Development Chef
Contract Catering, Events & Hospitality
Salary: Up to £70,000 + Benefits
Location: Flexible / Multi-site (UK-wide travel required)
Are you a forward-thinking, creative chef with a passion for innovation and delivering exceptional food experiences? We are seeking an experienced Development Chef to lead menu innovation and elevate food standards across a diverse portfolio of contract catering, events, hospitality, and venue operations.
This is a high-impact role, working at the forefront of food development—shaping concepts, driving standards, and influencing the culinary direction of a growing and ambitious business.
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The Role
As Development Chef, you will play a pivotal role in driving culinary excellence across multiple sites and premium venues. You will combine creativity with commercial awareness to deliver innovative, scalable, and profitable food concepts.
Key responsibilities include:
* Leading menu and concept development across contract catering, events, and hospitality venues
* Creating innovative, seasonal, and trend-led dishes aligned with client needs and brand identity
* Supporting new business tenders, presentations, and client engagement
* Driving food innovation across retail, staff dining, and high-end hospitality offers
* Developing recipe specifications, costings, and allergen compliance
* Coaching and mentoring chefs, building capability across the business
* Ensuring strong financial performance through effective cost control, margin management, and P&L awareness
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About You
We’re looking for a passionate and commercially astute chef who thrives in a fast-paced, multi-site environment.
You will have:
* Proven experience as a Development Chef or Executive Chef within contract catering
* Strong background in events, hospitality, and high-volume food operations
* A flair for food trends, innovation, and concept creation
* Excellent understanding of costing, budgeting, and menu engineering
* Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and develop teams
* A hands-on, collaborative approach with excellent communication skills
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What's on Offer
* Salary up to £70,000 (depending on experience)
* Predominantly Monday–Friday working pattern (flexibility required for events)
* Opportunity to work across a diverse portfolio of venues and high-profile events
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Why / Why not?
This is more than a kitchen role—it's an opportunity to shape the future of food across a dynamic and growing contract catering business. You’ll be at the forefront of culinary innovation, influencing everything from workplace dining to premium hospitality experiences.
Kellan Group (including all of our brands, Berkeley Scott and Xpress Recruitment) 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