Product Developer and Quality Manager

ZipRecruiter; City Of London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing bakery company in London seeks a Product Developer to lead recipe development and quality management. The ideal candidate will have experience in food quality management, recipe development, and managing food safety standards. This role features a blend of creativity and structure, with responsibilities including product launches, training teams, and maintaining quality across multiple locations. A Level 3 Food Hygiene qualification is required. The role offers ongoing training and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Unlimited CBT and therapy access

Private healthcare after probation

Free crumble

28 days holiday per year

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years in a commercial kitchen or bakery setting.
• Proven experience in food quality management.
• Experience developing packaged food.

Responsibilities

• Own the process of developing monthly specials and menu items.
• Maintain quality standards across all bakeries.
• Conduct internal audits and lead quality control seminars.

Skills

Food quality management

Recipe development

Food safety systems

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Level 3 Food Hygiene qualification

Tools

Google Sheets

Job description

Overview

Location: On-site at Old Spitalfields Market Bakery, and our team office

Salary: TBC

Reports To: CEO

Job Type: Full-Time

Summary of Role: To lead recipe development, product launches, and quality management across our bakeries. This role blends creativity and structure. You’ll bring crumbles to life while maintaining the standards that make us proud. You’ll be at the heart of what we serve, developing recipes, improving existing products, managing quality control systems, and training our teams to deliver consistently excellent food.

Who we are

Humble Crumble is a -founded crumble bakery - the first of its kind. We currently have five bakeries and are looking to expand across the UK. We are a high-growth company that changes quickly and is always looking to be the best in our industry. We pride ourselves on focusing on one thing so that we can be the best at it. We want to provide the best product and exceptional customer service and strive to create a positive work environment.

Who you are

You’re confident in the kitchen, in front of a camera, and in front of a team. You balance creativity with organisation and love seeing a good idea become a great product. You care about getting the details right, from allergens to labels to training documents. You’re proactive, people-focused, and excited to help shape a growing food business.

Essential Skills

• Minimum 2 years in a commercial kitchen or bakery setting
• Proven experience in food quality management e.g. experience in a product technical team or food science degree
• Experience developing packaged food or grocery ranges. We are looking to expand within the CPG space, so knowledge of creating a CPG is essential
• Experience sourcing and maintaining relationships with co-manufacturers
• Strong understanding of food safety systems, allergens, and traceability
• Level 3 Food Hygiene qualification
• Comfortable leading, training and presenting on camera
• Experience in recipe and menu development
• Excellent communication and organisational skills

Desirable Skills

• Familiarity with costing, stock systems, shelf life testing, food labelling and supplier management
• Confident using Google Sheets

Key Responsibilities

Product Development

• Own the end-to-end process of developing monthly specials and all menu items.
• Lead the development of new ranges, including Bake at Home and packaged products.
• Continuously improve existing recipes for consistency, quality, and efficiency.
• Calculate costs for every special, monitoring ingredient pricing and supplier shifts.
• Use our bakery in Old Spitalfields Market as your hub for testing and collaborating with the bakery team.
• Train bakery managers monthly on upcoming specials and create clear guides for the wider team.
• Support our Social Media Manager with monthly specials shoots and product-focused content.
• Talk about your creations in our new monthly YouTube series (including ‘Behind the Crumble’ and ‘Humble at Home’).
• Develop bespoke crumbles for events and brand collaborations.

Quality Management

• Maintain quality standards across all bakeries, from prep to presentation.
• Conduct internal audits with the Operations team and ensure follow-up actions are in place.
• Lead quarterly quality control seminars for bakery teams, and train team members to be quality control leads at their sites.
• Monitor and resolve recurring customer complaints related to product quality.
• Review, file, and update supplier specification sheets to ensure diet and allergen requirements are met.
• Map allergens for all specials, update matrices, and communicate changes to the team.
• Oversee traceability for packaged goods (e.g. crumble pouches) and train new sites on these practices.
• Track cook loss data to help prep planning and reduce waste.
• Arrange shelf life testing and create supporting documentation for audits.
• Create compliant packaging labels and maintain up-to-date spec sheets for all retail products.
• Act as the company’s key contact for supplier relationships, handling quality issues, sourcing new ingredients, and negotiating pricing.
• Coordinate with Operations to launch new menu items into systems and print updated menus.
• Maintain and update stock systems when specials change.
• Communicate projected volumes and menu updates to suppliers.

Weekly Work Schedule

• 5 working days per week, typically Monday through Friday.
• Based primarily at Old Spitalfields Market and our nearby team office, with some site visits.
• Balanced schedule of hands-on development, admin, and team support.
• Occasional weekends during peak launches or events.

Benefits

• A consistent work schedule, Monday–Friday with occasional weekends
• Access to unlimited CBT and therapy through our wellbeing provider
• Private healthcare (opt-in) after probation
• Free crumble
• 28 days holiday per year, including bank holidays
• Ongoing training and development (e.g., HR mentoring)

To apply

To apply, please email your CV, cover letter and a portfolio to: careers at humble crumble dot com. Your portfolio should include examples of your work across both pastry and packaged goods.