Development Chef – 6 Month Fixed Term Contract
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Development Chef to join our brilliant Culinary Development and Innovation Team!
Based at our site in Nottingham, you will work closely with the wider NPD and Category teams supporting with the development and innovation of a range of our exciting award winning products.
At The Compleat Food Group we never just make food. We make food to feel good, taste good and do good for everyone. Our aim is to delight our customers and consumers every day, creating the best possible foods for shoppers needs and budgets.
Our ability to drive category growth for our customers is through our focus on understanding our consumers and our relentless pursuit of category leading innovation – we have the courage to think differently and challenge the status quo.
We work at the correct pace to make clear decisions and deliver on our commitments on time every time. Quality is at the heart of everything we do, always. We take in pride in every single product we produce.
Everybody who works in our organisation is valued, and we strive to ensure everyone is treated with respect and encouraged to thrive and develop. Together we will become number one for culture.
Location: Nottingham – with weekly travel to our other UK sites as required and some travel to London to visit clients (Travelling will be expensed)
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 – 17:00 (with some flexibility for travel requirements)
Salary: £40,000 per annum pro rata for 6 months.
Your Duties Will Include:
* Effective delivery of the business strategy and customer category plans as directed by the Executive Chef and/or Product Development Manager.
* Interpret varying customer briefs to create and deliver innovative concepts that meet customer and market requirements.
* Gather information required and confidently present products to customers and internal site teams
* Recipe build and interpret theoretical nutritional results against guidelines
* Understand and drive proactive development initiatives which push factory production and Technical boundaries to maximise cost savings and efficiency.
* Identify new trends and maintain current products to deliver newness to the category by understanding the market.
* Communicate with teams including NPD, purchasing and finance to interpret briefs, source new ingredients and carry out costings
* Promote health and safety culture across the site and follow health and safety requirements during kitchen and process development work
* Work alongside development technologists and chefs through travel to other sites when required
Requirements:
* Experience as a Development Chef or similar role in the chilled food industry.
* Experience of working successfully in a Michelin or Rosette level kitchen (desirable)
* Catering college qualification (desirable)
* Valid driving licence due to expectations to travel to our other sites across the UK (essential)
Key Skills:
* Strong cookery skills with flare for innovation
* Organisation and planning
* A real foodie, with a true passion for food innovation
* Communicating at different levels of seniority
* Presentation skills and creativity
* Basic computing skills
* Team player but can work independently
Qualities:
* Passion for food and future innovation
* Enthusiasm to learn and grow
* Hard working and driven
Benefits to Include:
* 2 Employee Volunteering Days per year
* Expensed travel
* Online and High-street retailer discount scheme and well-being portal
* Employee well-being and community support groups
* Charity Initiatives and Team events
* 24/7 Access to Grocery Aid
The Compleat Food Group are proud to have built an inclusive and respectful culture where our colleagues feel safe, supported and valued. A place where they can bring their whole selves to work to achieve exceptional results and thrive.
We continue to attract diverse talent into our teams, because we know greater diversity leads to exceptional results and provides a better working life. That’s why we’re committed to ensuring Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect in all that we do.
Recruitment Agencies : We have an active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies.