How Chef Krishna Kumar Leverages His "Flavor Toolbox" to Fuel Culinary Creativity 

Armed with a big smile and an arsenal of recipes, Culinary Development Chef Krishna Kumar is known as the fun-loving chef who helms the kitchen at McCormick India. He was the winner of the UK Grocer Food Award for Best India Ethnic Product in 2017, and he’s well-known in the industry through his membership with the Word Association of Chef Society and the India Federation of Culinary Arts. 

“McCormick is a brand name I have known since the early days of my career, which took me across the US and Europe,” he says. “It holds a special place in my recipes because the brand name and products reflect the passion for flavor that many chefs like myself can identify with. It carries such a rich history of bringing delicious, yet high-quality, flavors to customers and consumers that have become a staple in our lives. As a chef with global culinary experience, McCormick is to me, the ultimate flavor toolbox and muse to fuel my culinary creativity and passion.”

In Culinary Development, Krishna and his team spend the better part of their workdays conceptualizing, innovating, and creating new flavors for products such as sauces, gravies, seasoning, pastes, and marinades to inspire our customers in the Quick Service Restaurants and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods markets. He and his team are the innovators of many delicious new flavors from concept to commercialization, covering the entire food chain.  

Krishna, who loves singing in his spare time, also shared that global collaboration and cross-functional partnerships are some of the most critical ingredients in driving his work. For instance, he and his team recently set up a new product library and a digital product catalog which have provided directional support that has helped the region’s Commercial teams to approach customers more easily to start new business conversations.

When asked how he keeps his creativity juice flowing, Krishna said, “My work has blessed me with opportunities to travel worldwide, where I have learned and explored different cuisines and cultures. All these are such important foundations and are the roots of my creative ideas. I believe new ideas rule the world, and continuous learning is the only way to success which is why I often encourage my team to keep their minds open, constantly explore and seek skills enhancement at new levels every day.” 

Keeping his kitchen light with healthy work fun and maintaining an environment where his team feels relaxed to bring their best to the table is another of Krishna’s tactics to ensure new and delicious creations are served frequently. “I spend as much time with my team as possible every day so that they understand what their short-term and long-term goals are – for the team as well as for their individual development. I always try to bring a smile to people’s faces, as from my own experience, creativity grows best in a healthy and fun work environment,” he explained.

His mantra for work ethics is a quote by Swami Vivekananda, an Indian Hindu monk and philosopher, and aptly sums up his positive attitude and Passion for Flavors: “When you are doing any work, do it as worship, as the highest worship, and devote your whole life to it for the time being.”

Follow the Flavor Forward Blog and McCormick & Company on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for company news and updates.