About Us
Ruth Flack, Managing Partner
What is Panem et Circenses? Panem et Circenses is Latin for Bread and Circus, and was an expression used to reference what is necessary for a happy and healthy population.
We chose this name because we believe a food business is more than just a product or a brand. Food is part of what creates family memories and shapes our health and happiness. New food companies need more than just a food scientist or brand manager – it takes the whole package to succeed, and that’s what you get at PEC Food Consulting.
We are a team that has worked across different sectors in the industry and across different roles.
Previous Projects
Innovation
A privately owned confectionery company has traditionally high loyalty with consumers 45-65, but low loyalty with consumers between 18-45. The company was seeking ways to increase interest with this demographic, and to increase on-shelf visibility and sales conversions. We created a plan using their custom candy technology and point-of-sale equipment. This will make a fun and visually appealing way to buy candy. The results are projected increase target demographic conversions, and the solution won 2nd place in a national search competition.
Business Plans
An entrepreneur developed a new recipe for healthier pancakes, and hoped to sell it to school cafeterias. They planned to fundraise through pitch competitions, but lacked the necessary experience to judge feasibility and start up costs. Our team provided insight on the supply chains involved, competitive landscape for products in school cafeterias, regulatory requirements, and advice on packaging and distribution. The entrepreneur worked with us to create a pitch deck, and went on to win funding in the pitch competition.
Supply Chain Expertise
An advisory firm was seeking expertise in understanding a specific ingredient's supply chain. Our team provided an overview from farm locations and methods to industrial use. We also created a summary of different major suppliers and purchasers, and a brief history of the market trends. Finally, we discussed changing regulations and expected demand increases from weather and formulation changes. This information helped the client to better understand the market and inform their own investment strategy.
Production Expertise
An ice cream manufacturing company had recently won the bid to make a highly recognizable, brand name ice cream product. The terms of their bid required a rapid start up within their facility, new equipment installations, and minor formulation changes. Our team was able to quickly identify potential operational challenges, source and install the required equipment, go through the formulation and quality approval change process, and supervise the successful vertical start up within the client's tight timeline. This resulted in the client - and the original brand owner - increasing overall sales and not incurring any time out-of-stock.
Data Driven Solutions
A large public candy and snack manufacturer had recently acquired increased capacity, but only for a particular size product. Sales projections showed that demand would match capacity in five years. However, the manufacturer wanted to increase demand more quickly. Data on current consumers indicates that a different product mix and different packaging would better address the consumer's needs. These changes to packaging and assortment are projected to significantly increase sales in the first year implemented.
Product Development
A small agricultural supply company was trying to generate revenue from their patented product. They asked our team to create a suite of products to be used as part of marketing materials for their product to other food manufacturers. We created twelve different products for our client across a range of use cases, from beverages to baked goods to dairy. We presented these new products, recipes, and potential sales materials to the client, expanding the way the client thought about their own marketing strategy and B2B sales.
