Custom Culinary

What Custom Culinary does

Custom Culinary, Inc., founded in 1946 and headquartered in Lombard, Illinois, is a manufacturer of flavor systems serving the foodservice and industrial channels. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Griffith Foods and operates under a 'Be True To The Food' brand philosophy. The company produces bases, gravies, sauces, marinades, seasonings, coating systems, and dough blends, organized under sub-brands including Chef's Own (premium seasonings and marinades), Master's Touch (ready-to-use sauces and bases), Gold Label (speed-scratch solutions), Stay Crisp (three-stage pre-dust/batter/breading coatings), and FlavorIQ (a research-based culinary insights platform driven by more than 50 chefs globally with combined 50+ years of experience).

The product portfolio is sold through four primary channels: direct regional sales teams in North America, Central & South America, Middle East, India, Africa, and Asia Pacific; an online storefront reachable at 800.621.8827; country-specific customer service contacts (including WhatsApp support in India and a WeChat channel in China); and distributor/partner routes in markets not covered directly. The customer base spans full-service and quick-service restaurants (primary), hotels, catering, and industrial food processors (also primary), with halal-certified regional formulations for Middle Eastern and Asian markets. Distribution covers 23 countries.

Revenue is generated on a one-time sales basis under negotiated, contact-led pricing with no publicly disclosed list prices or ARR. The company employs 202 people and operates with no independent capital structure, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the privately-held parent Griffith Foods. Disclosed operational metrics include a 41% reduction in manufacturing waste to landfill since 2014 and 13 facilities operating at zero-waste-to-landfill, with an overall diversion rate of 89%.

Name

Custom Culinary

Legal name

Custom Culinary, Inc.

Website

https://customculinary.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Custom Culinary, Inc. is a 1946-founded, Lombard, Illinois-based manufacturer of foodservice flavor systems — bases, gravies, sauces, marinades, seasonings, coating systems, and dough blends — serving restaurants, hotels, catering operators, and industrial food processors across 23 countries as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Griffith Foods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Ingredients and Flavor Systems

NAICS

Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941), Seasoning and Dressing Manufacturing (31194)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Ingredient Blends & Systems / Custom Formulation (Seasoning Systems, Functional Blends) (CRADAOAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Condiments, Sauces & Dressings (CRADAAAB), BBQ Sauce & Marinades Manufacturing (AFAKADAH)

Keywords

• Foodservice flavor systems
• Culinary bases and sauces
• Industrial food ingredients
• Coating and breading systems
• Marinades and seasonings

Headquarters

HQ city

North America Region

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foodservice Ingredients and Flavor Systems: Manufacture and sale of bases, gravies, sauces, marinades, seasonings, coating systems, and dough blends to foodservice operators and industrial food processors. Products are sold under brands including Master's Touch, Chef's Own, and Gold Label.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Custom Culinary manufactures and sells culinary flavor systems — including bases, gravies, sauces, marinades, seasonings, coating systems, and dough blends — to foodservice operators (restaurants, hotels, catering) and industrial food processors globally. The company markets these offerings under sub-brands Master's Touch, Chef's Own, Gold Label, and Stay Crisp, supported by the proprietary FlavorIQ trend-research platform.

Product overview

Custom Culinary® is a foodservice flavor solutions company offering a comprehensive portfolio of culinary products under multiple sub-brands. The core offering includes Chef's Own™ (premium seasonings and marinades), Master's Touch® (ready-to-use sauces and bases), and Gold Label® (speed-scratch solutions). Product categories span Marinades & Seasonings, Sauces & Dressings, Soups & Bases, Coating Systems (batters, breaders, breadcrumb coatings), and Dough Blends. The company serves foodservice operators, hotels, restaurants, catering, and industrial foodservice channels across 23 countries globally, emphasizing authentic, chef-inspired flavors and halal-certified options for regional markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chef's Own™: High quality, chef inspired solutions that guarantee exceptional flavors, convenience and consistency
• Master's Touch®
• Gold Label™
• FlavorIQ®
• Stay Crisp™
• Gold Label™

