Development Chef / Menu Consultant

Monel Group; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Monel Group is launching Chixy, a fast-casual concept in the UK. We seek an experienced QSR Development Chef / Food Consultant to design, test, and standardize core menu items, recipes, and kitchen SOPs before launch.

You’ll lead development for fried chicken and shawarma lines, create marination, coatings, holding protocols, and training for the founding Kitchen Manager and line cooks, with emphasis on speed of service, cost targets, and UK food hygiene compliance.

Qualifications

• Proven background in QSR menu development or kitchen operations.
• Hands-on experience in high-volume fried chicken and shawarma/doner concepts.
• Understanding speed of service, dual-station kitchen flows, and UK Food Hygiene compliance.

Responsibilities

• Recipe & Product Development for fried line and shawarma line.
• Frying & Holding Protocols to maximize crispiness, juice retention, and shelf life.
• SOPs & Operational Manuals: prep, marinating, breading, frying, carving, sandwich/wrap assembly.
• Portion-control guidelines, ingredient yield calculations, and food-cost targets.
• Equipment layout recommendations and connections to UK wholesalers.
• Lead hands-on training for founding Kitchen Manager and line cooks during pre-opening trials.

Skills

QSR menu development

Kitchen operations

High-volume fried chicken

Shawarma / doner concepts

UK Food Hygiene compliance

Job description

We are launching Chixy, a new fast-casual, high-volume chicken concept operating from a physical property in the UK. We require an experienced QSR Development Chef / Food Consultant to design, test, and standardize our core menu items, recipes, and kitchen operational procedures prior to launch.

Menu Style, Benchmarks & Core Focus

Our core lineup sits squarely in the modern QSR/fast-casual space, taking operational inspiration from major benchmarks like KFC, Popeyes, and Dixy Chicken. In addition to classic fried chicken, we are expanding our offering to capture dual-demand drivers:

• Classic Fried Chicken Range: Signature crispy bone-in chicken, wings, tenders, and premium Fried Chicken Fillet Burgers (featuring custom glazes, brioche buns, and house sauces).
• Shawarma / Rotisserie Trial: Experimentation and integration of a high-yield Chicken Shawarma offering (vertical spit/rotisserie prep paired with custom wraps, bowls, and garlic sauces) to run seamlessly alongside the fried line without slowing kitchen speed.

Scope of Work

• Recipe & Product Development:
• Fried Line: Develop proprietary recipes for buttermilk/marinade solutions, seasoned flour-and-spice coatings (achieving a distinct, long-lasting crunch), fried fillet burger build specs, and signature dipping sauces/glazes.
• Shawarma Line: Formulate signature marination/spice rubs for vertical chicken shawarma spits, carving protocols, holding procedures, and complementary garlic/chili sauce recipes.
• Frying & Holding Protocols: Perfect pressure/open frying and spit-carving workflows, oil temperatures, and holding times to ensure maximum crispiness, juice retention, and extended shelf life under heat lamps for takeaway and delivery.
• SOPs & Operational Manuals:
• Produce clear, step-by-step laminated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for prep, marinating, breading, frying, shawarma carving, and sandwich/wrap assembly.
• Establish strict portion-control guidelines, ingredient yield calculations, and precise food-cost targeting (aiming for standard QSR Gross Profit margins).
• Recommend commercial equipment layouts (e.g., pressure fryers vs. open fryers, plus vertical shawarma broilers/electric shavers).
• Connect us with established UK wholesale food distributors (e.g., Brakes, Bidfood, JJ Foodservice) for raw chicken cuts, specialized flours, pre-blended spices, shawarma cones, and packaging.
• Conduct initial trial cooks and lead hands-on training for our founding Kitchen Manager and line cooks during pre-opening kitchen trials.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Proven background in QSR menu development or kitchen operations, specifically with hands-on experience in high-volume fried chicken and shawarma/doner concepts (e.g., KFC, Popeyes, Wingstop, Dixy, German Doner Kebab, or high-volume independents). Must understand speed of service, dual-station kitchen flows, and strict UK Food Hygiene compliance.