Development Chef

Compass Group UK; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Learning programmes

Healthcare

Job summary

Compass Group UK&I is seeking a Development Chef to bridge kitchen innovation with scalable factory production. You will take chilled and frozen prepared foods from blue-sky concepts through to launches for Healthcare, Education, Defence, and other workplaces, acting as the culinary champion and leading our foodie strategy.

You will translate briefs into high-quality concepts, develop recipes for large-scale manufacturing, ensure cost efficiency and food safety, and collaborate with procurement

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Development Chef in chilled or frozen meals manufacturing.
• Strong culinary background with professional training or extensive kitchen experience.
• Excellent collaboration in cross-functional teams bridging chefs, technologists and production.
• Proven ability to organise a busy kitchen space and manage resources.
• Understanding of ingredient behaviour, shelf-life and scaling.
• Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene certification (or willingness to obtain).

Responsibilities

• Champion and drive a foodie culture across the business with the NPD team.
• Translate briefs and insights into high‑quality dish concepts for various sectors.
• Develop recipes and samples that hold taste and texture after processing and freezing.
• Transition concepts to large‑scale manufacturing with quality and yield in mind.
• Ensure dishes meet cost targets and food safety/allergen standards.
• Collaborate with Procurement and Technical teams on ingredients and supplier checks.
• Lead product tastings during customer sessions and stakeholder reviews.
• Maintain a clean, safe development kitchen and manage the growing kitchen team.

Skills

Development Chef

Culinary foundation

Team collaboration

Organizational skills

Ingredient knowledge

Food safety certification

Job description

Role Overview

Working together with the NPD Manager and Process Manager, you will bridge the gap between kitchen innovation and scalable factory production. You will take chilled and frozen prepared foods from blue‑sky concepts through to successful launches for a range of sectors, including Healthcare, Education, Defence, and other workplaces. You will be the culinary champion of the business, leading the foodie strategy and elevating our Foodist culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Champion, implement and drive a foodie culture across the entire business, in collaboration with the wider NPD team.
• Translate customer briefs and market insights into high‑quality, commercially viable dish concepts that meet strict and varied nutritional guidelines for each sector.
• Develop recipes and prepare samples that maintain taste, texture and visual appeal after processing, freezing and reheating.
• Transition recipes from the development kitchen to large‑scale manufacturing, ensuring factory capability, yields and consistent quality.
• Ensure all dishes meet tight cost parameters and strict food safety/allergen standards.
• Work with Procurement and Technical teams to source raw materials, evaluate new ingredients and check supplier consistency.
• Lead product tastings alongside the wider NPD team during customer sessions and internal stakeholder reviews.
• Maintain the development kitchen to the highest standards of cleanliness, safety and operational readiness, and manage the kitchen team as it is implemented and grows.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Proven experience as a Development Chef, ideally within the chilled and/or frozen prepared meals food manufacturing sector.
• Strong culinary foundation (professional cookery qualifications or extensive kitchen experience).
• Exceptional team player who thrives in highly collaborative, cross‑functional environments and can bridge the gap between chefs, food technologists and production operatives.
• Excellent organisational skills with a proven track record of managing a kitchen space.
• Understanding of ingredient behaviour, shelf‑life factors and raw material scaling.
• Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene certification (or willingness to obtain).

Benefits

• Contributory pension scheme
• Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Digital GP and wider healthcare benefits for you and your immediate family
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and more
• Discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and more for your grocery shopping
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets
• Cash rewards for spending on a wide range of brands
• Free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• Sharing of discounts and offers with friends and family

EEO Statement

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential and to thrive – because diversity is our strength!