Ugo Bataillard: Food & Beverage Consulting & Innovation CEO

Fascinating innovations are happening in the food & beverage industry around the world and Ugo Bataillard is introducing them to Japan.  Ugo is the Founder and CEO of GourmetPro, a startup which began as a Japan market-entry consulting company for foreign food and beverage companies. After a successful 1st year of having too much business, GourmetPro shifted their business model to focus more on plant and cell based foods, sustainability, and other innovations in food and beverage.  You will hear all about these  developments and how GourmetPro utilizes a network of expert consultants to introduce these to Japan. We also talk about Japan market-entry and the top three transgressions foreign companies are most guilty of,  chat about cell based meat, insect protein, The Cheesecake Factory, and review Doutour's soy meat burger.  Other highlights from our conversation:

• Where the original idea come from to start GourmetPro
• Why food trends come and go so quickly in Japan
• How the market is changing from distributor domination to direct import and private label
• Ideas how to sell The Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes in Japan
• What is cell-based meat and is plant based meat really a boom we are lead to believe
• How sustainability and food innovation is an initiative for younger generations 
• How GourmetPro is able to enlist so many expert consultants
• Why the Flexitarian movement is gaining popularity
• Mistakes made when entering the Japanese market
• Favorite  untranslatable Japanese word

GourmetPro: https://www.gourmetpro.co/

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