Development Chef

Reports to: Culinary Lead

Background

Monty’s Bakehouse was established in 2003 to supply handheld hot snacks to the leisure sector, and then quickly moved into the Aviation market, providing innovative and high-quality products to passengers. Fast forward to today and the reputation Monty’s has established in the aviation industry led to it being acquired by SATS, Asia’s leading airline caterer. SATS also have trading relationships with many of the world’s leading food brands in multiple markets.

Monty’s holds 3 core values at its heart: Innovation, Quality and Service. These values underpin everything we do, from servicing our customers to looking after our people and the planet. This has helped Monty’s gain B-Corp certification.

Job Purpose

The Development Chef is responsible for developing innovative, commercially viable food products that support Monty's Bakehouse's reputation as a market-leading provider of food solutions to the global aviation industry.

Working collaboratively across the business, the Development Chef plays a pivotal role in transforming customer briefs and culinary concepts into products that can be successfully manufactured, distributed and enjoyed by consumers around the world. The role combines strong culinary expertise with practical product development knowledge, ensuring recipes are developed to meet customer expectations, manufacturing capability and commercial objectives.

The Development Chef is responsible for managing day-to-day culinary development activities, including recipe creation, sample preparation, factory trials and continuous product improvement. Working closely with colleagues, customers and manufacturing partners, the role supports the successful delivery of product development projects whilst maintaining the high culinary standards and innovative approach for which Monty's Bakehouse is recognised.

Key Accountabilities

1.       Develop high-quality food products, recipes and concepts that meet customer briefs and support the company's innovation objectives. Apply culinary knowledge and practical product development skills to create products that are commercially viable, manufacturable and aligned with customer expectations.

2.       Create, refine and maintain recipes throughout the development process, continually evaluating flavour, texture, appearance, nutritional profile and manufacturing suitability. Identify opportunities to improve existing products whilst maintaining product integrity and customer satisfaction.

3.       Prepare high-quality product samples for customer presentations, internal reviews and product evaluations, ensuring products consistently demonstrate the quality, innovation and attention to detail expected of Monty's Bakehouse.

4.       Support the successful transition of products from kitchen development to commercial manufacture by participating in factory trials, validating product performance and working with manufacturing partners to resolve technical or culinary challenges.

5.       Take responsibility for the efficient day-to-day operation of the development kitchen, ensuring high standards of food safety, hygiene, organisation and equipment maintenance. Manage ingredients, stock and kitchen resources to support an effective product development environment.

6.       Continually research food trends, ingredients, cuisines and emerging consumer preferences to generate new ideas and support the ongoing development of innovative products for existing and prospective customers.

7.       Work collaboratively with colleagues across the business and with manufacturing partners to ensure product development projects progress efficiently from concept through to launch. Contribute positively to project discussions and support the achievement of agreed timescales and objectives.

8.       Support the ongoing improvement of products, recipes and development processes by identifying opportunities to enhance quality, consistency, manufacturing efficiency and sustainability whilst maintaining the customer proposition.

9.       Ensure all development activities are completed to the highest professional standards, consistently demonstrating attention to detail, creativity and a commitment to quality whilst maintaining compliance with food safety, hygiene and company procedures.

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Experience and Skills Required

·         Demonstrable experience within a Development Chef or similar product development role, with responsibility for managing product development projects from concept through to successful commercial launch.

·         Strong practical culinary skills with the ability to independently develop, refine and document recipes suitable for commercial food manufacturing.

·         Experience of preparing customer samples, organising product evaluations and maintaining a high standard of presentation throughout the development process.

·         Practical experience of supporting factory trials, validating product performance and resolving issues during the transition from kitchen to commercial production.

·         Strong organisational skills with the ability to plan and prioritise multiple development activities, manage workloads effectively and meet project deadlines.

·         A methodical and detail-oriented approach, ensuring recipes, development records, specifications and supporting documentation are accurate and maintained to a high standard.

·         Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues and manufacturing partners to successfully deliver product development projects.

·         Good understanding of food safety, hygiene and quality standards within a food manufacturing environment.

·         Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and comfortable using digital systems to support product development activities.

·         Professional culinary qualification (or equivalent industry experience) together with a commitment to continuous professional development.

Personal Attributes

·      Demonstrates a genuine passion for food, culinary excellence and developing innovative products.

·      Plans, prioritises and manages multiple development activities effectively, maintaining attention to detail throughout.

·      Takes pride in delivering consistently high standards, ensuring products are developed with accuracy, consistency and care.

·      Works effectively with colleagues, customers and manufacturing partners, building positive and productive working relationships.

·      Takes ownership of tasks, identifies opportunities for improvement and responds positively to challenges throughout the product development process.

·      Responds positively to changing priorities and remains effective in a fast-paced development environment.

·      Demonstrates a desire to continually learn, explore new ingredients, techniques and food trends, bringing fresh ideas into product development.

·      Represents Monty's Bakehouse with professionalism, integrity and a dependable approach, consistently delivering on commitments.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

·         A passion for food and global food trends

·         Experience working as a chef in a professional kitchen environment

·         Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety

·         Good organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities

·         Basic IT skills including Word, Excel, PowerPoint

·         Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a team.

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Apply For This Role

To apply for this role, please send your CV to Jo Rodway jo.rodway@montysbakehouse.co.uk.