Development Chef: Create & Launch Seasonal Menus

Ivy Restaurants Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Dining discount

Birthday off

Annual vouchers

Long service holiday

Wellbeing support

Retail discounts

Job summary

Ivy Restaurants Ltd in Greater London is seeking a Development Chef to shape the food strategy across our venues. You’ll create, test and develop dishes that are exciting, cost-effective and scalable, working with Operations, Marketing, Menu Development, NPD and Supply Chain to bring concepts to life.

You’ll lead culinary prep and food styling for shoots, monitor dish performance and maintain recipes in Apicbase, ensuring safety and brand compliance across sites.

Qualifications

• Strong experience as a chef with exposure to menu, concept or product development.
• Passion for food, creativity and emerging culinary trends.
• Strong commercial awareness with understanding of cost, scalability and operational delivery.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety, allergens and quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Creating, testing and developing new dishes, seasonal menus, specials and set menus.
• Evolving existing dishes to improve quality, consistency and guest experience.
• Presenting new concepts and dishes during tastings with our senior culinary team.
• Keeping ahead of food trends, ingredients and concepts to inspire future menus.
• Supporting menu launches and marketing with brand-led development.
• Leading culinary preparation and food styling for photoshoots.
• Testing ingredients with NPD and suppliers.
• Monitoring performance of new dishes and refining them from feedback.
• Maintaining recipes, imagery and specs in Apicbase.
• Visiting restaurants to support menu implementation and consistency.
• Creating food training content with Area Chefs and L&D.

Skills

Menu development

Culinary creativity

Commercial awareness

Food safety

Tools

Apicbase

Job description

Ivy Restaurants Ltd in Greater London is seeking a Development Chef to shape the food strategy across our venues. You’ll create, test and develop dishes that are exciting, cost-effective and scalable, working with Operations, Marketing, Menu Development, NPD and Supply Chain to bring concepts to life.

You’ll lead culinary prep and food styling for shoots, monitor dish performance and maintain recipes in Apicbase, ensuring safety and brand compliance across sites.