In our quest to keep you posted on new developments in the luxury eating and drinking space, we want to introduce our readers to Foodpairing.com. We sat down with Bernard Lahousse to get more information on how the idea for this truly unique food pairing website came to be and why our readers should be interested. Bernard is a self-described “scientist, food aficionado & founder of Foodpairing.® In his role at FoodPairing.com, Bernard develops a scientific approach to food innovation and offers his knowledge to chefs & bartenders from around the world.
I spent about three hours checking out their blog and website, becoming more and more impressed with what their site offers and also had a 1.5-hour interview learning about the website and more importantly where to go to have their pairings. Food pairing essentially allows you to go in and pick and choose different flavor profiles that work well together, and, voila, you have the inspiration for a new dish or cocktail!
Food Pairing examples by Former Michelin-starred Chef Peter Coucquyt
Pizza with ginger, peach, mint, tomato, cheese, thyme
Food Inspiration Tool
Maracuja – Elderflower – Vodka
Food Inspiration Tool
Q&A
1. Bernard, I know quite a bit about how you came into the business, but what roles do your Co-Founders play?
Co-Founders: Johan Langenbick who focuses on the business development and sales part of the business and Peter Coucquyt who is our Chef (former Michelin star chef)
2. What are the next steps for Food Pairing in 2016
Amongst others, stronger B2B presence in the US. We are looking to partner with quality food and beverage brands to inspire chefs, mixologists and foodies worldwide with great combinations with their products.
3. As a home cook, how can I use Food Pairing to jazz up my dishes at home?
Foodpairing is currently focusing on professional chefs and mixologists (B2B) but savvy foodies and home cooks are welcome to try new combinations by subscribing to our tool inspire.foodpairing.com and get creative with new ingredient combinations.
Where to Check out Food Pairing in Action
For those of you who will be heading to Europe in the next few months for the holidays and plain ol’ vacationing, you may find it worth your while to check out some of the Michelin starred restaurants that Food Pairing partners within Belgium. A must go for any food-lover in the world. Chef Gert Mangeleer and maitre d’hôtel Joachim Boudens. Hertog Jan is widely considered to be one of the top 50 restaurants in the world and is a must go for any food-lover in the world.
Gem Thomas
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