Menu Development
transform your menu
After the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more crucial time for restaurants to reinvigorate their menus. So many restaurants struggle to distinguish themselves in a way that excites customers, and this disconnect nearly always comes down to flavor. Since 2009, The Fig Cooking School has built a reputation for unforgettable food across cuisines, and we are so excited to blend our experience with your vision to transform your restaurant’s success.
With over three decades of recipe development experience, and a dozen years of teaching experience, our founder and chief instructor Heide Lang will work with you to develop a menu custom-tailored to your goals, along with clear instruction and precise recipes to ensure consistent performance, even through kitchen turnover. Memorable food is the most important investment you can make in your restaurant. Read on to learn more about how we help!
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What We Do | What You Get | Our Experience | The Food
Whether you are an entrepreneur starting from scratch or are looking to reinvigorate an existing menu, we can work with you to identify opportunities for improvement, develop recipes consistent with your concept, teach your staff to ensure consistent performance, and even help design your restaurant. Our services include
Recipe Development for new and existing restaurants, bars, hotels, and brands in the US and worldwide.
Menu Consultation, including menu size, balance, flavor profiles, portion sizes, and aesthetic.
Thorough Instruction for kitchen staff to ensure consistently flawless execution.
Objective Analysis including visiting your restaurant to identify opportunities for improvement.
Menu Reinvigoration – recommendations to improve existing menu items.
Goal Alignment – developing objectives based on customer preferences, aesthetics and profit goals.
+ Space and Graphic Design!
Based on your needs, goals, and desired investment, we work with you to create a customized program, whether you are looking to develop a few standby recipes or a full program of seasonal menus. Your bespoke program can include:
Research + Development based on your chosen cuisine and concept to ensure menu coherency.
Menu Concepts – creating an internally coherent, well-balanced menu that fits your goals.
Recipe Development, including taste testing, and revisions as necessary.
Recipe Writing, including clear step-by-step instructions, to ensure consistency across teams or through staff turnover.
Thorough Instruction, in-person or virtual. We can also create step-by-step videos for reference.
Plating Consultation, ensuring unforgettable presentation to complement the food.
Our founder and chief instructor Heide Lang personally attends to all menu development projects. Heide brings a unique blend of creativity and industry expertise. She taught thousands of people how to cook, developed customized team building menus for companies including Wolfgang Puck Catering, FedEx, Amazon, Target, Nielson Ratings, Aetna, Yale University, Subway, and Victorinox, and has developed hundreds of recipes for both Fig and her clients. Heide’s experience includes:
35 Years Cooking Experience with agility across concepts and international cuisines.
Connecticut’s Leading Cooking Teacher
with over 15 years of experience running the top-rated cooking school in the state.
World-Class Culinary Research Skills stemming from decades of world travel and degree from the Columbia School of Journalism.
Regular Television Appearances refining dynamic presentation skills for instructional videos.
100s of Recipes Developed for classes, team building events, businesses, and restaurants.
Industry Expertise, including extensive knowledge of regulations, management challenges, and profit needs.
We can develop recipes within any cuisine or concept. Our specialties range from putting twists on classic favorites (like Lavender Creme Brulée) to making the most of seasonal fruits and vegetables (like Slow-Roasted Tomato Caprese, or Butternut Squash Panzanella with Caramelized Grapes) to authentic international recipes (like Mexican Mole Negro, French Steak au Poivre with Cognac Cream, Szechuan Chili Dumplings, Persian Jeweled Rice, or Roman Buccatini all’Amatriciana).
Whatever your specifications, we will work with you to develop deeply flavorful menu items your guests will return for time and time again.