Job Title: Lead Product Development Chef
Location: Warrington UK
Department: Production / R&D
Reports to: Head of Operations
At FuelHub, we are redefining meal prep with high-quality, performance-focused meals. We fuel the UK’s elite sports teams and athletes, ensuring they perform at their peak with nutritionally optimised, performance-driven meals.
We are at an exciting stage of accelerated growth, meaning there are huge opportunities for career progression.
As our Lead Product Development Chef, you will be at the forefront of innovation, production efficiency, and culinary excellence, helping us fuel our customers with the best meals possible.
Job Summary:
We are seeking a highly skilled Lead Product Development Chef to take charge of new meal innovation, cooking process management, and quality control at FuelHub. This role is hands-on in the kitchen, leading the development of high-protein, macro-controlled meals while ensuring efficiency, food safety, and consistency in our production process. The candididate will lead product development, and ensure accurate specifications and standardised cooking methods and oversee the cooking processes on production days.
They will also collaborate with the nutritionist to develop innovative, performance-driven meals.
Key Responsibilities: Product Development & Innovation:
* Develop and test new high-protein, macro-balanced meals in line with FuelHub’s nutritional standards.
* Work closely with the nutritionist to ensure meals meet macro, calorie, and dietary requirements.
* Research new ingredients, techniques, and trends in sports nutrition and meal prep.
* Optimise meal recipes for scalability, consistency, and cost-effectiveness.
* Conduct taste tests, quality control, and process trials before product launches.
* Lead product development and manage product specifications, ensuring consistency and compliance.
Cooking Process Management & Production Oversight:
* Oversee day-to-day cooking operations to ensure efficient, high-quality meal production.
* Implement and refine standardised cooking procedures to maintain meal consistency.
* Train production team on new recipes and cooking techniques.
* Work alongside production staff to ensure seamless execution of meals at scale.
* Troubleshoot cooking process inefficiencies and implement improvements.
* Define and document cooking methods, ensuring all production staff follow precise procedures.
Food Safety, Labeling & Compliance:
* Ensure allergen controls, food safety protocols, and HACCP compliance are strictly followed.
* Oversee correct labelling of all products, ensuring compliance with nutritional and legal regulations.
* Maintain high standards of kitchen hygiene and sanitation.
Operational & Cross-Department Collaboration:
* Work closely with the Operations Manager to align kitchen processes with business goals.
* Collaborate with the procurement team to source high-quality, cost-effective ingredients.
* Provide feedback to marketing and sales teams on product performance and customer preferences.
* Ensure clear documentation of recipes, processes, meal specifications, and cooking methods.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
* Proven experience as a senior chef in a fast-paced kitchen (meal prep, catering, or large-scale food production preferred).
* Strong background in product development and culinary innovation.
* Deep understanding of macro-controlled, high-protein meal prep.
* Hands-on experience managing cooking teams and production lines.
* Knowledge of food safety regulations, HACCP, and allergen controls.
* Ability to scale recipes from development to mass production.
* Excellent leadership, organisation, and communication skills.
* Passion for healthy, performance-driven nutrition.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
* Company events
* Company pension
* Discounted or free food
* Employee discount
* Free parking
* On-site parking
Schedule:
* Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
* Warrington WA5 7TN: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
* Chef: 5 years (required)
Work Location: In person