Bringing Their Flavor A-Game

The concept kitchens are closed—for now. Chefs participating in Kitchen Collaborative 2025 have turned in more than 400 submissions of next-level menu creations they developed using one or more high-impact ingredients provided by sponsor partners. Detailed descriptions of these dishes are being sent to those partners, who will begin the difficult job of selecting 12 winners to travel to Dubai with Flavor & The Menu and Summit F&B in 2026 and attend the renowned Gulfood Show.

In late February, Kitchen Collaborative participants received two boxes of products from these sponsor partners. Earlier this month, Flavor & The Menu shared a little of the magic chefs could make working with shelf-stable products. Now, we offer a look at the inspirations sparked by perishable items courtesy of Aussie Select, BelGioioso Cheese, Real California Milk, Otis Spunkmeyer and Tyson.

SWEET INSPIRATION

Could there be more of a timely coincidence for Kitchen Collaborative 2025 than the recent viral sensation around the Dubai Chocolate Bar? With a trip to the Persian Gulf city on the line, more than one chef participant was inspired to submit their own spin on the trend, including Eric Stein, head of international culinary, Church’s Texas Chicken. Stein’s Ultimate Dubai Cookie Pie uses Otis Spunkmeyer Sweet Discovery Chocolate Chip Cookie dough as a decadent crust, which is loaded with creamy pistachio knafeh filling and topped with a silky, pistachio-studded chocolate ganache. “It’s a combination so rich, it’s fit for Emirati royalty!” says the chef, who remained mindful of practical applications, especially for the quick-service segment. “These cookie pie wedges could be pre-portioned and packaged to bring a higher-end trend to the menu, while still being convenient and cost-effective.”

Otis Spunkmeyer’s cookie dough also factors into the Chocolate Chip Cookie Fries from Carron Harris, former senior director, culinary, Papa Murphy’s Pizza. “I wanted to do something different with cookies,” she says, “and fries are a fun inspiration.” This simple but highly effective presentation of dippable cookie strips is perfect for sharing, both at a meal and on social media. “The cookies are baked to perfection, allowed to cool and then cut into half-inch strips and served with caramel and chocolate dipping sauces,” she explains.

Lisa Feldman, senior director of culinary for Sodexo, was inspired to take a savory spin. “The second I opened the box of perishable items and was greeted by a bag of crumbled chorizo from Tyson, I was determined to put it on ice cream. Bacon on ice cream is fantastic—why not chorizo?” For her Warm Crispy Chorizo and Salted Caramel Sundae with Chocolate Chip Cookie “Chips,” she doubled down on the flavor, rendering the chorizo and putting the oil to good use. “Chorizo oil on ice cream is next-level delicious,” she insists. The ice cream is further enhanced with salted caramel, toasted pecans, flaky sea salt and a pinch of smoked paprika. But Feldman wasn’t done: “I paired it with two Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip wedges dipped in chocolate glaze and sprinkled with more pecans, sea salt and smoked paprika. I wanted the wedges to emulate tortilla chips to scoop or dip directly into the ice cream.” Feldman calls her inspiration a “sundae with swagger.”

HI-LO IN ACTION

A few Kitchen Collaborative submissions give a nod to the hi-lo sensation, one of Flavor & The Menu’s 2025 Top 10 Trends. It pairs high-end ingredients with low-brow items in a brilliant blend of approachable luxury. A potato chip topped with luxurious caviar, made famous on social media, is one of the original representations of this trend and may have inspired two menu inspirations.

Thomas Dritsas, corporate executive chef, Truluck’s, tapped BelGioioso in elevating a classic comfort dish. His Caramelized Onion-Mascarpone Dip with Caviar and Kettle Chips delivers deep, caramelized onion flavor with the rich, slightly sweet body of the mascarpone. It’s contrasted by the salt of the chips and caviar. “The consistency of the cheese was a great stand-in for the traditional sour cream,” says Dritsas.

The Pig & Chips from Dawn McClung, manager of culinary innovation and R&D for Piada Italian Street Food, features whipped BelGioioso Gorgonzola as a dip topped with housemade potato chips. It’s layered with prosciutto and drizzled with hot honey and sea salt. “The dish is a way to leverage the rich flavors of the Gorgonzola, but in a subtle way,” she says. “Pairing it with simple ingredients lets the flavor shine.”

STUFFED AND LOADED

In a box replete with meats and cheeses, it’s no surprise to see savory flavors at the fore. When Jon Dubrick, director, culinary development, Sodexo, discovered pork chorizo crumbles from Tyson Foodservice’s Hillshire Farm^® brand, his direction was clear: “When I think chorizo, my mind goes to cheese, potatoes and heat.” His Fire-Roasted Chorizo Stuffed Potato checks the boxes, dialing up the crave factor with two separate whipped potato toppings, one that features more chorizo and the other with ricotta from BelGioioso. A finish of Fiscalini Old World Cheddar from Real California Milk brings it all together.

In another creative take—this time leaning into the loaded fries trend—Afrand Nikoukar, culinary innovation at Chipotle, sought to spotlight the bold, spiced character of the Aussie Select Lamb Pastrami by reimagining a craveable, street food-style format. His Lamb Pastrami Fries feature Mediterranean flavors, including za’atar fries, crumbled feta cheese, lemon tahini and pickled peppers. “There are contrasting textures here, from the crispy fries to the tender lamb pastrami pieces,” he says.

SAVORY SPECIALTIES

With her Aussie Lamb Prime Rib Cubano, Tiffany Sawyer, corporate director of culinary and beverage for First Hospitality, reimagines the handheld favorite. “I wanted to show the versatility that lamb has in the U.S. across all dayparts and menu categories,” she explains. The build includes a “pickle de gallo,” two types of mustard, cheese and mayo, resulting in “a full and fresh mouthfeel that is creamy, bold, earthy, tart, tangy, slightly bitter and a little spicy, with lasting earthy herbaceous notes from the lamb.”

Joseph Antosiak, executive chef, OVG Hospitality, created an artfully deconstructed salad or light starter with his Bacon, Beet and Bleu dish. The concept features creamy bleu cheese from Real California Milk, crispy bacon from Tyson and farm beets with a sherry glaze. “It’s summer fun on a plate,” says Antosiak.

Kevin Ripley, senior director, culinary for Brinker International, brings savory together with a touch of sweet in his Baked Petite Supreme Brie. The Real California Milk artisan cheese is wrapped in crispy lamb bacon and served with a blackberry compote and crusty bread. He slices the Aussie Select lamb paper-thin to wrap around the Brie. “Broiling crisps up the lamb perfectly,” says Ripley, frank about the results: “This is the best baked Brie dish I’ve ever tasted!”

It’s well evident that as Kitchen Collaborative 2025 sponsors are poring over the details of these concepts and hundreds of other culinary inspirations, they will face a daunting challenge to select 12 best-of-the-best standouts. Flavor & The Menu will share another preview of some of the concepts in contention before announcing the winners in mid-May.