NPD Development Chef

NPD Development Chef - UK Food B2B Sector   The Company Innovation, food excellence and a strong commercial mindset sit at the heart of this growing UK food business. Operating within the UK Food B2B sector, this client partners with foodservice, manufacturing and wholesale customers to deliver high-quality, chef-led food solutions at scale. With a strong commitment to product development, technical integrity and customer collaboration, this is a business where culinary creativity meets operational excellence.   The Package Salary range £40,000 - £50,000 per annum, dependent on experience Company pension scheme Monday to Friday, daytime hours Clear career progression   The Job Role NPD Development Chef - UK Food B2B Sector Reporting into the Head of NPD, the NPD Development Chef will lead the creation and development of innovative food products for the UK B2B market. This role combines hands-on culinary development with commercial awareness, technical compliance and customer engagement. Key responsibilities include: Developing new recipes and enhancing existing products for foodservice, manufacturing and wholesale customers Translating food trends into commercially viable, cost-effective and scalable products Hosting customer-facing NPD sessions and presenting concepts with confidence and insight Working cross-functionally with technical, production and procurement teams to ensure smooth transition from kitchen to factory Supporting factory trials and providing technical input during production launches Liaising with suppliers to source ingredients while maintaining cost and margin efficiency Ensuring all products meet UK food safety, allergen and compliance standards The Requirements Minimum 3 years' experience in food product development within the UK B2B sector (manufacturing or wholesale) Previous experience as a Development Chef, Senior NPD Chef or similar Strong understanding of UK food trends, B2B customer requirements and commercial dynamics Experience working with chilled and frozen meat-based product categories Advanced culinary skills with the ability to scale recipes for factory production Sound knowledge of food safety, HACCP, allergen management and UK/EU compliance Commercial awareness including cost engineering and margin optimisation Confident communicator with strong presentation skills for customer-facing NPD sessions The Location Bedfordshire Regular travel to customer sites and production facilities in Bedfordshire Flexibility required to support customer briefs, trials and launches