Jul 1, 2025

From formula to market: Fable food's rapid product testing case study

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In this blog:

In January 2023, Fable Food faced a critical decision point. The innovative plant-based food company had developed two different formulas for their mushroom burger patty: their current in-market version and a promising new formula.

But they needed more than internal taste tests to move forward. They needed real consumer insights from across the United States, and they needed them fast.

Beyond comparing their two mushroom patty formulas, Fable Food also wanted to test their blended mushroom burger against a traditional 100% beef patty.

Fable formulated three primary goals:

Understand sensory performance - How do consumers actually experience the taste, texture, and overall eating experience of each formula?
Compare consumer preference rankings - Which products do real consumers prefer when tested head-to-head in blind comparisons?
Clearly define their products' value proposition - What specific benefits and positioning would resonate most with target consumers in a competitive market?

Fable needed a fast, accurate product testing solution

Traditional product testing methods would have taken months. Lengthy testing cycles mean missed market opportunities, delayed product launches, and competitors gaining ground. With retail buyers making quick decisions and shelf space at a premium, Fable Food needed consumer validation data immediately to finalize their formula, secure retail partnerships, and stay ahead of competition.

Fable couldn’t afford the time lost to traditional testing methods.

They needed actionable insights to guide their product development and retail pitches. That's when they turned to Highlight for a solution that would change their approach to consumer research forever.

Two strategic tests, maximum impact

Highlight designed a comprehensive testing strategy built around In-Home Usage Tests (IHUT) that would deliver the speed and accuracy Fable Food demanded.

Test 1: How does the new formula compare to the current formula?

The first test pitted Fable Food's existing formula against their new formulation. Highlight shipped 50 frozen patties overnight to 50 carefully selected consumers across the United States. The testers were specifically chosen from 'plant forward' and 'health conscious' segments that aligned with Fable Food's target market.

Test 2: How do mushroom burgers compare to 100% beef patties?

The second test was even more ambitious: 120 frozen patties shipped to 120 consumers nationwide, comparing Fable Food's blended beef and mushroom burger against a traditional 100% beef patty. This head-to-head comparison would provide the crucial market positioning data Fable Food needed.

Both tests were designed as blinded studies to eliminate bias, focusing on objective measures of taste, texture, flavor intensity, and purchase intent.

The results that speak volumes

The numbers tell an incredible story of execution and engagement:

92% completion rate for Test 1 (Mushroom Patty Formula)
98% completion rate for Test 2 (Blended vs. Beef Burger)
12 days from frozen patties to actionable insights
170 total consumer touchpoints across all 50 states

But the quantitative success was matched by equally impressive qualitative feedback. Real consumers shared genuine reactions that went far beyond simple ratings:

"I enjoyed it! I love mushrooms and beef. I enjoyed the dynamic texture of the patty by having the mushrooms in there. It tasted mostly of beef but had added mushroom texture. It felt heartier than regular beef." —Male, 24

"From cooking, when my husband walked into the kitchen and asked what smelled so good, to plating it up, to enjoying the juicy umami bomb, it was an a+ experience." —Female, 40

Key takeaways

Highlight delivered far more than completion rates and survey responses. The comprehensive analysis included:

Key Insight	What It Delivered	Business Impact
Consumer Perception Deep Dive	Detailed analysis of taste, texture, flavor intensity, and purchase intent across different consumer segments	Revealed specific sensory attributes that drove consumer preference, helping Fable Food understand exactly which formula elements to optimize. The segmented approach meant they could tailor their marketing messages to resonate with health-conscious consumers differently than plant-forward enthusiasts, maximizing appeal across their entire target market.
Flavor Descriptor Clarity	Through blinded testing, Fable Food discovered which descriptive language resonated most with their target consumers	Rather than guessing at marketing copy, they now had data-backed evidence of which words like "hearty," "umami," or "dynamic texture" actually influenced purchase decisions. This insight directly informed their packaging language, retail positioning, and advertising copy, ensuring every consumer touchpoint used proven, compelling descriptors.
Benchmark Performance	Key metrics were explained and contextualized across plant-forward and health-conscious consumer groups	The benchmarking revealed not just how Fable Food performed, but how they stacked up against category leaders and emerging competitors. This competitive context gave them confidence in their market positioning and helped identify specific areas where they could differentiate from both traditional beef products and other plant-based alternatives.
Real-Time Intelligence	Custom dashboards provided live insights during data collection, allowing Fable Food to monitor progress and identify trends as they emerged	Instead of waiting weeks for a final report, the team could see response patterns developing and make informed decisions about their go-to-market strategy while the data was still being collected. This real-time visibility meant they could pivot marketing strategies or adjust product priorities based on early consumer signals.

The Bottom Line: Speed Without Sacrifice

In less than two weeks, Fable Food transformed from uncertainty to clarity. They gained definitive answers about their product formulations, understood their competitive positioning against traditional beef products, and obtained the consumer insights needed to confidently move forward with their product strategy.

The 92-98% completion rates proved that consumers were genuinely engaged with the testing process, providing reliable data that Fable Food could trust for major business decisions. Most importantly, they achieved this breakthrough speed without compromising on the depth and quality of insights that would typically require months of traditional research.

For Fable Food, this wasn't just about testing products—it was about revolutionizing how they approach consumer research, enabling faster innovation cycles and more confident market positioning in the plant-based food space.

Download the full case study here.

Ready to accelerate your product development timeline and gain the competitive positioning insights your team needs to win in market? The key is finding rapid testing solutions that deliver reliable consumer validation while providing the actionable data your retail and investment conversations demand. Schedule a demo with Highlight to learn more.