Food Development Lead

Wells and Co.; England; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Private medical health care

Life assurance

30% off dining

Job summary

Wells and Co. is seeking a commercially minded Food Development Lead to shape and evolve our food offer across our managed pub estate.

This field-based role focuses on menus that delight guests, drive profitability, and are operationally executable across multiple sites. You will lead seasonal menu launches, identify market opportunities, and leverage sales data and guest feedback to maximise margins while maintaining high quality.

Qualifications

• Experience in food development, menu development or product innovation within hospitality or foodservice.
• Strong knowledge of food costs, margins, menu engineering and commercial performance.
• Experience delivering successful menu launches across multiple locations.
• Supplier management experience with a track record of building effective partnerships.
• Understanding of recipe costing, allergen management and menu data systems.
• Strong analytical, project management and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience within a managed pub, restaurant or wider multi-site hospitality business would be highly advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Leading the creation and delivery of seasonal menu launches and new food concepts.
• Identifying food trends, consumer insights and market opportunities to keep our offer fresh and competitive.
• Using sales data, guest feedback and operational insight to improve menu performance, drive food sales and maximise margin.
• Managing product development from concept through to launch, including tastings, trials and operational testing.
• Developing recipes, specifications, costings and allergen information with accuracy and compliance at the forefront.
• Working closely with suppliers to deliver innovation, maintain quality standards and manage cost pressures.
• Supporting operational efficiency through practical menu design and kitchen-focused solutions.
• Acting as the business's food and menu development expert, partnering with Operations, Procurement, Finance, Marketing and Training teams.

Skills

Food development

Menu development

Supplier management

Recipe costing

Allergen management

Menu data systems

Analytical skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Job description

Do you love creating great food that keeps guests coming back for more?

We're looking for a commercially minded Food Development Lead to shape and evolve our food offer across our managed pub estate. This is an exciting opportunity to combine culinary creativity with commercial thinking, developing menus that delight guests, drive profitability and can be delivered consistently across multiple sites.

Working closely with Operations, Procurement, Marketing and supplier partners, you'll lead the development of seasonal menus, new product launches and continuous menu improvements, ensuring our food offer remains relevant, competitive and operationally executable.

Although a field-based role, our pubs are across the Northern Home Counties so you will need to live with daily commutable distance.

Key Accountabilities:

• Leading the creation and delivery of seasonal menu launches and new food concepts.
• Identifying food trends, consumer insights and market opportunities to keep our offer fresh and competitive.
• Using sales data, guest feedback and operational insight to improve menu performance, drive food sales and maximise margin.
• Managing product development from concept through to launch, including tastings, trials and operational testing.
• Developing recipes, specifications, costings and allergen information with accuracy and compliance at the forefront.
• Working closely with suppliers to deliver innovation, maintain quality standards and manage cost pressures.
• Supporting operational efficiency through practical menu design and kitchen-focused solutions.
• Acting as the business's food and menu development expert, partnering with Operations, Procurement, Finance, Marketing and Training teams.

We're looking for someone who combines a passion for food with strong commercial acumen and a practical understanding of multi-site hospitality operations. Ideally you will have:

• Experience in food development, menu development or product innovation within hospitality or foodservice.
• Strong knowledge of food costs, margins, menu engineering and commercial performance.
• Experience delivering successful menu launches across multiple locations.
• Supplier management experience with a track record of building effective partnerships.
• A solid understanding of recipe costing, allergen management and menu data systems.
• Strong analytical, project management and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience within a managed pub, restaurant or wider multi-site hospitality business would be highly advantageous.

Other information:

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Private medical health care
• Life assurance
• 30% off dining and 30% retail shop

Why Us?

Why Us? This is a chance to play a key role in shaping the future of our food proposition. You'll have the freedom to bring new ideas to life, influence menu strategy across the estate and make a tangible impact on guest experience, sales and profitability. If you're passionate about creating great food, spotting trends, and bringing innovative ideas from concept to plate, we'd love to hear from you.

We are a people-first business - Our pubs bring people together, and we believe our teams should reflect the communities we serve. We want everyone to feel welcome, valued, and able to be themselves at work. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where people are treated with respect and given equal opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background, experiences, or identity. Whether it's your first role in hospitality or your next career move, if you've got a positive attitude and a passion for looking after people, we'd love to hear from you.

If you need any adjustments or additional support during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply.