The Wanderlish™ Journey From Collaboration To Innovation

07/22/2024

“It never felt like three teams. It felt like one.”

—Jason Roche, Vice President and General Manager for New Growth Ventures, Bob Evans Farms

SUMMARY

Juicy chicken, aromatic spices, pillowy rice, ready to serve in three quick steps. Sound delicious? It’s Wanderlish™, a new line of globally inspired prepared instant meals from Bob Evans Farms.

The Wanderlish brand of refrigerated meals offers Bob Evans Farms the opportunity to meet two of today’s most pressing consumer demands: global flavors and convenient preparation. The global flavors brand also delivers an exciting new way for the 75-year-old company to expand its product line, add equity, and grow market share.

Bob Evans Farms’ New Growth Ventures team knew it couldn’t meet those lofty goals alone. So, they brought together a team of brand specialists from Sterling-Rice Group (SRG), and the Culinologists at CuliNEX. The team came together at CuliNEX to iterate, formulate, test, and commercialize this new line of globally inspired meals.

A New Twist on Old World Favorites

Chicken Shawarma, Peri-Peri-Chicken, and Black Garlic Chicken… those dishes may have centuries-old cultural roots, but they’re also the newest entrees from the Wanderlish brand—and they are as innovative as it gets. This new CPG line of refrigerated foods is the result of a dynamic collaboration between Bob Evans Farms New Growth Ventures team, Sterling-Rice Group, and CuliNEX.

Origins of a New Brand

Jason Roche, Vice President and General Manager of New Growth Ventures at Bob Evans Farms, sought to create a new line of refrigerated meals that would not only please consumers but deliver growth in the marketplace.

Looking to partner with collaborative and creative experts, he built a team of food product developers and experts from CuliNEX and brand strategist from Sterling-Rice Group (SRG). Together the team embarked on a collaborative, creative journey.

The Power of Collaboration

Team members from Bob Evans Farms, CuliNEX, and SRG attribute Wanderlish’s success to the collaborative spirit initiated by the project team. This unified approach ensured that all team members had a deep understanding of the consumer and the vision for Wanderlish.

Trust and Communication

For this team of product development experts, trust and open communication were crucial. The partners established a culture where everyone felt comfortable sharing ideas and concerns.

This openness fostered a sense of unity and allowed for quick problem-solving and decision-making. By involving all team members early in the process, the teams quickly iterated and refined their ideas.

Quality Standards

One of the most important priorities was maintaining the culinary gold standard throughout the product development process. CuliNEX worked diligently to ensure that the taste and quality of the product met high standards. This work involved rigorous testing and refining of recipe formulations to ensure that the final product was exceptional.

Powerful Approach to Prototyping

Protocepting played a significant role in the creation of Wanderlish. Our process involved matching the culinary gold standard and using commercial ingredients to ensure product delivery in the plant. We also worked closely with the co-man at each stage to match the production with the culinary standard.

Key Success Factors

Several factors contributed to the success of the Wanderlish project:

Clear Vision

The clear vision of Jason Roche guided the team throughout the project.

Collaborative Culture

The collaborative culture fostered trust, creativity, and innovation.

Consumer-Centric Approach

The partnership included active participation from SRG, a branding consultancy that keeps consumers front and center in their work. Amy Shipley, Managing Director at SRG, emphasized the importance of research to understand future consumers.

Culinary Excellence

Expectations set by CuliNEX maintained high culinary standards and ensured that the final product was of exceptional quality.

Agility

The team of three companies acted as one. That gave them the ability to adapt quickly and make informed decisions. The project stayed on track and met its deadlines.

Commercialization Acumen

Identifying the co-manufacture early in the development helped us to replicate production using benchtop techniques, lean in on commercial ingredients, and secure plant-produced samples for consumer testing – accelerating learnings and driving success.

Wanderlish Retrospective

The journey of Wanderlish from idea to prototype to production—and ultimately to the consumer’s table— is a testament to the power of collaboration, trust, and innovation. By bringing together the expertise and passion of multiple teams, Bob Evans Farms, Sterling-Rice Group, and CuliNEX successfully created a new and exciting brand. The lessons learned from this project highlight the importance of a unified approach, clear vision, and consumer-centric thinking in driving innovation.

As Wanderlish is tested in major retailers, the team’s hard work and dedication is manifesting in the marketplace. To everyone who worked on the project, the success of the Wanderlish brand is not defined simply by the delicious, high-quality product itself but also by the collaborative process that brought the brand to life.