(75B) Junior Food Developer

Pret A Manger; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food and beverage company in the United Kingdom is seeking a Junior Food Developer to support product development, ensuring quality and innovation. The ideal candidate is a team player with a hands-on attitude, great attention to detail, and a passion for food. The role offers a salary range of £35,000 – £40,000 plus bonuses and numerous employee benefits, including generous leave, healthcare plans, and career development opportunities.

Benefits

£35,000 – £40,000 salary

10% annual bonus potential

33 days of annual leave

Free medical cover

Pension contribution matching

Life assurance

Flexible benefits platform

Qualifications

• Eager to learn and contribute to a fast-paced environment.
• Great attention to detail, especially for recipe accuracy.
• Willing to engage in hands-on kitchen activities.

Responsibilities

• Support the development of product categories under guidance.
• Manage internal systems for product information accuracy.
• Identify new ingredients and contribute to innovation.

Skills

Team player

Attention to detail

Hands-on attitude

Happy in the kitchen

Job description

Junior Food Developer

We’re Pret: proud makers of freshly made food, organic coffee, and big ideas. Across 750+ shops and 20+ countries, our teams are shaping the future of Pret through innovation, inclusion, great customer service and a shared passion for doing the right thing. We’re growing fast on our mission to be the employer of choice in hospitality, everywhere we operate – so this an exciting time to hop on board.

We Believe in Growing Good Things

Growth is at the heart of everything we do. From the freshly hand‑made food we create every day, to supporting our teams, we help our people grow in confidence, skills and to pursue their unique paths. Pret is where passionate, hardworking, wonderful people (like you!) find what they need to shine. And the proof is in the pudding – over 80% of our Managers started on the shop floor! So did 20% of our Support Centre teams, including our CEO, Pano.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for passionate team players to bring joy to our customers every day. As a junior food developer you’ll…

• You will support the development of assigned product categories under the guidance of a Food Developer, helping to create delicious recipes that can be made easily in shops. This includes considering operational challenges, launch timelines, and commercial guidelines.
• You’ll be responsible for completing Pret systems with relevant product information to ensure shop-facing materials are clear and enable seamless execution. You’ll also support the wider food team with data input, including recipe costings, finished product creation, and producing “how-to” cards for our shops to follow.
• You’ll help manage internal systems and check data entries across costing, nutrition, and shop systems to ensure 100% accuracy.
• You’ll support the identification of new and emerging food trends, helping to translate ideas and kitchen tests into concepts for further development. This is a hands‑on role, you must be happy getting stuck in our development kitchen to try out lots of new ideas and recipes!
• You’ll assist in identifying new ingredients, recipes, or categories that fit within the Pret brand, contributing to the constant stream of innovation that helps us retain our position as a food leader.
• You’ll help build relationships with suppliers and support efforts to maintain the quality of our ingredients.
• Collaborate with Food Developers and cross‑functional teams (technical, commercial, marketing) to support project delivery. You’ll also support other functions across Pret, including the Marketing, Creative, and Social teams, by providing product inspiration.
• Participate in food showcases, team tastings, and internal events that celebrate Pret’s food culture.
• Together with the rest of the development team, you’ll help ensure the Development Kitchen is kept clean, tidy, and efficient — managing stock correctly, rotating and disposing of ingredients when necessary, and ensuring everything is clearly labelled.

Experience and Skills required

• A team player who’s eager to learn and contribute to a fast‑paced, collaborative environment.
• Great attention to detail: especially when it comes to recipe accuracy and documentation.
• A hands‑on, can‑do attitude: you’re just as happy chopping veg as you are inputting data.
• Happy in the kitchen: we love to test all our wild ideas in the development kitchen, so you must be happy to get stuck in!

About you

• Be kind, honest and generous: bring genuine warmth and your authentic self to work every day.
• Bring your passion: share our passion for food and exceptional customer service.
• Spread joy every day: small acts of kindness are a big part of what makes the Pret experience special.

We offer

• £35,000 – £40,000 plus 10 % annual bonus potential.
• Gold Card: We love making people’s day through our food and drinks. That goes for our teams too. That’s why everyone gets a Gold Card. When you’re in the office, your food and drinks are on us. And when you’re not, you can use your Gold Card to get up to 5 Barista‑made drinks a day, and 50 % off everything else (food, snacks, bottled drinks – the lot).

A few more perks

• You’ll get 33 days of annual leave (including flexible Bank Holidays), increasing to 38 days the longer you’re with us.
• Free private medical cover, with the option to add family or partner at an additional cost.
• 4 % of your pension contribution matched by Pret, rises to 5 % after 5 years.
• Life assurance at 3× annual salary.
• Loyalty award for 5, 10, 15, 20 years’ service.
• Flexible Benefits Platform packed with lifestyle discounts.
• Season ticket loans.
• Healthcare cash plan.
• Financial wellbeing provisions.
• Free mortgage services.
• Sabbatical after 3 years.
• Opportunities to support our charity, The Pret Foundation.

We also offer

• Individual ways to grow - We offer lots of opportunities for learning, whether you join us for a short stint or the long game, you’re good to grow with us. Including fully funded professional qualifications, leadership development and mentoring.
• Diversity and belonging - Everyone is welcome at Pret, we want you to feel confident and valued for who you are and to truly belong.
• Pace and variety - Our work is fast paced with lots of variety, you’ll build a diverse skill set and learn a lot!
• Community and purpose - We’re proud to make a difference through The Pret Foundation, from tackling homelessness to reducing food waste and creating positive change for people and communities.

Our values

• Happy Teams Happy Customers
• Amazing Standards Every day
• Never Standing Still
• Doing The Right Thing

The interview journey

Every interview process at Pret begins with the same two stages. First, you’ll have a relaxed 30‑minute conversation with our recruitment team so we can get to know you and your experience. Next, you’ll be invited to a one‑hour, in‑person interview with the hiring manager at our Head Office in London Victoria.

Depending on the role and function, there may be additional stages. These could include time spent in one of our shops, completing a task, or meeting a senior leader.

Before you apply

This role will report into the Head of Food, working full time Monday‑Friday, based in our London Victoria office 4 days per week.

We’d love to get to know you, not a robot, so please do not rely on AI to complete your application.

Deadline to apply for this role: 03.12.2025