Products and services

• Chef's Own™ Chef's Own is Custom Culinary's sub-brand of high-quality, chef-inspired marinades, seasonings, and coating systems that guarantee exceptional flavors, convenience, and consistency for foodservice operators.
• Master's Touch® Master's Touch is Custom Culinary's sub-brand of ready-to-use, fool-proof quality sauces, bases, and ready-to-use solutions designed to streamline kitchen operations for foodservice operators.
• Gold Label® Gold Label is Custom Culinary's sub-brand of authentic, speed-scratch flavor solutions that perform to the most rigorous standards and give chefs the freedom to create.
• Marinades & Seasonings Custom Culinary's marinades and seasonings product category includes items such as Tandoori Tikka, African Peri Peri, Hot Chilli marinade and Shawarma, Cajun Spice, Szechuan, Arabic Kebab, Citrus Chilli, Lemon Garlic & Herb, Peri Peri, Pilaf, Zesty Peppercorn, Dynamite, Mexicana Cheese, Hyderabadi Biryani, Piri Piri, Sour Cream Onion, Kimchi, Aromat, and Sweet Chilli BBQ seasonings for foodservice and industrial use.
• Sauces & Dressings Custom Culinary's sauces and dressings product category includes Smoky BBQ, Cheese, Hot Wing, Korean BBQ, Mexican Chipotle, Nacho Cheese, Teriyaki, All Purpose Tomato Base, Honey Gouchujang, Parmesan Cheese sauces, and American Ranch and Garlic Ranch dressings for foodservice operators.
• Soups & Bases Custom Culinary's soups and bases product category covers concentrated soup and base products designed for foodservice operators across chain accounts and industrial channels.
• Coating Systems Custom Culinary's coating systems product category includes Tempura Batter, Panko Crumbs, Ocean Crumbs, Spicy Breader Concentrate, Seasoned Pre-Dust, Stay Crisp Creative 3P Batter, Stay Crisp Creative 3P Pre-Dust, Stay Crisp Creative Breading, Crispy Cajun Breading Mix, and Japanese Tempura Batter for achieving crispy textures in fried foodservice applications.
• Dough Blends Custom Culinary's dough blends product category delivers superior taste, texture, and performance for dough applications used by foodservice operators and industrial food manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce manufacturing waste to landfill by 41% since 2014
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bangalore Food Bank (Feeding Bangalore Foundation)minorOthers · 1 January 2014Griffith Foods India and Middle East has partnered with the Global Food Banking Network on the Bangalore Food Bank—the first food bank in Southern India. The partnership focuses on addressing hunger, malnutrition, and preventing food wastage through NGO Feeding Programs, Food Rescue Programs, Breakfast Feeding Programs, and Food Relief Programs. During 2020, employees contributed to a relief fund providing meal kits to 270 families.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• French's Food Company (Reckitt): Manufacturer of condiments, sauces, and seasonings with a strong foodservice channel supplying restaurants and industrial food producers – comparable in finished sauce, gravy, and seasoning offerings for the same operator base.
• McCormick & Company: Global flavor leader with a dedicated foodservice division offering sauces, seasonings, marinades, and coating systems to restaurants, hotels, and industrial food customers – directly overlapping Custom Culinary's core product lines and channels.
• Kerry Group: Taste and nutrition solutions provider serving foodservice and industrial channels with flavor systems, seasonings, and culinary coatings – a close comparable in B2B flavor technology and global foodservice scale.
• Ken's Foods: Manufacturer of salad dressings, sauces, and marinades sold predominantly through foodservice distributors to restaurants, schools, and institutions – comparable in channel mix and product format.
• Ventura Foods: U.S. foodservice manufacturer of sauces, dressings, marinades, and culinary bases serving chain restaurants, K-12, and healthcare – directly competing with Custom Culinary in built-for-foodservice flavor systems.
• Lyons Magnus: Custom flavor solutions company producing bases, sauces, and beverages for foodservice, healthcare, and industrial customers – a direct competitor in custom-formulated savory flavor systems.

Broad incumbents

• Givaudan: World's largest flavor and fragrance house with dedicated savory flavor offerings for foodservice and industrial customers – an incumbent that overlaps Custom Culinary's product portfolio but at materially larger scale.
• International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF): Global flavor manufacturer with a Sencorp and N&B portfolio supplying savory ingredients, marinades, and seasoning systems to foodservice and industrial processors – a broad incumbent overlapping Custom Culinary's flavor technology.
• Symrise: Global flavor and nutrition company with a savory taste portfolio serving food manufacturers and foodservice operators worldwide – comparable technology and customer base at much greater scale.
• Griffith Foods: Custom Culinary's parent company and global manufacturer of bases, gravies, sauces, and seasoning systems across foodservice and industrial channels – an incumbent that operates the same product categories at parent-portfolio level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/customculinary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Custom Culinary