Flavor Experience 2026

 

Photos courtesy of Katie Kelley

Top left: Attendees shared trend insights at the annual Flavor Trends Roundtable with Flavor & The Menu’s Cathy Nash Holley and Katie Ayoub.

Top center: The National Mango Board showcased the opportunity with a trending flavor system in its Mango Sticky Rice Sundae.

Top right: In a breakout session, attendees explored trend signals from CPG with Amazon’s Melodie Beal and Juicy Brick’s Grace Bryan (not pictured).

Bottom right: The Monin team brought plenty of energy to this year’s Flavor Experience.

Bottom center: Datassential’s Shara Orem (not pictured) led an interactive workshop separating social-media hype from menu opportunity.

Bottom left: Chirag Speaks, brand historian, kicked the Monday morning sessions into high gear with a lively look at the power of storytelling.

Center left: Natalie Shmulik, innovation anthropologist, led a dynamic discussion around modern texture innovation with Ingredion’s Janet Carver and The Culinary Edge’s Graham Humphreys.


The 2026 Flavor Experience brought high-volume menu developers and industry innovators together in Newport Beach, Calif., for three days of flavor discovery and forward-looking ideas.

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