Mayonnaise. In coffee cake.
Seriously, mayonnaise in coffee cake?
You wouldn’t imagine the two go together — but, it’s more common than you would think. Acting in the same manner as eggs would, mayonnaise can make a coffee cake fluffier.
That’s the type of experimenting the test kitchen at Unilever’s new headquarters in Hoboken is undertaking.
Chef Brandon Collins, in a presentation on a media tour for the opening of the building earlier this month, explained that the point of the test kitchen is to work with Unilever products to see how and where they can be used.
“We use (the kitchen) to bring our products to life,” he said. “We’re Hellman’s, we’re Knoor, we’re Maille mustard. We have all of these really cool, iconic, absolutely amazing brands that we can then kind of bring to life with our operators.
“How do we do that? By showing them how our products perform in certain baked applications and dressings.”
Like showing the folks at Entenmann’s how Hellman’s can make their iconic product better.
That’s the way Collins, the executive chef at Unilever Food Solutions, sees it.
“Who says you can’t innovate on a classic like coffee cake?” he told BINJE. “At Unilever Food Solutions, we’re having fun flipping the script and experimenting on classic recipes, like using Hellmann’s to make your family’s favorite dessert even more delicious.”
The test kitchen is just part of the fun at Unilever’s new 111,000 square feet of space, three floors at 111 River St. that the company is using to create a new vibe in the office, one that will spark innovation and collaboration — and hopefully grab a new generation of employees.
The on-site salon may help in that regard.
The salon, which — like the test kitchen — traveled with the company from its Englewood Cliffs location, has had more than 4,000 appointments.
It’s a way for employees to get their hair done with the latest TRESemme products — and a chance for Unilever to get feedback on the latest TRESemme products.
This perk will be offered to the more than 1,100 employees who will work in the building.
Bailey Pope, a self-described hair stylist with an opinion, said she’s eager to work with everyone.
“Customer engagement is super important,” she said. “Sometimes, we’ll actually have customers coming in, and I’ll demo products so they can see it working. So, it’s not just a presentation.
“I’ll style the actual buyers as well, so they can experience them themselves.”
All of this styling has made Pope a valued member of the creative team.
“Trust me, our newest line is actually something that we worked together on this past year,” she said.
Nowhere is this collaboration seen more than in Unilver’s “CiiC” rooms.
or “CiiC” room for short, is designed to be a space where Unilever
can co-create with the Walmarts and the Targets of the world
to ensure Unilever products match their business plans and models.
Short for Customer Insight and Innovation Center, the Hoboken location features one of just seven CiiC spots the company has around the globe.
CiiCs are designed to be a space where Unilever can co-create with the Walmarts and the Targets of the world to ensure Unilever products match their business plans and models.
Andre Moore, Unilever’s head of customer development strategy and operations, said the goal is to use technology and know-how to bring ideas to life.
Simply put, Unilever wants to be more than just someone who helps stock a store’s shelves.
Speaking of which, Unilever has a “company store” in the new headquarters, too.
Nate Barney, head of Global Workplace Service for Unilever, described it as a place where employees can champion some of the company’s well-known products. Items such as Dove, Axe or Vaseline.
And, who knows, maybe one day a mayonnaise-flavored coffee cake.
For more information about Unilever, go to unilever.com.
