Product Development Chef

Tesco UK • Welwyn Garden City • Permanent • Apply by 22-Sep-2025

We are excited to share that we are recruiting for a high-performing Product Development Chef to join our innovative team and play a pivotal role in bringing culinary concepts to life - from kitchen to shelf. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate and commercially savvy individual with a proven background in both high-standard hospitality kitchens and food manufacturing environments.

The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and demonstrate a deep understanding of food trends, culinary innovation, and scalable product development.

What is in it for you

We're all about the little helps. That's why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you - both in and out of work. Click Here to find out more!

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 10% of base salary
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays)
• 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 years' service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
• Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing

You will be responsible for

• Develop and deliver innovative food concepts, ensuring quality and consistency from initial idea through to commercial launch.

• Work closely with cross-functional teams including NPD, marketing, commercial, and technical to ensure successful product rollouts.

• Translate high-end kitchen standards into scalable, cost-effective manufacturing processes.

• Contribute to supplier presentations and product strategies.

• Monitor market trends, customer feedback, and competitor activity to inform development strategy.

• Champion food quality, safety, and integrity throughout the development process.

• Support the commercial team in aligning product development with broader commercial strategies.

You will need

• Proven experience as a Development Chef within both hospitality (premium or fine dining preferred) and food manufacturing environments.

• Demonstrated success in taking concepts through to launch in a commercial setting.

• Solid understanding of UK food retailers and their expectations around product development, presentation, and compliance.

• Creative, detail-oriented, and passionate about food innovation.

• Strong collaboration and communication skills, a true team player.

• Awareness of costings, margins, and how to balance creativity with commercial viability.

• Able to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a dynamic, customer-focused environment.

• Experience in project managements: Events planning

Desirable Experience:

• Previous experience developing products for major UK retailers.

• Culinary qualification or relevant food science/technology background.

• Experience in presenting to internal and external stakeholders

• Experience in Michelin or 3 rosette restaurants

#LI - EF1

#LI - Hybrid

About us

You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award-winning mobile network. Truth is, we're all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone's welcome. That's why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need support with your application, click here for more information. And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.