Lactalis America Group is moving forward with what it calls a culinary, sensory and innovation center project that would bring residents and chefs to its South Buffalo complex for taste-testing, more than a year and a half after first introducing the concept.
The U.S. subsidiary of France’s Group Lactalis, which owns Sorrento Lactalis, plans to construct a one-story square building on three lots on Leland Drive, across that street from the company’s local headquarters and manufacturing operations. It would be built on 0.35 acres of vacant land, adjacent to a parking lot.
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The 5,719-square-foot building at 68, 70 and 74 Leland would be used for research, development and testing of new food products, while also providing some office space for the research team. The facility would have full audio-visual capabilities for staff to film product shoots for marketing, conduct demonstrations and even virtually host clients.
It would feature culinary and residential demonstration kitchens, a large walk-in cooler, a dry storage room, along with an expert jury panel room with 20 seats to sample and evaluate new foods and a research-and-development tasting room.
“We’ll be able to host our retail customers or our culinary customers who come in,” said Lactalis spokesman Don Heins, referring to stores and restaurants. “Our chefs will be able to cook a new menu item up for them. They’ll be able to sample it, and possibly…
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