Development Technologist

Finsbury Food; Salisbury; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading specialty bakery manufacturer is looking for a Development Technologist to join their Development Team in Salisbury. This hands-on role involves supporting bakery innovation and producing high-quality product samples. Candidates should have a strong understanding of food hygiene, be proactive, and work well in team environments. Enjoy great perks including enhanced maternity/paternity leave, pension schemes, and learning opportunities. If you're passionate about bakery innovation, apply to join this dynamic team!

Benefits

Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave

Enhanced Pension Scheme

Death in Service Benefit

Free Employee Assistance Programme

Retail discounts

Refer a Friend Scheme

Employee Recognition Awards

Extensive Learning & Development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in bakery or food manufacturing is preferred but not essential.
• Proactive and eager to learn in fast-paced settings.
• Strong knowledge of food hygiene, allergens, and safety.
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines.
• Hands-on work experience in a production or kitchen environment.
• Effective collaboration across various departments.
• Interest in innovation and recipe development.

Responsibilities

• Support the development of new and existing bakery products.
• Produce development samples and conduct trials.
• Maintain accurate records of formulations and processes.
• Collaborate with Technical, Operations, Planning, and Compliance teams.
• Ensure all development work meets safety and hygiene standards.

Skills

Bakery or food manufacturing experience

Enthusiastic and proactive

Understanding of food preparation and hygiene

Organised with multitasking ability

Confident in production or kitchen environment

Team player

Creative mindset for recipe development

Job description

Brunel House/Brunel Rd, Salisbury SP2 7PU, UK

Job Description

Posted Wednesday 4 February 2026 at 01:00

We have an exciting opportunity for a Development Technologist to join our Development Team at our Nicholas & Harris site as part of Finsbury Food Group. This role is planned to become available from May 2026.

Nicholas & Harris has over 180 years of heritage in craft baking methods. If you’re passionate about artisanal, organic, and speciality breads — including products tailored to specific dietary or nutritional needs — our Salisbury bakery has you covered.

Finsbury Food Group is a leading speciality bakery manufacturer , continuously raising quality and efficiency standards while building long-term relationships within the foodservice channel. We offer a wide range of bakery products and are a leading frozen supplier into the Foodservice sector.

The Development Technologist will play a key role in supporting bakery innovation by developing, producing, and delivering high-quality product samples at pace. Working within a positive, close-knit bakery kitchen environment, you’ll collaborate with multiple internal teams and customers to bring new and improved products to life.

This is what you’ll actually do!

As our Development Technologist, you’ll be hands-on in the bakery every day, supporting the development of new and existing products. You’ll be responsible for producing development samples, carrying out trials, and supporting production-based development work to tight timelines.

You’ll regularly take samples from the bakery, prepare them for internal review or customer submission, and ensure they are sent out promptly. Alongside this, you’ll support recipe design and development, order raw materials for trials, and maintain accurate records of formulations and processes.

Working closely with teams across Technical, Operations, Planning, and Compliance, you ’ll help ensure all development work meets food safety, quality, allergen, and hygiene standards. This is a fast-paced role that requires flexibility, organisation, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

You’ll also contribute ideas, support continuous improvement, and help drive innovation within a growing and dynamic development environment.

Ideally this is you!

• Bakery or food manufacturing experience preferred (but not essential)
• Enthusiastic, proactive, and keen to learn in a fast-paced environment
• Strong understanding of food preparation, hygiene, allergens, and cross-contamination
• Organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks and tight deadlines
• Confident working hands-on in a production or kitchen environment
• A team player who enjoys collaborating across departments
• Creative mindset with an interest in recipe development and innovation

What’s in it for you?

• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival!
• Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees
• Death in Service Benefit Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families) Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform!
• Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral – T&C’s dependent)
• Employee Recognition Awards· Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in-house development course!)
• An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation. Head over to our LinkedIn page to find out more!

Our vision is to be the leading speciality bakery group in the UK, and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength. If this sounds like you, please get in contact to learn more!

Brunel House/Brunel Rd, Salisbury SP2 7PU, UK