The flavour training problem
To understand the advantage, first we must understand the problem.
If you work in the food or drink industries, chances are you’ve received sensory training. From mastering quantitative descriptive analysis and objective sensory evaluation, to methodically nosing and tasting samples. The level of expertise and available training is second to none. But there’s a gap.
Flavour training and sensory practice commonly focus on improving one’s ability to detect, discriminate, and identify flavours, with the strong focus being on odour identification. Excellent programmes are in place to ‘train your palate’ or nose to dissect the organoleptic qualities of food and drink products. This involves familiarisation with relevant odour standards for each product category and matching them with formalised vocabulary.
Such training also brings with it a high degree of sensory science, however, the centre of attention remains on chemistry and molecular interactions. The psychology and cognitive neuroscience of translating stimuli into relatable experiences are not well understood outside of the laboratories or sensory science communities. This is the knowledge gap.
Why does this matter?
Understanding the chemistry and sensory techniques of flavour is like a racing driver not knowing how an engine works. They will still be able to become very skilled at driving but will be limited in how much they can get out of the car the feedback they give to their mechanics.
For example, are you aware that orthonasal olfaction (sniffing) is connected to our dopamine pathways and motivation. Whereas retronasal olfaction (eating or sipping) is connected to our opioid and benzodiazepine pathways and feeling good. It’s just part of the reason why a product can taste very different to how it smells, and why odours like leathery and smoky can be easier to detect on the palate than the nose.
Such insights complement the chemical and molecular training provided elsewhere and support a rounded and all-encompassing perspective of flavour that helps to reduce personal bias and increase reliability. They allow us to differentiate between everyday terms such as flavour, taste, mouthfeel, palate, and finish, which are often used interchangeably. Without a clear understanding of what flavour is and how the body creates it, many important questions remain unanswered. This leads to sensory confusion rather than sensory fusion.
Solving the problem
It’s easy to see why such confusion exists. Flavour is experienced as a single event inside one’s head. It’s like going to the cinema. Although the sounds from the speakers and the images on the screen are from unrelated sources, the brain maps them together to make us believe the voices we hear originate from the people on the screen.
Whereas in a cinema we can close our eyes to focus on the sounds, or cover our ears to focus on the images, we cannot do this with flavour. Everything happens at once - aroma, taste, and mouthfeel all occur as a single event. As such, because flavour appears to happen inside the mouth it’s natural to call it taste - hence we go to a whisky tasting or a wine tasting.
Our flavour training courses are designed to separate flavour into its component parts and understand how each one operates in isolation, and also as part of a system. Each of our senses influences the perception of the other senses, and our genetics alongside cognitive learning influence biases, flavour blind spots, and threshold tolerances.
Flavour is a complex blend of biology, psychology, neurology, chemistry, sensory science, and even neurodesign; each one being a lifetime of study in its own right. Our sensory education courses distil the latest research from all these disciplines into bite-sized, actionable insights tailored for professionals in the beer, wine, spirits and food industries. We cut through the thousands of scientific papers so you don’t have to, joining the dots and presenting only the essential information in clear, straightforward terms.
Learn the critical distinctions between orthonasal and retronasal olfaction and the neurological responses each triggers. Explore how emotional states, hunger, and fatigue shape sensory perception. Understand the nuances of semantics and odour memory.
Our goal? To work alongside the existing sensory training courses to fill the gaps in sensory knowledge that are holding back a more progressive approach to flavour. We are passionate about empowering employees who are engaged, motivated, and valued, and aiding businesses to create high quality, consistent products that build more meaningful customer experiences and brand loyalty.
Keep reading to discover the benefits to you, your team, your business, and your customers.
The benefits
With a range of options, we tailor our flavour training courses to fit the unique needs of your team and your business. Each of our courses is designed to bring valuable benefits that align with both your team’s objectives and your broader business goals. Here are the key advantages:
Enhanced Customer Experience and Trust – Empowered, knowledgeable staff deliver an exceptional, personalised service that’s full of character, boosting customer satisfaction, increasing positive reviews, and driving brand loyalty and repeat business. More than ever, consumers are seeking to move away from traditional advertising and understand flavour through authentic brand activations that create real experiences and build trust.
Employee Engagement – At their heart, everyone seeks to feel motivated, engaged, and appreciated in what they do. Our flavour training courses inspire growth, promote focus, and foster a sense of engrossment through applying sensory science insights to the workplace.
Increased Employee Retention – With talent acquisition becoming tougher and the rising costs of recruiting new people, retaining employees is critical for businesses. Investing in training shows your staff they’re valued and celebrated, leading to higher job satisfaction, mental wellbeing and long-term loyalty.
Improved Cross-Functional Communication – Employees with a deeper understanding of sensory analysis and flavour appreciation can better collaborate with teams across production, product development, and quality control, strengthening internal operations.
Innovative Product Development – As consumers demand fresh, innovative products, your team’s ability to create successful offerings is more important than ever. Our flavour training courses equip them with the skills, knowledge, and creative thinking to excel.
Tangible ROI – Expect measurable results: enhanced customer satisfaction, positive reviews, word-of-mouth growth, user generated content, stronger brand loyalty, high quality products, and lower employee turnover all contribute to a solid return on investment.
Are we right for your business?
Our flavour training courses are shaped around your specific needs, whether you're equipping customer-facing teams with the expertise to impress, or empowering hospitality staff to deliver spot-on recommendations. Even on the production side, a deeper understanding of flavour can elevate product quality, consistency, and cross-functional communications.
As such our courses have the agility to complement in-house customer experience training, wine tasting courses, whisky tasting courses, and ambassador training.
If your business relies on any of the following people and teams, let’s have a chat and see how we can work together.
Visitor centre teams
Customer experience teams
Marketing teams (especially those focused on product and brand development)
Event and experiential marketing teams
Brand managers
Training and development managers
Retail buyers
Field sales teams & brand ambassadors
Retail sales staff
Bartenders & mixologists
Sommeliers
Hotel & catering staff
Hospitality management teams
Culinary teams (chefs and kitchen staff in fine dining)
Distillers, brewers, & winemakers
Sensory panel teams
Product development teams
Quality control teams
Beverage directors
Empower your team with the knowledge to excel in every aspect of the drinks industry.
Start the conversation here:
