A kencko smoothie goes through plenty of ingredient sampling, recipe formulation, and taste tests before it reaches your front door. Ever wondered whoâs behind that development process?
Â
While what goes into them generally does grow on trees, kencko smoothies themselves, do not.
So where do those magic little packets of organic powdered goodness originate?Â
Why, from the minds of kenckoâs research & development team, a four-person party whose members balance a rigorous, scientific approach to formulating recipes, with a romantic chefâs artistry and love for great flavor.
Working closely with our nutrition experts, the talented team behind R&D brings to the table a wide range of experience across the food and beverage industry, along with an unmatched passion for gastronomy.Â
We were able to get them away from the lab â if your job was conceiving of and tasting new delicious smoothie recipes all day, youâd be hard to pry away from work, too! â recently for a quick chat.Â
These interviews have been edited for clarity, and particularly for length. (Our R&D folks really, really, really like to talk about food!)
Â
Whatâs your favorite meal or cuisine?
âItâs really difficult to say â when you love food and drink you kind of love it all, and every cuisine has a uniqueness thatâs going to speak to you. Ultimately, my go-to is a mix between American-style dishes (which are basically derived from European-style cooking) fused with more Asian-style cooking. I have members of my family with Indian heritage who have taught me how to cook curries, and love cooking that style of cuisine. I also love stews and roasts because theyâre simple. Youâve got a little prep work but once itâs on the stove top itâs basically done, itâs just going to go through various stages as it cooks.â
Â
Whatâs an ingredient youâre currently inspired by?
âSesame oil â itâs delicious and goes really well with salads or with a bit of fish or meat. It adds a lot of flavor without having to do much.â
Â
What do you like to do for fun?
âI love music. I play a little bit of drums and guitar, and I like to produce my own mixtapes (you can buy one at the end of this interview)! I donât get to concerts as much as Iâd like. But Iâm overall trying to be healthier. I like walks, climbing, and table tennis. Table tennis has become an R&D addiction.â
Â
What was your first job in food?
âMy father passed away when I was young, so as an early teenager, I wanted to pitch in and felt I should get a weekend job. So I went to a local greasy spoon diner that turned into a Thai restaurant on weekends, run by this one older, Thai woman, and asked her for a job. She asked how old I was. I said I was 14. She said nope, sorry, canât do it. Went back the next weekend. Same answer. Went back a third time, she relented. I was the dishwasher. She had another lady in the front of the house, but nobody else was allowed in the kitchen except her. She controlled the kitchen and had complete mastery of the space. Every action was calculated. Every movement was necessary. Her communication was sharp and purposeful. It was an incredible work experience. I think thatâs where I learned a sense of haste. I couldnât hold a candle to her, even cooking with one hand, but from there I wanted to learn how to cook.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite kencko smoothie flavor?
âIâm going to take a cop-out approach and list three.Â
I really like mochas out of complexityâ particularly with a mix of almond and oat milk, because Iâm fresh that way! (Quick disclaimer, itâs great to add a hint of water to any of your milks before adding the smoothie. It can help to lift the fruit flavors.)
When I think of a berry smoothie, reds is exactly what I expect. The strawberry, slight banana flavors, burgeoning sweetness. It takes me back to childhood.
Especially with almond milk, yellows just reminds me of the nicer notes of marzipan, which I donât ordinarily like but the fruitiness works for me here.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite meal or cuisine?
âI agree with Mark. Itâs hard to name one, but I tend to cook typical Portuguese style food⊠usually based on the season. In the winter, then more stews, in the summer, more sauteed-style stuff. I keep it simple. Decent portion of carbs, protein, vegetables.â
Â
Whatâs an ingredient youâre currently inspired by?
âBecause of Mark, I started using loads of cumin, actually. I have a son who likes soup, and so I use a lot of vegetables for those. Right now itâs mostly peppers.â
Â
What do you like to do for fun?
âSports, whatever involves moving. I used to play the drums in a band, so I love music. I do love cooking, itâs truly fun, the act of pairing flavors.â
Â
What was your first job in food?
âMy first job in the industry was at a steak joint near my house. I was bussing tables. But in that kind of job, people stop showing up, so I eventually got a chance to work behind the bar, and I liked that a lot more. Studied being a bartender a bit more, really liked it.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite kencko smoothie flavor?
âmochas â it has so many layers to it, itâs an interesting smoothie. I donât drink coffee so I really feel the buzz, and the flavor is so complex. I really like it and Iâm proud to have worked on it. I recommend it with oat milk first, then almond milk next. Unsweetened.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite meal or cuisine?
