About ── A Gastronomic Innovation Center

Makeat is an innovation, design and product development studio focused on the gastronomic ecosystem. Based in Barcelona, we work at the intersection of thinking, making and experiencing, designing projects that transform ideas into systems, tools and experiences with real impact.

 

We understand gastronomy as a complex, living system where creativity, innovation, science, strategy, operations, technology and emotion coexist. Our work moves between analysis and creation, combining consultancy and design as two complementary ways of approaching the same challenge: understanding reality in depth in order to transform it with purpose.

 

Through Consultancy, we analyse contexts, processes and behaviours to define clear frameworks for decision-making, innovation and growth, and activate this knowledge through workshops, talks and tailored learning formats, designed to share methodology, align teams and open new perspectives. Through Design, we translate those frameworks into tangible solutions (products, tools, devices and experiences) where form, function and narrative are inseparable.

 

We work with materials, technology, processes and people. We collaborate with brands, operators and professionals from food, drinks, science, design and business, acting as a bridge between innovation and real use. From this way of thinking and making, initiatives like Tools by Makeat naturally emerge, expanding the possibilities of gastronomic design through creative tooling.

 

At Makeat, every project is an opportunity to explore new languages, question conventions and design with intention. We think through every detail, every texture, shape, scent and flavour, because we believe that meaningful impact happens when ideas are not only imagined, but carefully built.

| Our Methodologies

At the core of our work are the methodologies that guide how we think and how we build. Food Thinking allows us to approach gastronomy as a living system, connecting culture, context, technique, experience, science, innovation and creativity to develop projects with depth and meaning. FAC.U² structures the journey from analysis to creation, helping us turn understanding into action with clarity and coherence. Together, these methodologies are embedded in every project we develop at Makeat, across both consultancy and design, ensuring that ideas are not only creative, but also solid, intentional and executable.

A02 ── Team
| Juan Umbert
Co-Founder & CEO
| Adrià Colominas
Co-Founder & CTO
| Víctor Echevarria
Head of Strategy
| Alicia Cusco
External Consultant - Catao
| Carlos Clemente
Project Manager
| Pol Bernat
Conceptual Designer
| Chema Ortolano
Head of Consultancy & R&D
| Maria Rodríguez
Head of Communications
| Mariona Prats
Head of Production
| Alex Lahuerta
Creative Designer
| Lucie Levrard
Production Doer
| Samuel Colominas
Graphic Designer
| Marta Florido
Product Designer
| Manuel Mur
Senior Designer
| Javi Albo
Administrative Officer
| Ana de Sousa
A02 ── Our ecosystem

Lasarte | Disfrutar | SIPS |  Macallan | Aethos Mallorca | America’s Cup | Azurmendi | Bellus | Bombay Shapphire | Dewars | Salmón Gurú | Grosvenor House JW Marriot Hotel | Jumpers | Levi’s | Mo Barcelona | Rocambolesc | Moet & Chandon | NeoSpot | Popitas | Bacardi | Lluc Crusellas | Carles Codina (Four Seasons Madrid) | Welbilt | Paradiso | Grupo Esencia | Le Tribute | Miquel Guarro | Hofmann | Mamzel Marbella | Mr. Porter |

THINKERSFOOD UNIVERSE

Flavour strategy & Product development

| Project info

[R&D Project]

Designing flavour systems for scalable retail innovation.

Makeat led the development and creation of new retail flavours for Popitas through a consultancy-driven process combining market intelligence, consumer insight and applied research. The project began with an in-depth analysis of the popcorn category and its evolution in recent years, identifying emerging behaviours, consumption occasions and shifts in flavour preferences within the snack market.

 

This strategic phase was complemented by consumer research and a technical study of popcorn preparation methods, allowing us to understand the constraints and opportunities of the product from both a sensory and industrial perspective. Flavour was approached as a system rather than a list of options, requiring structure, logic and long-term relevance.

Based on this analysis, Makeat developed a flavour matrix of more than 150 potential combinations, aligned with future trends and key ingredients expected to shape the category in the coming years. The matrix functioned as a strategic tool, enabling Popitas to evaluate, prioritise and evolve its portfolio with clarity and coherence over time.

 

A core component of the project was the development of an industrialisable dual-flavouring system using natural aromas. This required extensive testing and experimentation to ensure stability, consistency and scalability, while preserving sensory quality and product performance at retail level.

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The consultancy process concluded with the full documentation of the research, experimentation and technical development. This included detailed information on processes, formulations and the final product, providing Popitas with a robust knowledge base to support future innovation, production and decision-making.

 

This project reflects Makeat’s approach to consultancy as a bridge between insight and execution: transforming research into structured systems that enable brands to innovate with confidence, coherence and long-term vision.

Careers at Makeat BCN

We work with chefs, brands, and innovators around the world to turn imagination into matter — and we’re always looking for curious, restless minds to join us.

 

We value thinkers who build and makers who think. People who are comfortable with ambiguity, who see both code and cuisine as creative tools.

gestion@makeat.tech

Carrer Ramon Turro, 5,
Barcelona, Spain 08005
+34 646 044 137