Senior Development Chef

Gather + Gather; England; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Personal Development and Training opportunities

Access to Healthcare Support App

Eye care

Wellbeing strategy and Employee Assistance Programme

Family friendly support

Social events with leaders

Professional subscriptions

Recognition schemes

Long service awards

Discount vouchers

Job summary

A food service company in London is seeking a Senior Development Chef. The ideal candidate will create innovative menus, ensure high food quality, and lead culinary teams. Experience in the food industry and strong leadership skills are essential. This is a full-time role with significant responsibilities, focused on client engagement and culinary excellence.

Qualifications

• Strong culinary background with excellent cooking skills.
• Ability to manage budgets and develop commercially viable food concepts.
• Experience in leading and coaching kitchen teams.
• Excellent communication skills to work with clients and stakeholders.
• Creative approach to food with strong awareness of trends.
• Understanding of food safety and hygiene compliance.
• Previous experience in a senior culinary role.

Responsibilities

• Design and create innovative menus using seasonal ingredients.
• Ensure food meets quality standards and complies with regulations.
• Coach and lead culinary teams and conduct training sessions.
• Engage clients to deliver food that reflects their vision.
• Manage budgets and contribute to business growth.
• Support new deployments and act as lead chef for projects.

Skills

Culinary expertise

Commercial acumen

Leadership and coaching

Client-facing skills

Innovation

Compliance

Experience

Job description

This range is provided by Gather + Gather. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

At Gather & Gather, great food in the workplace isn’t simply about fuel. It’s about increasing productivity and improving performance; it’s about happy motivated people and inspiring environments. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do – we live to bring food and people together.

We are brave, bold and curious adventurers in food and drink. Never shy of being different, always challenging the conventional.

Our passionate team of chefs, baristas, servers, nutritionists and much more, love nothing more than creating memorable moments that enrich the everyday. Come and join our award winning teams – we are currently recruiting for a Senior Development Chef to join our team at London.

Location: WC1H 9LT - Zones 1-2 in London with ad-hoc national required

Working Pattern: Monday - Friday, 40 hours per week

Key Responsibilities:

• Menu and recipe development: Design and create innovative and commercially smart menus and recipes, often using seasonal and sustainable ingredients, while analyzing target audiences and market trends.
• Quality and standards: Ensure all food meets high-quality standards and complies with food policies, legislation, and health and safety regulations.
• Team leadership: Coach, mentor, and lead culinary teams, conduct training sessions, and ensure consistency in standards and delivery across different sites.
• Client and stakeholder engagement: Work closely with clients to understand their vision and deliver food that reflects their needs. Engage with internal departments and stakeholders as needed.
• Commercial management: Manage budgets, control costs, and contribute to sales and business growth by developing appealing and profitable food offers.
• Operational support: Support new offer deployments, mobilizations, and pilot initiatives, and act as a lead chef for offer refreshes and on-site projects.

Required skills and experience

• Culinary expertise: Strong culinary background, excellent cooking skills, and a passion for food, presentation, and creating high-quality dishes.
• Commercial acumen: Demonstrated ability to understand and manage budgets, control costs, and develop commercially viable food concepts.
• Leadership and coaching: Experience in leading, coaching, and developing a kitchen team.
• Client-facing skills: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively with clients, stakeholders, and internal teams.
• Innovation: A creative and innovative approach to food, with a strong awareness of food trends.
• Compliance: A strong understanding of food safety, hygiene, and allergen compliance.
• Experience: Previous experience in a development, executive, or senior culinary role within contract catering or a related field.

Our Ideal Candidate:

• B&I contract catering experience
• Passionate about fresh food and latest food trends
• Comfortable to assist with sales presentations
• Creative and innovative thinker

What's in it for you?

Working with Gather & Gather has its perks! People are at the heart of everything we do, so we've developed a range of benefits to keep you happy.

• Personal Development and Training opportunities
• Access to Healthcare Support App which includes Annual health check, Digital GP, Mental Health Consultations, Nutritional Consultations, Second Medical Opinion
• Eye care
• A great wellbeing strategy – including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, salary finance
• Family friendly support
• Regular social events and communication with our leaders
• Professional subscriptions
• Recognition schemes and peopleawards
• Long service awards
• Access to some great high street discount vouchers

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Management

Industries

Food & Beverages and Caterers