âIâm vegan, so if Iâm cooking for me, I might make a lentil version of a meatloaf, or Iâd go with something Mediterranean â itâs gotta be bright, and sharp, and rounded. A little bit of spice, nice herbs, stuff like that. Man, itâs so hard to talk about food in terms of favorites. Every aspect is so much fun. Even just squeezing a lemon, the smells, the flavors, the textures, the oils, itâs all great. If Iâm cooking for someone else I might say classic Italian or French â country food, slow casseroles, things like that.â
Â
Whatâs an ingredient youâre currently inspired by?
âFor a long time Iâve adored legumes. Iâm a huge fan, thereâs so much variety, from Mexican refried beans style to North African stews. So many different textures.â
Â
What do you like to do for fun?
âI ride my bike a lot. Iâm into running. I just like to get out. I tend my garden â I have pretty green thumbs, both my grandmums and my mum are all gardeners. I love growing chilies. They can be a real pain and they all need different things. I also like growing ornamental flowers.â
Â
What was your first job in food?
âFriend of my dadâs was the executive chef at a nice hotel here in Lisbon. There was a coupleâs therapy kind of thing theyâd host on some weekends, and as a teenager I got to work in the kitchen for that. It didnât go great, but something must have imprinted because Iâm still working in food and I love it now.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite kencko smoothie flavor?
âIâm a sucker for a green juice, so really any of the green ones weâve got is great. Iâm also really stoked on blushes â that one was really fun to work on.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite meal or cuisine?
âI was raised on Portuguese food. I love everything about it and I love everything made with fish. You can give me fish any day of the week and Iâll be happy.â
Â
Whatâs an ingredient youâre currently inspired by?
âI like red bell pepper. Less so the green ones. And I love salmon â smoked salmon is heaven for me. I use it on salads and all sorts of things. Those are two ingredients I use a ton of at home.â
Â
What do you like to do for fun?
âI like to go for walks, visit the mountains or countryside nearby. I love playing with my dog. I love being home.â
Â
What was your first job in food?
âMy first job was at a factory making bread crumbs and croutons â very much the opposite of this chill atmosphere, I was rushing everywhere! I was an R&D associate there, but I worked more closely with operations and production and quality assurance. My masters thesis was about continual improvement in logistics. Here I feel more like myself.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite kencko smoothie flavor?
âI really like reds. I like to mix it with water, but itâs also really good with coconut milk. I also really like greens.â
A kencko smoothie goes through plenty of ingredient sampling, recipe formulation, and taste tests before it reaches your front door. Ever wondered whoâs behind that development process?
Â
While what goes into them generally does grow on trees, kencko smoothies themselves, do not.
So where do those magic little packets of organic powdered goodness originate?Â
Why, from the minds of kenckoâs research & development team, a four-person party whose members balance a rigorous, scientific approach to formulating recipes, with a romantic chefâs artistry and love for great flavor.
Working closely with our nutrition experts, the talented team behind R&D brings to the table a wide range of experience across the food and beverage industry, along with an unmatched passion for gastronomy.Â
We were able to get them away from the lab â if your job was conceiving of and tasting new delicious smoothie recipes all day, youâd be hard to pry away from work, too! â recently for a quick chat.Â
These interviews have been edited for clarity, and particularly for length. (Our R&D folks really, really, really like to talk about food!)
Â
Whatâs your favorite meal or cuisine?
âItâs really difficult to say â when you love food and drink you kind of love it all, and every cuisine has a uniqueness thatâs going to speak to you. Ultimately, my go-to is a mix between American-style dishes (which are basically derived from European-style cooking) fused with more Asian-style cooking. I have members of my family with Indian heritage who have taught me how to cook curries, and love cooking that style of cuisine. I also love stews and roasts because theyâre simple. Youâve got a little prep work but once itâs on the stove top itâs basically done, itâs just going to go through various stages as it cooks.â
Â
Whatâs an ingredient youâre currently inspired by?
âSesame oil â itâs delicious and goes really well with salads or with a bit of fish or meat. It adds a lot of flavor without having to do much.â
Â
What do you like to do for fun?
âI love music. I play a little bit of drums and guitar, and I like to produce my own mixtapes (you can buy one at the end of this interview)! I donât get to concerts as much as Iâd like. But Iâm overall trying to be healthier. I like walks, climbing, and table tennis. Table tennis has become an R&D addiction.â
Â
What was your first job in food?
