be ethnic people who are familiar with specialty cuisine. Then there are writers on cuisines who are gourmet experts themselves. They could be freelancers or from media especially food reporters. Involving them helps in getting positive publicity. A slice of the target market segment is the best way to get feedback. Opinion-makers are also a good segment to include in the food trials as they will be encouraged to give recommendations by word of mouth. Fig. 12.2 gives the issues that need to be addressed