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In April 2024, the Culinary Arts Commission of the Ministry of Culture appointed TGP International to design and deliver Saudi Taste Makers, a national development programme created to identify, support and elevate emerging Saudi culinary concepts with the potential for long-term growth.
Developed in collaboration with the Culinary Arts Commission, Taste Makers was conceived as a collaborative journey to address the gap between culinary talent and sustainable business execution, supporting founders as they transition from personal craft to scalable, market-ready concepts while maintaining cultural relevance and identity.
Saudi Taste Makers brought together a select group of homegrown brands representing different expressions of Saudi cuisine.
Each brand entered the programme at a different stage of maturity, but all shared a common ambition to grow with clarity, confidence and purpose within a rapidly evolving food landscape.
THE BRIEF
A unified yet flexible framework was developed to support multiple Saudi culinary entrepreneurs simultaneously.
The objective was to:
- Identify concepts with strong creative and cultural foundations
- Strengthen brand, operational and commercial fundamentals
- Prepare founders for long-term participation in the national and regional food ecosystem
TGP International was commissioned to design and implement this methodology, working closely with each selected brand to provide tailored strategic support across identity, operations, financial planning and positioning.
Rather than focusing on visibility alone, the brief prioritised sustainable development, founder capability and readiness for future market engagement.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE AND METHODOLODY
BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND TRAINING
Delivered by TGP International (7 weeks)
The programme was designed to build independence and decision-making confidence across all aspects of running an F&B concept.
|
Training/ Programme |
Timeline |
Details |
|
Induction Programme |
4 Weeks |
Focused on diagnosing development needs and establishing operational foundations:
Participants completed the induction phase with clear development priorities and structured learning materials to support continued reference. |
|
Owner and Operator Training |
3 Weeks |
Designed to shift founders into leadership and ownership mode:
Participants were encouraged to take initiative, engage stakeholders and demonstrate applied learning through practical outputs such as staff briefings, P&L reviews and cost optimisation actions. |
SUPPORTING EMERGING BRANDS
TGP International worked with a group of selected brands across the programme, including Lasagna Box, Nabob and Pralino, each requiring a different balance of creative support, operational structure and strategic clarity.
The Taste Makers framework allowed TGP to adapt its guidance to each concept while maintaining consistency in methodology and outcomes. This ensured founders retained ownership of their vision while gaining the tools needed to develop with confidence.
SHOWCASING AT THE SAUDI FEAST FESTIVAL
The Saudi Feast Festival marked the final phase of the Taste Makers journey functioning as a real-world testing ground where participating brands could:
- Present refined concepts to a public audience
- Observe live guest feedback and behaviour
- Validate operational readiness under pressure
- Experience direct market interaction following structured development
For many founders, this moment represented a transition from preparation to visibility, allowing their concepts to be experienced without explanation, supported by the foundations built throughout the programme.
FEEDBACK AND LEARNINGS
The live activation of Pralino, Nabob and Lasagna Box provided a clear measure of how each concept performed in a high-footfall public setting. Feedback from festival attendees and the CAC team was consistently positive, reinforcing the strength of the propositions when experienced at scale rather than in theory.
Across all three brands, product quality emerged as the strongest driver of engagement. Pralino’s ice cream was praised for flavour, portion size and clarity of branding, demonstrating strong readiness for event-led formats. Nabob stood out for the quality of its steaks, with visitors repeatedly highlighting taste and execution, even where pricing sat at the higher end of the festival range. Lasagna Box resonated through comforting, well-balanced flavours and generous portions, confirming broad appeal and strong value perception.
The activation also surfaced practical learnings. Festival environments heightened sensitivity to pricing, suggesting opportunities to adapt formats for accessibility while preserving brand positioning. Visual identity and packaging proved critical to memorability, particularly in dense trading environments, reinforcing the need for strong, immediate brand recognition alongside product quality.
More broadly, the event functioned as a proof point for the programme’s objectives. Concepts were tested in real conditions, founders gained direct insight into customer behaviour and decision-making was informed by live feedback. The experience strengthened operational clarity, refined brand narratives and supported confidence in scaling beyond a single moment or location.
Taken together, the activation demonstrated how structured support, combined with live market exposure, can help emerging brands move from concept to capability, equipped with insights that extend beyond the event itself and into longer-term growth.
As articulated by the Culinary Arts Commission:
“Our culinary heritage is a vital part of our cultural identity. Through Culinary Saudi, we aim to share our unique flavours and traditions with the world, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Saudi culture and cuisine.”
Mayada Badr, CEO, Culinary Arts Commission
LEGACY AND LONG-TERM VISION
Saudi Taste Makers represents a shift in how emerging culinary talent is supported within the Kingdom. The programme prioritised depth over display, structure over speed and long-term value over short-term attention.
By investing in people, systems and cultural integrity, Taste Makers established a foundation for future cohorts of Saudi culinary entrepreneurs to grow with confidence, capability and a strong sense of identity.
Services Delivered by TGP International
