Development Chef
2 days ago
High Wycombe
Role Profile: Development Chef This role is designed for a highly creative culinary professional rather than a traditional food scientist. The ideal candidate approaches product development with a chef’s mindset—driven by flavour, ingredients, and imagination. Technical knowledge supports the work, but creativity, curiosity and a deep understanding of food are the true priorities. The successful candidate will have a natural grasp of: • Ingredient origins and functionality, • Flavour creation, pairing and balance, • Culinary techniques and processes, • Global cuisines and emerging food trends This is a role for someone who thinks like a chef first, innovator second, and scientist third. --- Innovation Focus This position sits at the very front end of the innovation pipeline. It is about imagining the future of food, not refining what already exists. Key responsibilities include: • Blue‑sky thinking, • Creating completely new concepts, • Translating consumer trends into product ideas, • Developing solutions for future consumer needs, • Crafting exciting product experiences before formal development begins This is not a recipe‑tweaking role—it is a concept‑generation role. --- Collaboration & Working Environment The Development Chef will work closely with: • Senior culinary leadership, • Flavour specialists, • Consumer insight teams, • Innovation leadership The role requires strong collaboration across multiple functions to transform culinary ideas into commercially viable products. --- Candidate Background The hiring manager is open‑minded about where candidates come from. Strong fits include: • Development Chef, • Innovation Chef, • Pastry Chef / Senior Pastry Chef, • Sous Chef, • Head Pastry Chef, • Executive Pastry Chef, • Foodservice chefs with strong creative development experience Candidates preferably from the FMCG sector is preferred are welcome, provided they bring exceptional creativity, culinary skill and the right mindset. --- Personality & Mindset The ideal candidate will be: • Naturally creative, • Passionate about food, • Curious about global cuisines and trends, • Comfortable experimenting and pushing boundaries, • Strong at communicating ideas, • Collaborative and open to cross‑functional teamwork --- Additional Details • Based in High Wycombe, • Some travel required, including potential international travel, • Global exposure across multiple markets and cultures, • Sponsorship cannot be offered for this role, • Salary flexibility available for outstanding candidates --- Relevant Experience The ideal background blends bakery/pastry expertise with exposure to chocolate and confectionery from food manufacturing Experience mix: • ~60% Bakery / Pastry, • ~40% Chocolate / Confectionery They do not expect equal mastery across both areas, but strong bakery/pastry foundations are essential. Relevant experience includes: • Bakery, • Patisserie, • Chocolate, • Premium desserts, • Sweet baked goods I suspect due to the role type and the number of applications we will not be able to contact all candidates for feedback , only those selected for the shortlist
