Development Chef

Role title: Development Chef

Location: Grimsby, Laforey Rd

Salary: Competitive

Purpose of the role

To support the creation and delivery of innovative, high-quality food concepts that meet customer and consumer expectations. The Development Chef works collaboratively within the NPD team to translate food trends and insights into commercially viable, delicious products, maintaining high culinary standards and consistency throughout the development process.

As a Development Chef some of the responsibilities will be to:

• Support the development and delivery of food concepts that respond to customer briefs, category strategies, and emerging food trends.
• Work collaboratively with the Senior Development Chef, NPD Technologists, and Process Teams to bring new ideas from kitchen concept to factory-ready product.
• Prepare, test, and refine recipes to ensure exceptional quality, flavour, and visual presentation.
• Participate in customer presentations, tasting panels, and internal reviews, demonstrating passion for great food and attention to detail.
• Maintain a strong awareness of food trends, competitor activity, and innovation across retail and foodservice sectors.
• Ensure all developments are feasible for manufacture, meeting customer cost, nutritional, and technical standards.
• Support the Senior Development Chef in coaching and sharing best practice within the team.
• Uphold Hilton Foods’ values of quality, innovation, and collaboration, ensuring consistency across all culinary work.
• Assist in maintaining accurate records, samples, and documentation to support seamless product approval and launch.

To succeed as a Development Chef, we ask that you have the following experience/expertise:

• Proven experience as a Development Chef, Junior Development Chef, or Culinary Developer within food manufacturing, foodservice, or retail.
• Strong culinary background with a passion for flavour, quality, and presentation.
• Awareness of food trends, consumer insight, and innovation processes.
• Understanding of factory processes and scalability considerations.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Effective communication and teamwork abilities.
• Confident in presenting food and ideas to internal teams and customers.
• Enthusiastic, adaptable, and eager to learn from senior team members.

What you get in return:

• Great package with competitive holiday allowance
• Life assurance of minimum two times yearly salary
• Opportunities for development and internal promotion
• Share Save scheme
• Free car parking on site
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity

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