Case Studies
Decoding the new rules of the tabletop
Decoding the new rules of the tabletop
Decoding the new rules of the tabletop
Innovation Agent
At a glance
Client: Valeo Foods, Chef
Category: Sauces, condiments, pickles and beetroot
Market: Ireland, informed by UK, US and global menu signals
Agent: Innovation Agent, supported by Market Intelligence
Engagement: Category intelligence and innovation programme
Duration: Multi-week programme, from category scan to workshop-ready direction
Deliverables: Market signal map, behaviour framework, opportunity map and decision workshop
Outcome: A clearer, evidence-backed basis for innovation prioritisation
The challenge
Chef is a familiar Irish name across sauces, condiments and preserved vegetables, but the tabletop category is no longer defined by a single aisle or a fixed set of occasions.
New products, menu ideas and social behaviours appear at different speeds. Viewed separately, each source can exaggerate a short-lived trend or miss a change already moving across the market.
Valeo Foods needed one evidence-backed picture of the category and a practical way to identify the changes that deserved further attention.
The Innovation Agent
Talio deployed the Innovation Agent, supported by Market Intelligence, across more than 9,000 retail, social and menu signals. It read availability, usage and early adoption together before the strategy team shaped the evidence into a decision-ready brief.
The Innovation Agent mines millions of data points across retail, social, menus and product launches, turning category movement into evidence-backed innovation direction.
It read the shelf and menu
The agent structured more than 1,200 retail products and 800 menu items from over 150 menus by flavour, claim, format, dish and technique.
That connected what was available on shelf with what chefs and operators were using, helping the team see which ideas were established and which were beginning to move toward wider adoption.
Retail
1,200 products across major UK and US retailers, read for flavour, claim and format.
Social
7,795 posts, comments and videos, read for hacks, cravings and meal missions.
Menu
800+ items from 150+ menus across global cities, read for flavour and technique.
Synthesis
Eight behaviours organised into an evidence-backed opportunity map.
It read the conversation
The agent analysed 7,795 TikTok and Instagram posts, comments and videos to understand usage, cravings, meal missions and the language surrounding the category.
Those signals were tested against the retail and menu evidence. The result was a clearer distinction between high-volume conversation, real availability and early market movement.
It turned signals into decisions
Talio’s strategy team organised eight observed behaviours into a focused opportunity map. Each area was backed by source evidence and framed so Valeo Foods could compare opportunities on a consistent basis.
What was delivered
The engagement ended with decision material the team could use immediately:
Category signal map
One view of the retail, social and menu evidence changing tabletop.
Behaviour framework
Eight observed behaviours, with the supporting signals behind each one.
Evidence-backed opportunity map
Priority areas grounded in multiple sources and ready for client evaluation.
Workshop-ready decision framework
A consistent basis for comparing relevance, momentum and brand fit.
The outcome
From separate sources to one market view. Retail, social and menus challenged and strengthened one another.
From volume to meaning. The team could distinguish high conversation from evidence of wider market movement.
From research to a working brief. The output was structured for prioritisation and action, not left as a report to interpret.
At a glance
Client: Valeo Foods, Chef
Category: Sauces, condiments, pickles and beetroot
Market: Ireland, informed by UK, US and global menu signals
Agent: Innovation Agent, supported by Market Intelligence
Engagement: Category intelligence and innovation programme
Duration: Multi-week programme, from category scan to workshop-ready direction
Deliverables: Market signal map, behaviour framework, opportunity map and decision workshop
Outcome: A clearer, evidence-backed basis for innovation prioritisation
The challenge
Chef is a familiar Irish name across sauces, condiments and preserved vegetables, but the tabletop category is no longer defined by a single aisle or a fixed set of occasions.
New products, menu ideas and social behaviours appear at different speeds. Viewed separately, each source can exaggerate a short-lived trend or miss a change already moving across the market.
Valeo Foods needed one evidence-backed picture of the category and a practical way to identify the changes that deserved further attention.
The Innovation Agent
Talio deployed the Innovation Agent, supported by Market Intelligence, across more than 9,000 retail, social and menu signals. It read availability, usage and early adoption together before the strategy team shaped the evidence into a decision-ready brief.
The Innovation Agent mines millions of data points across retail, social, menus and product launches, turning category movement into evidence-backed innovation direction.
It read the shelf and menu
The agent structured more than 1,200 retail products and 800 menu items from over 150 menus by flavour, claim, format, dish and technique.
That connected what was available on shelf with what chefs and operators were using, helping the team see which ideas were established and which were beginning to move toward wider adoption.
Retail
1,200 products across major UK and US retailers, read for flavour, claim and format.
Social
7,795 posts, comments and videos, read for hacks, cravings and meal missions.
Menu
800+ items from 150+ menus across global cities, read for flavour and technique.
Synthesis
Eight behaviours organised into an evidence-backed opportunity map.
It read the conversation
The agent analysed 7,795 TikTok and Instagram posts, comments and videos to understand usage, cravings, meal missions and the language surrounding the category.
Those signals were tested against the retail and menu evidence. The result was a clearer distinction between high-volume conversation, real availability and early market movement.
It turned signals into decisions
Talio’s strategy team organised eight observed behaviours into a focused opportunity map. Each area was backed by source evidence and framed so Valeo Foods could compare opportunities on a consistent basis.
What was delivered
The engagement ended with decision material the team could use immediately:
Category signal map
One view of the retail, social and menu evidence changing tabletop.
Behaviour framework
Eight observed behaviours, with the supporting signals behind each one.
Evidence-backed opportunity map
Priority areas grounded in multiple sources and ready for client evaluation.
Workshop-ready decision framework
A consistent basis for comparing relevance, momentum and brand fit.
The outcome
From separate sources to one market view. Retail, social and menus challenged and strengthened one another.
From volume to meaning. The team could distinguish high conversation from evidence of wider market movement.
From research to a working brief. The output was structured for prioritisation and action, not left as a report to interpret.
The team at Talio combines the power of AI with the intelligence, experience, and curiosity of great people. They’re brilliant collaborators who don’t just find insights – they help us make sense of them, challenge our thinking, and turn them into innovation. They’ve changed the way we work, bringing greater speed, creativity, and confidence in our innovation process.
Sinead Mc Aleese, Valeo Foods
Chief Commercial Officer
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