Development Chef

Development Chef 

Are you passionate about food and love to innovate with flavours? Are you bursting with creative ideas and eager to learn? If so, we've got a fantastic opportunity for you at The Compleat Food Group, based in Poole to join our brilliant Culinary Innovation Team. 

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 site at Poole Bakery produces chilled savoury sausage rolls, hot pies, pasties and slices. The business has been producing products at its current site since 1937 and previously as Millers of Poole.

Our ability to drive category growth for our customers is through our focus on understanding our consumers and our relentless pursuit of 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 everything we produce.

We value everybody who works in our organisation. Everyone is treated with respect and encouraged to thrive and develop. Together we will become number one for culture.

Location: Poole Bakery, BH15 2AS – with some travel to other sites as required.

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 – 17:00.

Salary: £35,000 

Purpose:

The Development Chef works extremely closely with the wider NPD and Category teams to support the development and innovation plan at site. This is done across a multiple customer base for the chilled savoury pastry category.   

Your Duties Will Include:

• Interpret varying customer briefs to create and deliver innovative concepts that meet customer and market requirements.
• Effective delivery of the business strategy and customer category plans as directed by the Development Chef 
• 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 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
• Communicating at different levels of seniority
• Presentation skills
• Basic computing skills 
• Team player but can work independently

Qualities:

• Passion for food
• Enthusiasm to learn and grow
• Hard working and driven

Benefits to Include:

• 2 Employee Volunteering Days per year
• 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.