Development Chef

A leading contract caterer based in Welwyn Garden City is seeking a Development Chef to enhance their school feeding programme. This role, offering up to £41k, involves menu innovation and recipe development for primary and secondary schools, ensuring compliance with School Food Standards. The chef will engage with stakeholders through presentations and workshops, promoting healthy eating initiatives. Key responsibilities include creating cost-effective, nutritious dishes and supporting operational teams in implementing new menus. The ideal candidate will possess culinary expertise, experience in menu development, and knowledge of current food trends. Qualifications include Level 3 Food Safety and relevant culinary certifications.

Development Chef

Welwyn Garden City

Monday to Friday

Education Contract Catering

up to £41K

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

My client is a leading contract caterer with a focus on school feeding. They have a commitment to deliver high-quality, nutritious, and engaging food experiences for children and staff across their primary schools, secondary schools, and commercial sites. As a Development Chef within the business, you will play a vital role in their food innovation and menu development programme as they expand their portfolio across London and the South of England. Your role will be central in promoting the company with a focus on public sector procurement of school feeding services.
You will play a crucial role in shaping and enhancing the food offer across primary and secondary schools and commercial sites. The Development Chef will proactively create and test innovative, nutritious, and cost-effective dishes, ensuring they align with market trends, budgetary constraints, and School Food Standards.
You will engage with external stakeholders and customers to deliver assemblies and workshops, promote healthy eating initiatives, attend presentations and events representing the company in aiding in the winning and retaining of business.
Additionally, the role will showcase new dishes, menus, concepts and theme days to kitchen teams. Supporting the operational teams in implementing new food solutions and working practises to ensure labour efficiencies are achieved, whilst enhancing service delivery across the business.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Menu & Recipe Development: Develop and test innovative recipes that cater to diverse customer needs in both primary and secondary school settings. Ensure menus compile with the School Food Standards and the companys external accreditations. Work closely with suppliers and Procurement and Supply Chain team to source quality ingredients while maintaining cost-effectiveness. Standardise recipes using Saffron (nutritional and costing software) to ensure consistency, compliance, and operational efficiency.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Presentations: Represent the company at industry exhibitions, conferences, and ad hoc presentations. Deliver engaging, theatre-style cooking demonstrations and workshops to kitchen teams, students, and external audiences. Work closely with Operations Teams to ensure school catering teams understand and deliver new menus, concepts and theme days confidently.
• Innovation & Market Trends: Stay up to date with emerging food trends, adapting them to suit school catering environments and commercial projects. Create dishes that can be showcased at tender presentations, exhibitions, and stakeholder events.
• Support the development and rollout of new school food concepts and themed menu days, working alongside Operations Teams.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience:

Culinary Expertise: Proven experience as a Development Chef, Senior Chef, or Catering Manager, ideally in a contract catering or educational setting.
Menu Development: Strong background in creating and implementing large-scale menus with a focus on healthy, cost-effective meals.
Innovation & Market Awareness: Knowledge of current food trends and ability to adapt them to a school catering environment.
Budget & Cost Control: Experience in managing food costs and working within strict budget constraints.
Nutritional Knowledge: Understanding of School Food Standards and allergen management.

Qualifications:
o Level 3 Food safety.
o City & Guilds Level 3 or similar

Kellan Group (including all of our brands, Berkeley Scott, RK and Quantica) are committed to promoting equal opportunities to people regardless of age, gender, religion, belief, race, sexuality or disability. We operate as an employment agency and employment business. You’ll find a wide selection of vacancies on our websites

AMRT1_UKCT