Chef, Food Experience - Own Brands Test Kitchen

Sobeys; Mississauga; Hybrid; CAD 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A Canadian grocery retailer is seeking a passionate Test Kitchen Chef to manage operations in their dynamic test kitchen and support product development. The ideal candidate will have strong culinary skills, at least 8 years of experience in the food industry, and a knack for creating strategic menus and events. This role requires a hybrid work model, contributing to a collaborative office culture.

Benefits

Competitive Benefits Package

10% in-store discount

Learning and Development Resources

Qualifications

• At least 8 years of experience in the food industry and retail.
• Proven ability to create and execute strategic events and menus.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage the Own Brands Test Kitchen.
• Plan and support preparation for sensory group sessions.
• Create and execute strategic events and menus.

Skills

Proficient in all aspects of food preparation and cuisines

Experience managing a test kitchen

Recipe development and writing

Strong communication skills

Job description

Overview

Embark on a rewarding career with Sobeys Inc., celebrated among Canada’s Top 100 employers, where your talents contribute to our commitment to excellence and community impact. Our family of 128,000 employees and franchise affiliates share a collective passion for delivering exceptional shopping experiences and amazing food to all our customers. Our mission is to nurture the things that make life better – great experiences, families, communities, and our employees. We are a family nurturing families. A proudly Canadian company, we started in a small town in Nova Scotia but we are now in communities of all sizes across this great country. With over 1,600 stores in all 10 provinces, you may know us as Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Lawtons Drug Stores or another of our great banners but we are all one extended family.

Ready to Make an impact? We’re looking for a passionate Test Kitchen Chef to help shape the future of food at Own Brands. Based in our dynamic test kitchen environment, this role supports Product Development, Quality Assurance, Catering, and Marketing, bringing innovation and culinary excellence to every plate.

Responsibilities

Product Development

• Oversee and manage the Own Brands Test Kitchen and support the Food Experience Test Kitchen
• Maintain cleanliness, organization, and upkeep of multiple test kitchens
• Manage the test kitchen budget and shop for products and ingredients as needed
• Supervise an assistant
• Ensure successful kitchen health inspections
• Plan and support preparation for sensory group sessions and other product evaluations
• Collaborate with product developers on innovative product concepts
• Develop, write, and edit recipes
• Refresh and maintain the food style guide, incorporating modern food terminology
• Create product preparation instructions using updated culinary language
• Facilitate Sensory Evaluation Training Programs
• Lead category review evaluations in collaboration with Own Brands teams

Quality Assurance

• Support the Quality Monitoring Program as needed
• Plan and support preparation for Quality Review sessions and other quality-related product evaluations

Catering and Marketing

• Create and execute strategic events, menus, and sampling initiatives that support Own Brands and Executive Functions
• Plan, support, and execute all Own Brands catering events
• Participate in engagement opportunities showcasing Own Brands products via demos, Yammer, Instagram, marketing campaigns, etc.
• Develop on-trend, clearly written recipes for marketing campaigns
• Lead and create basket programs using Own Brands products

What you have to offer

• Trained chef, proficient in all aspects of food preparation and cuisines, with at least 8 years of experience in the food industry and retail
• Proven experience managing a test kitchen, including oversight of personnel and food budgets
• Demonstrated ability to create and execute strategic events, menus, and sampling initiatives that support brand objectives
• Skilled in recipe development, writing and editing, food styling, digital media, and food video production
• Highly adaptable and comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Technologically proficient, with experience using digital tools and platforms
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with attention to clarity and accuracy
• Must have access to reliable transportation for work-related travel

#LI-Hybrid #LI-LM1

At Sobeys we require our teammates to have the ability to adhere to a hybrid work model that requires your presence at one of our office locations at least three days per week. This requirement is integral to our commitment to team collaboration and the overall success of our office culture.

Benefits and total rewards

We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package, which varies by role and designed to help our teammates to live better – physically, financially and emotionally.

Some websites share our job opportunities and may provide salary estimates without our knowledge. These estimates are based on similar jobs and postings for general comparison, but these numbers are not provided by our organization nor monitored for accuracy.

We will consider factors such as your working location, work experience and skills as well as internal equity, and market conditions to ensure the selected candidate is paid fairly and competitively. We look forward to discussing the specific compensation details relevant to this role with candidates who are selected to move forward in the recruitment process.

Our Total Rewards programs, for full-time teammates, goes well beyond your paycheque:

• Competitive Benefits Package, tailored to meet your needs, including health and dental coverage, life, short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Access to Virtual Health Care Platform and Employee and Family Assistance Program.
• A Retirement and Savings Plan that provides you with the opportunity to build and add value to your savings.
• A 10% in-store discount at our participating banners and access to a wide range of other discount programs, making your purchases more affordable.
• Learning and Development Resources to fuel your professional growth.
• Parental leave top-up
• Paid Vacation and Days-off

We are committed to accommodating applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process and will work with applicants requesting accommodation at any stage of this process.

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