Development Chef

Join Our New Product Development Team at The Compleat Food Group!

We’re excited to offer an incredible opportunity for a Development Chef to join our dedicated and professional New Product Development team in Middlesbrough!

The purpose of this role is to create and deliver innovative, commercially viable food products aligned to customer and business strategies. Translating briefs into scalable concepts and supporting customer relationships and submissions.

Who We Are:

At The Compleat Food Group, we're on a mission to create delectable food that not only brings joy to your taste buds but also extends love to our planet. We fondly refer to it as 'Food to Feel Good' because we believe in savouring every bite whilst making a positive impact.

Our team of over c.6,500 remarkable individuals forms the core of all that we undertake. Their genuine passion drives the creation of delectable products for UK consumers, prominent retailers, and our thrilling market-leading brands such as Wall's Pastry, Squeaky Bean, and Unearthed.

Role Details:

Working Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5pm

Role Type: Permanent, Full Time Role

Location: Middlesbrough

Salary: Up to £30,000

Your Duties Will Include:

• Interpret diverse customer briefs from retailers to develop and deliver innovative food concepts aligned with market and customer needs
• Gather relevant information and confidently present product concepts to both customers and internal teams
• Develop recipes and assess theoretical nutritional values against required guidelines
• Drive proactive development initiatives that challenge production and technical boundaries to improve efficiency and reduce costs
• Identify emerging trends and maintain existing product ranges to ensure continued innovation within the category
• Collaborate with NPD, purchasing, and finance teams to interpret briefs, source ingredients, and manage costings
• Promote a strong health and safety culture, ensuring compliance during kitchen and development activities
• Work collaboratively with development technologists and chefs, including travel to other sites as required

About You:

• Experience in a development kitchen or food manufacturing environment. Experience supporting or delivering products from concept to launch preferred.
• Good working knowledge of recipe development food safety and basic manufacturing processes. Understands key parameters such as yield cook loss and basic costing. Developing knowledge of scale up and factory constraints.
• Professional cookery qualification or relevant experience. Basic food safety certification required.
• Good communication and teamwork skills. Organised and able to manage workload. Positive attitude and willingness to learn. Attention to detail.
• Flexible across projects and able to support different categories and customers as required. Some travel expected.

Why Join Us?

At The Compleat Food Group, we believe our people are the heart of our success. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your lifestyle, wellbeing, and career growth:

Financial & Lifestyle Benefits

• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – including Electric Vehicles, Home & Tech, Cycle to Work, and SMART Pension
• 33 days’ annual leave (including bank holidays) with the option to purchase extra
• Holiday Discounts via our online retail platform
• Access to enhanced retail discounts online and in-store
• Free product handouts across our sites, so you can sample and enjoy our delicious products first hand
• EV charging points – available at selected sites

Health & Wellbeing

• 24/7 access to GroceryAid for free financial, emotional, and practical support
• Physical Wellbeing Hub – free on-demand exercise classes, gym discounts 
• Free diet & nutrition advice with access to thousands of healthy recipes
• Online wellbeing support – from mindfulness to lifestyle resources
• Financial wellbeing tools – including mortgage calculators, budgeting tools, and financial aid

Career Growth & Development

• Access to a personalised online learning platform (LMS)
• Formal and informal training opportunities tailored to your role
• Performance Development Plans and regular Career Conversations
• Company Mentoring Scheme  to add depth and really support your career journey
• Recognition through Club Compleat rewards

Community & Culture

• 2 paid volunteering days per year to give back to causes that matter to you
• Charity initiatives and fundraising events
• Team socials to connect and celebrate together
• Employee networks & support groups – including Women @ Compleat
• New baby gift for new parents

The Compleat Food Group fosters an inclusive, respectful culture where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. We welcome diverse talent, knowing it drives exceptional results and a better workplace.

We are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect, we ensure all colleagues can thrive by bringing their whole selves to work. As an equal opportunity’s employer, we provide all the support you need to succeed.

Contact us with any questions about Diversity & Inclusion or accessibility during the application process.

Recruitment Agencies: 

We have a small, active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions. We only accept CV submissions for roles released to you directly by our Talent Acquisition team.