Development Chef

Job description

Are you a commercially minded chef with a passion for creating innovative food products that delight customers and consumers alike?

This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly respected food business with a strong reputation for innovation, quality and service, developing products for a global customer base within a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Role Overview

As Development Chef, you will play a key role in turning customer briefs and culinary ideas into commercially successful food products. Working across the full development lifecycle, from concept creation through to commercial manufacture, you will combine culinary creativity with practical product development expertise to deliver products that meet customer expectations, manufacturing requirements and commercial objectives. You'll work closely with internal teams, customers and manufacturing partners to help bring innovative food solutions to market.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop innovative, high-quality food products, recipes and concepts that meet customer briefs and support business growth objectives.
• Create, refine and maintain recipes, evaluating flavour, texture, appearance, nutrition and manufacturability throughout the development process.
• Prepare outstanding product samples for customer presentations, product evaluations and internal reviews.
• Support product scale-up through factory trials, validating product performance and resolving technical or culinary challenges.
• Manage the day-to-day operation of the development kitchen, maintaining exceptional standards of food safety, hygiene and organisation.
• Research emerging food trends, ingredients, cuisines and consumer preferences to inspire new product innovation.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and manufacturing partners to ensure projects progress successfully from concept to launch.
• Identify opportunities to improve product quality, consistency, manufacturing efficiency and sustainability.
• Ensure all development activities are delivered to the highest professional standards whilst maintaining compliance with food safety and company procedures.

People Profile

We are keen to hear from individuals who can demonstrate:

• Previous experience in a Development Chef or similar product development role, managing projects from concept through to successful commercial launch.
• Strong hands-on culinary expertise with the ability to independently develop, refine and document recipes suitable for food manufacturing environments.
• Experience preparing customer samples and managing product evaluations with a consistently high presentation standard.
• Practical experience supporting factory trials and introducing products into commercial production.
• Strong organisational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines effectively.
• A meticulous approach to documentation, specifications, development records and recipe management.
• A collaborative working style with experience partnering with internal stakeholders and manufacturing teams.
• A solid understanding of food safety, hygiene and quality standards within food manufacturing.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and confidence using digital systems to support product development activities.
• A professional culinary qualification, or equivalent industry experience, alongside a genuine commitment to continuous professional development.
• A passion for food, innovation and culinary excellence, with the curiosity to explore new ingredients, techniques and trends.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a creative and driven food professional looking to make a genuine impact within an ambitious and innovative business. If you thrive on bringing ideas to life and enjoy seeing products progress from kitchen concept to commercial success, we'd love to hear from you.

We regret we can not offer visa sponsorship and can only consider candidates who hold right to work in the UK.

To apply, please e-mail in strict confidence, with a comprehensive CV, including salary details, quoting the above reference and for the attention of James Constable.

Due to a high volume of responses, we cannot reply to each application individually. If you have not had a response within one week, we are sorry to say your application has not been successful on this occasion.

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Surrey

Type of Contract

Full Time Jobs

Published at

01-08-2026

Profession type

Bar Staff / Waiters and Waitresses

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English