Development chef

ODYSSEY; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

ODYSSEY in London is seeking an experienced Development Chef to join a growing hospitality business. The role blends high culinary standards with commercial thinking, taking ideas from concept to testing, costing, implementation and rollout.

You will lead menu development, manage GP, yields, waste and labour, and work across Operations, Finance, Procurement and clients to deliver creative, scalable menus for multiple openings and concepts.

Qualifications

• Strong culinary background, ideally including Michelin/fine dining.
• Experience across high-volume catering, luxury hotels, events, aviation or multi-site operations.
• Proven experience in menu and concept development.
• Strong understanding of food costing, GP, yields, waste and labour.
• Operationally minded with scalability and consistency in mind.
• Highly organised, proactive and self-sufficient.
• Creative, technically strong and commercially focused.
• Excellent communicator across departments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and launch new dishes, menus and concepts from idea to implementation.
• Lead recipe development, testing, costing and rollout.
• Manage GP, yields, waste, portion control and procurement.
• Factor labour, efficiency and scalability into menu development.
• Create recipes, specifications, allergens and production documentation.
• Support new openings and concept development.
• Lead menu rollouts and train teams for consistency.
• Collaborate with Operations, Finance, Procurement, suppliers and clients.
• Research trends and develop commercially viable menus.
• Manage multiple projects with strong attention to detail.

Skills

Strong culinary background

Michelin/fine dining

Menu & concept development

Food costing & GP

Yields & waste management

Labour management

Operational mindset

Highly organised

Creative & technically strong

Excellent communicator

Job description

Development Chef

Location: London
Salary: Competitive / DOE

We are looking for an experienced Development Chef to join an exciting and growing hospitality business in London.

This is a hands-on role combining high culinary standards with strong commercial and operational thinking. You will develop dishes, menus and concepts from initial idea through to testing, costing, implementation and rollout.

The Role

• Develop new dishes, menus and concepts from idea through to launch


• Lead recipe development, testing, costing and implementation


• Manage GP, yields, waste, portion control and procurement


• Factor labour, efficiency and scalability into menu development


• Create recipes, specifications, allergens and production documentation


• Support new openings and concept development


• Lead menu rollouts and train teams to deliver consistently


• Work closely with Operations, Finance, Procurement, suppliers and clients


• Research food trends and develop creative, commercially viable menus


• Manage multiple projects while maintaining exceptional attention to detail

About You

• Strong culinary background, ideally including Michelin/fine dining


• Experience across high-volume catering, luxury hotels, events, aviation or multi-site operations


• Proven experience in menu and concept development


• Strong understanding of food costing, GP, yields, waste and labour


• Operationally minded, with an understanding of scalability and consistency


• Highly organised, proactive and self-sufficient


• Creative, technically strong and commercially focused


• Excellent communicator and comfortable working across multiple departments

Ideal for a chef who can combine creativity and culinary excellence with the commercial and operational realities of a growing business.

Compensation: Competitive salary