Who we are

we provide

Innovation

we provide

Knowlegde

we provide

Experiences

A Lab for experimentation, collaboration and knowledge sharing.

The Food Design Lab is a team that aims to explore the connections between gastronomy, design, and the sustainability of our food system. Our diverse team brings new perspectives and interests about food as a part of contemporary lifestyles. We are a multidisciplinary team that works towards experimentation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. Our goal is to provide immersive and enjoyable experiences for our partners and clients, from training professionals to offering an immersive experience.

A eclectic team with unique perspectives on food in contemporary lifestyles.

André Gerardo

Partner | Executive Chef

Our Innovation chef and partner, André Gerardo, has a Food Production for Restaurants degree and a master's degree in Innovation in Culinary Arts and Food Science from the Estoril Highet Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies. He has extensive experience developing products, services and gastronomic experiences, consulting in several restaurants, and is currently Executive Chef at Imppacto, Catering & Events. His professional career includes creating countless gastronomic experiences and consultancy and developing workshops for several national brands in the food sector. His motto is respect for ingredients and preserving the essence of each producer in their dishes and products.

info@fooddesignlab.pt

Lucinda Pinto

Partner

With more than 30 years of professional experience in the catering and restaurant sector, our General Manager is also co-founder of Imppacto, Catering & Eventos, one of the largest catering companies in Portugal. Her curriculum includes the global management of a number of companies linked to the food sector and the holding of thousands of catering events in Portugal, from private gastronomic experiences to large- scale public events. Her extensive experience in management and in the catering and restaurant market is evidenced by the success of numerous events in Portugal as well as the modernization of Imppacto, Catering & Eventos as a market leader.

info@fooddesignlab.pt

Ricardo Bonacho

Partner | Food Designer

Ricardo Bonacho is an assistant professor and coordinator of the degree course in hotel management at the Universidade Europeia of Lisbon, where he teaches and mentors students in gastronomy, hospitality, and innovation. He has over eight years of experience in higher education teaching, having worked as a professor and coordinator of master's degrees in innovation in culinary arts and sciences and food design at the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies and as a guest professor at several prestigious institutions in Portugal and Spain.
He is also a co-founder of Food Design Lab Lisboa. This creative studio applies design thinking and methods to food-related challenges and opportunities, such as creating new products, services, experiences, and systems. He is passionate about exploring the intersections of food, culture, and communication and how they can contribute to social and environmental sustainability. He holds a PhD in Design with a speciality in Food Design from the Lisbon School of Architecture of the Universidade de Lisboa, and he is a collaborating researcher at CETRAD-UE. He has published multiple articles and books on food design, gastronomy, and consumer behaviour and has participated in several national and international projects, events, and exhibitions.

info@fooddesignlab.pt

Maria João Leite

Food Designer

Maria João graduated in Communication Design at Universidade Lusófona, and worked as a graphic designer for agencies such as Terradesign, SFé Associates, BAR Lisboa and BarOgilvy, until moving to Alentejo to take over the kitchen and creativity of Craveiral Farmhouse, where she developed their culinary skills. One year later, returned to design at Atelier 004 where she designed two "Egoísta" magazines, and worked at the Branding agency Label. In 2020, she enrolled at the Masters in Food Design at Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril, where she finally managed to reconcile her skills in design and cullinary. She is currently Food Designer at the Food Design Lab, and teaches Innovation, R&D and Entrepreneurship and Food Design at Innovation in Cullinary Arts Master's Degree at the Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril.

info@fooddesignlab.pt

Francisco Fernandes

Development Chef

His journey began in science, to work in research and innovation. However, the passion for food was a constant presence. After a brief stint in biochemistry, combining both passions, he obtained a degree in Food Production in Catering and a master's in Innovation in Culinary Arts and Sciences at the Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril. His career took off at The Fat Duck Laboratory, voted the Best Restaurant in the World in 2005, where he worked for 3 years under the guidance of Heston Blumenthal. During this time, they collaborated with UK brands such as Waitrose and Sage, creating unforgettable experiences globally, including The Hind's Head at the Singapore Grand Prix. His true passion was awakened in the immersive culinary World of The Fat Duck Restaurant, where food plays a decisive role in a multi-sensory approach, where visuals, Storytelling, aromas, memories, personalized memories and audio play equally important roles.

info@fooddesignlab.pt

Susana Batista

Account Manager

With a degree in Marketing & Advertising from IADE, she began her professional career in a social communications group and was an account manager in several integrated communications agencies. Her path continued as she searched for a broader view of marketing, moving into the customer world, where she was responsible for marketing for a company that owned shopping centres. After this long journey through the areas of marketing and communication, she felt the need to provide further meaning to her professional life. She completed a postgraduate degree in sustainability management, which opened doors to new challenges and organizational contexts. Her love for gastronomy, design and the values of sustainability brought her to the Food Design Lab, where she can add value to the team and contribute to the project's growth.

info@fooddesignlab.pt

What we do

Our Portfolio

Spring has Sprung

Spring has Sprung is a sensorial and immersive experience to welcome the flavors, ingredients and aromas of Spring. A short-term pop up event. A Food Design Lab Lisbon and Imppacto, Catering & Eventos initiative.

What does jewelry smell like?
Laurel Association and Ousia Clinic

The Food Design Lab was challenged by Laurel - Portuguese Association of Brands of Excellence to serve a 5 o'clock tea at Clínica Ousia under the theme "What jewelry smells like". To meet the challenge beyond tea, we created an edible jewel full of aromas and flavors.