âMy father passed away when I was young, so as an early teenager, I wanted to pitch in and felt I should get a weekend job. So I went to a local greasy spoon diner that turned into a Thai restaurant on weekends, run by this one older, Thai woman, and asked her for a job. She asked how old I was. I said I was 14. She said nope, sorry, canât do it. Went back the next weekend. Same answer. Went back a third time, she relented. I was the dishwasher. She had another lady in the front of the house, but nobody else was allowed in the kitchen except her. She controlled the kitchen and had complete mastery of the space. Every action was calculated. Every movement was necessary. Her communication was sharp and purposeful. It was an incredible work experience. I think thatâs where I learned a sense of haste. I couldnât hold a candle to her, even cooking with one hand, but from there I wanted to learn how to cook.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite kencko smoothie flavor?
âIâm going to take a cop-out approach and list three.Â
I really like mochas out of complexityâ particularly with a mix of almond and oat milk, because Iâm fresh that way! (Quick disclaimer, itâs great to add a hint of water to any of your milks before adding the smoothie. It can help to lift the fruit flavors.)
When I think of a berry smoothie, reds is exactly what I expect. The strawberry, slight banana flavors, burgeoning sweetness. It takes me back to childhood.
Especially with almond milk, yellows just reminds me of the nicer notes of marzipan, which I donât ordinarily like but the fruitiness works for me here.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite meal or cuisine?
âI agree with Mark. Itâs hard to name one, but I tend to cook typical Portuguese style food⊠usually based on the season. In the winter, then more stews, in the summer, more sauteed-style stuff. I keep it simple. Decent portion of carbs, protein, vegetables.â
Â
Whatâs an ingredient youâre currently inspired by?
âBecause of Mark, I started using loads of cumin, actually. I have a son who likes soup, and so I use a lot of vegetables for those. Right now itâs mostly peppers.â
Â
What do you like to do for fun?
âSports, whatever involves moving. I used to play the drums in a band, so I love music. I do love cooking, itâs truly fun, the act of pairing flavors.â
Â
What was your first job in food?
âMy first job in the industry was at a steak joint near my house. I was bussing tables. But in that kind of job, people stop showing up, so I eventually got a chance to work behind the bar, and I liked that a lot more. Studied being a bartender a bit more, really liked it.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite kencko smoothie flavor?
âmochas â it has so many layers to it, itâs an interesting smoothie. I donât drink coffee so I really feel the buzz, and the flavor is so complex. I really like it and Iâm proud to have worked on it. I recommend it with oat milk first, then almond milk next. Unsweetened.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite meal or cuisine?
âIâm vegan, so if Iâm cooking for me, I might make a lentil version of a meatloaf, or Iâd go with something Mediterranean â itâs gotta be bright, and sharp, and rounded. A little bit of spice, nice herbs, stuff like that. Man, itâs so hard to talk about food in terms of favorites. Every aspect is so much fun. Even just squeezing a lemon, the smells, the flavors, the textures, the oils, itâs all great. If Iâm cooking for someone else I might say classic Italian or French â country food, slow casseroles, things like that.â
Â
Whatâs an ingredient youâre currently inspired by?
âFor a long time Iâve adored legumes. Iâm a huge fan, thereâs so much variety, from Mexican refried beans style to North African stews. So many different textures.â
Â
What do you like to do for fun?
âI ride my bike a lot. Iâm into running. I just like to get out. I tend my garden â I have pretty green thumbs, both my grandmums and my mum are all gardeners. I love growing chilies. They can be a real pain and they all need different things. I also like growing ornamental flowers.â
Â
What was your first job in food?
âFriend of my dadâs was the executive chef at a nice hotel here in Lisbon. There was a coupleâs therapy kind of thing theyâd host on some weekends, and as a teenager I got to work in the kitchen for that. It didnât go great, but something must have imprinted because Iâm still working in food and I love it now.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite kencko smoothie flavor?
âIâm a sucker for a green juice, so really any of the green ones weâve got is great. Iâm also really stoked on blushes â that one was really fun to work on.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite meal or cuisine?
âI was raised on Portuguese food. I love everything about it and I love everything made with fish. You can give me fish any day of the week and Iâll be happy.â
Â
Whatâs an ingredient youâre currently inspired by?
âI like red bell pepper. Less so the green ones. And I love salmon â smoked salmon is heaven for me. I use it on salads and all sorts of things. Those are two ingredients I use a ton of at home.â
Â
What do you like to do for fun?
âI like to go for walks, visit the mountains or countryside nearby. I love playing with my dog. I love being home.â
Â
What was your first job in food?
âMy first job was at a factory making bread crumbs and croutons â very much the opposite of this chill atmosphere, I was rushing everywhere! I was an R&D associate there, but I worked more closely with operations and production and quality assurance. My masters thesis was about continual improvement in logistics. Here I feel more like myself.â
Â
Whatâs your favorite kencko smoothie flavor?
âI really like reds. I like to mix it with water, but itâs also really good with coconut milk. I also really like greens.â