I N T E R V I E W
Adam on... the theory behind the flavour As a technology title, readers may
sugar and for the daring, salt-and-
expect projectors deconstructed
sugar flavours, Joe & Seph’s has
and examined, but perhaps not the
reinvented the snack completely.
inner workings of popcorn. What of
How do they come up with all these
the methodology behind flavour?
flavours? Adam laughed. “Usually it
the cinema market, Adam explained,
“This is called ‘food sequencing’
starts with Dad rummaging in the
but there has been a positioning war with other popcorn
and basically there are a few bits to
kitchen at home at 3am. We come
suppliers, who occupy the retail market, the kind of popcorn
this,” said Adam, “People don’t like
in at a more sensible hour and find
to have with your lunch, for example.
remained constant; people may not have been booking holidays but they still went to the movies. They have no real competitors in
A family affair — the driving forces behind the Joe & Seph’s popcorn
eating food and getting everything
samples on our desks. The flavours
“Our space is different. It’s not easy, it’s difficult to make
at the same time. We want flavours
to start with were all down to his
the product the way we make it,” Adam went on. “We’ve
one by one. For example, caramel,
palate. More recently we have got
done a lot of work with cinemas on this. We have produced
pepper and chili flavour popcorn
to a point where people are offering
a lot of data analysis and our findings demonstrate to
contains those three but you get
their products for us to try. Marmite
cinemas that they will make extra revenue on special items
them in the order of caramel first,
flavour is divisive, of course, but it’s
like luxury popcorn.“
then pepper, and finally chili. How
going down well. We’ve also just
it’s done is a trade secret I’m afraid,
created the world’s first alcoholic
but it’s less about the equipment
popcorn for a bar in London which
Joe & Seph’s enterprising instincts don’t stop at a rainbow of
and more about the timings, the
wanted us to do something fun for
flavours, they also offer advent calendars, dipping sauces,
processes and the temperatures.”
the summer. It’s a gin bar and they
Marketing support, too
subscription services, online ordering, export to 18 territories
The flavour choice has grown to
asked if we could make it work in
and so on. I admitted to Adam I couldn’t think of another
a mouth-watering number: Pina
popcorn. Dad found a bottle of gin
company that has diversified so well given the static nature
Colada, Cheese on Toast, Truffle Oil
in the kitchen and spent the
of popcorn as a product. What’s next on the horizon?
and Orange Marmalade being just
afternoon working on it.” Is there a
Adam wouldn’t be drawn on specifics but he hinted
a few. How is the selection made for
strategy to it? “We do a lot of shows
that 2019 contained new products, new flavours and lots of
cinemas? Is it based on a few key
and we sample food at exhibitions,
new initiatives. “It’s really exciting and we will continue to
flavours? “We tend to offer some
that’s a good way to test the market.
grow our brand into other spaces.”
best sellers that we know will do
We’ve done focus groups too, but
For Adam and his hard-working family, their kernel of
well,” exlained Adam, “and we will
the thing that really influences a
an idea really has exploded into a booming popcorn
work with exhibitors over time to
flavour is whether people will part
empire, with a multitude of flavours appealing to everybody,
expand the selection.” From salt,
with money for it.”
coming from a business emulated by nobody, and all in a cinema near you. 7 4
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