Development Chef
| Posting date: | 29 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £31,000 per annum |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 28 September 2025 |
| Location: | Stockton-on-Tees, TS22 5TB |
| Company: | The Compleat Food Group |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 1285 |
Summary
Job Advert
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 Middlesbrough to join our brilliant Culinary
Innovation Team.
Who We Are:
At The Compleat Food Group we’re not just serving up great food, we’re creating an environment where our people can thrive. As one
of the leading chilled prepared food manufacturers in the UK food industry, we believe that our employees are the secret
ingredient to our success. We’re passionate about fostering a culture where quality, innovation, collaboration, and personal
growth are at the forefront.
Location: Middlesbrough, TS22 5TB
With operations across two manufacturing sites and one distribution location, our Middlesbrough sites are the home of party food
including bhajis, samosas, onion rings, and spring rolls.
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 17:00 (some flexibility required)
Salary: £31,000
Contract: Permanent, full time
Purpose:
The Development Chef works extremely closely with the wider New Product Development (NPD) and Category teams to support the
development and innovation plan at site. This is done across a multiple customer base of top UK retailers for the chilled fried
food category.
Your Duties Will Include:
* To interpret varying customer briefs from retailers to create and deliver innovative food concepts that meet customer and
market requirements.
* To gather information required and confidently present products to customers and internal site teams
* Recipe build and interpret theoretical nutritional results against guidelines
* To understand and drive proactive development initiatives which push factory production and Technical boundaries to maximise
cost savings and efficiency.
* To 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:
* Experienced chef or similar role in the food industry
* Previous Development Chef experience desirable but not essential
* Experience of working successfully in a Michelin or Rosette level kitchen (desirable)
* Food or 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 and creativity
* 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:
* Dynamic Environment: You will be working in a fast-paced, future-thinking agile company where your contributions make a real
difference.
* Culture: Be part of a fantastic team that values diversity, innovation, collaboration and excellence.
* 33 days annual leave
* 2 Employee Volunteering Days per year
* Online and High-street retailer discount scheme
* Employee well-being and community support groups
* Charity Initiatives and Team events
* 24/7 Access to Grocery Aid (Free Financial, Emotional and Practical Support)
The Compleat Food Group fosters an inclusive, respectful culture where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. We welcome
diverse talent, knowing it drives exceptional results and a better workplace.
We are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect, we ensure all colleagues can thrive by bringing their whole selves
to work. As an equal opportunity’s employer, we provide all the support you need to succeed.
Contact us with any questions about Diversity & Inclusion or accessibility during the application process.
Recruitment Agencies:
We have a small, active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or
unsolicited candidate introductions. We only accept CV submissions for roles released to you directly by our Talent Acquisition
team.
If you would be interested in working with us please send a message to recruitment@compleatfood.com
[recruitment@compleatfood.com] and should we have any roles we need additional support with we will reach out to you.
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 Middlesbrough to join our brilliant Culinary
Innovation Team.
Who We Are:
At The Compleat Food Group we’re not just serving up great food, we’re creating an environment where our people can thrive. As one
of the leading chilled prepared food manufacturers in the UK food industry, we believe that our employees are the secret
ingredient to our success. We’re passionate about fostering a culture where quality, innovation, collaboration, and personal
growth are at the forefront.
Location: Middlesbrough, TS22 5TB
With operations across two manufacturing sites and one distribution location, our Middlesbrough sites are the home of party food
including bhajis, samosas, onion rings, and spring rolls.
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 17:00 (some flexibility required)
Salary: £31,000
Contract: Permanent, full time
Purpose:
The Development Chef works extremely closely with the wider New Product Development (NPD) and Category teams to support the
development and innovation plan at site. This is done across a multiple customer base of top UK retailers for the chilled fried
food category.
Your Duties Will Include:
* To interpret varying customer briefs from retailers to create and deliver innovative food concepts that meet customer and
market requirements.
* To gather information required and confidently present products to customers and internal site teams
* Recipe build and interpret theoretical nutritional results against guidelines
* To understand and drive proactive development initiatives which push factory production and Technical boundaries to maximise
cost savings and efficiency.
* To 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:
* Experienced chef or similar role in the food industry
* Previous Development Chef experience desirable but not essential
* Experience of working successfully in a Michelin or Rosette level kitchen (desirable)
* Food or 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 and creativity
* 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:
* Dynamic Environment: You will be working in a fast-paced, future-thinking agile company where your contributions make a real
difference.
* Culture: Be part of a fantastic team that values diversity, innovation, collaboration and excellence.
* 33 days annual leave
* 2 Employee Volunteering Days per year
* Online and High-street retailer discount scheme
* Employee well-being and community support groups
* Charity Initiatives and Team events
* 24/7 Access to Grocery Aid (Free Financial, Emotional and Practical Support)
The Compleat Food Group fosters an inclusive, respectful culture where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. We welcome
diverse talent, knowing it drives exceptional results and a better workplace.
We are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect, we ensure all colleagues can thrive by bringing their whole selves
to work. As an equal opportunity’s employer, we provide all the support you need to succeed.
Contact us with any questions about Diversity & Inclusion or accessibility during the application process.
Recruitment Agencies:
We have a small, active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or
unsolicited candidate introductions. We only accept CV submissions for roles released to you directly by our Talent Acquisition
team.
If you would be interested in working with us please send a message to recruitment@compleatfood.com
[recruitment@compleatfood.com] and should we have any roles we need additional support with we will reach out to you.