Sous Chef

Sous Chef is an online recipe database designed specifically to simplify home cooking.  We answer the question, “what am I going to make to eat with what I have?”  Our website and corresponding smartphone application,

• utilize ingredients the user already has
• provide customized recipe recommendations
• integrate user reviews and ratings

Daniela Kretchmer: Co-founder and Marketing Manager will have a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business in May, 2011. She was the Associate Marketing Director for a personal chef agency and has managerial, sales, and marketing experience.

Jeremy Bergeron: Co-founder and Operations Manager will have a bachelor’s degree in Economics from UC Berkeley in May, 2011. He was a program director for a non-profit entity, with a customer base of 750, managing a staff of 17, and working with 11 administrative staff.

Revenue will be achieved in two forms: ingredient listings and advertising space.

Ingredient Listings

Brands and companies will pay to be a listed branded ingredient.  This entitles the brand to be listed as that ingredient on all of Sous Chef’s recipes that include that ingredient.  Examples would be:

2 Cups Baker’s Best Flour

1 Farmer’s Best Egg

These ingredient listings would comprise the majority of Sous Chef’s revenue.  By integrating the brands within the recipe, Sous Chef gives these brands unparalleled exposure and credibility so consumers would be more inclined to purchase those brands when shopping for ingredients.  Therefore Sous Chef can charge a premium for the ingredient listings because of this brand exposure.  Eventually Sous Chef will charge for branded appliance suggestions and move into branded table settings and dishware suggestions as well.

Advertising Space

This would include typical banner ads related to food and cooking as well as areas for companies to include coupons for their brands.

·       Emphasizing need-based cooking: As users input ingredients they currently have, users receive a list of eligible recipes

·       Providing want-based cooking:  Product aspect designed for those who are planning a meal in advance

·       Providing sponsored recipes from established companies, including brand-name recipes

·       Simplifying and shortening recipe-finding by collecting each user’s site activity, then producing recommended search results

Sous Chef’s key point of diversification and success will be through its customer data collection.  Although basic applications of the website are available to all, creating a personal account, free of charge, will give Sous Chef information about foods users prefer and avoid.  Accounts will maintain a “virtual cupboard” of what users have in their homes.  As account holders use Sous Chef, personalized recipes top the list of search results, based on sign-up information, clicks, and ratings and comments features.