Development Chef

AAK AB; St Leonards; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food producer in the UK is seeking a Product Development Chef to innovate and create recipes for their range of plant-based oils. This role requires strong culinary skills, a deep understanding of food trends, and the ability to work closely with customers. Ideal candidates will have formal culinary training and experience in new product development. The position offers competitive benefits, including free parking and a pension scheme.

Benefits

Free Hot Drinks

Free Parking Onsite

On-Site Canteen Serving Hot Food

Company Pension 3% Employee, 5% Employer

Life Assurance Cover

UK Healthcare Scheme, Including Gym, and Lifestyle Discounts

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Development Chef or in a similar senior culinary role.
• Strong knowledge of current food trends, flavour profiles, and presentation styles.
• Experience in recipe creation and product launch.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with customers to research, design, and test new recipes.
• Innovate existing products to improve quality and reduce costs.
• Ensure recipes comply with customer standards and food safety regulations.

Skills

Culinary creativity

Food trend knowledge

Recipe creation

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Education

Formal culinary training (NVQ, City & Guilds, or equivalent)

Job description

Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the chilly southern coast of Scandinavia. From our early success in Sweden and Denmark, we’ve grown into the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4,000 people all across the globe.

We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra-creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it’s not just food — we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.

Everything we do is about Making Better Happen™.

AAK BD Foods, St Leonard's on Sea

About the role

AAK BD Foods are seeking a highly creative and experienced Product Development Chef to drive innovation within our product offering and customer base. The successful candidate will be part of a team responsible for researching, creating, and testing new recipes in line with our factory capabilities and guidelines, ensuring products meet both commercial and customer expectations as well as our technical requirements.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with customers and colleagues within a bespoke manufacturer, research, design, and test new recipes and product ranges.
• Innovate and refresh existing products to keep them the best they can be or negate cost where appropriate.
• Work closely with the operations, procurement, technical and commercial teams to ensure new dishes are viable, scalable, and cost-effective.
• Take an active interest in food trends, competitor activity, and customer feedback to inform development decisions.
• Ensure all recipes and products comply with customer brand standards, food safety, and nutritional guidelines.
• Product presentations to customer and internal teams.
• Maintain accurate records and documents within dept and company wide
• Work as part of a team to maintain a good standard of work environment

About you

• Proven experience asa Development Chef, similar senior culinary role.
• Strong knowledge ofcurrent food trends, flavour profiles, and presentation styles.
• Experience in recipecreation, and product launch.
• Commercial awarenesswith the ability to balance creativity with profitability.
• Excellentorganisational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong communicationand presentation skills.
• Understanding of foodsafety, allergens, and nutritional regulations.
• Literate, Numerateand Computer Savvy

Qualifications

• Formal culinary training (NVQ, City & Guilds, or equivalent).
• Experienced in NPDpreferably within a relevant manufacturing environment.
• Full Driving License

In return AAK offer

• Free Hot Drinks
• Free Parking Onsite
• On-Site Canteen Serving Hot Food
• Company Pension 3% Employee, 5% Employer
• Life Assurance Cover
• UK Healthcare Scheme, Including Gym, and Lifestyle Discounts

About AAK Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and a deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and with the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.

AAK prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment.