Group Development Chef in Slough

Job Description

Bart & Taylor is creating a new Development Chef role to lead and unify food quality, innovation and standards across all of the company's brands.

This is a newly established, hands-on and strategic position for a chef who can move fluidly between kitchens, work with multiple brand teams, and bring consistency, creativity and commercial discipline to everything that goes on the plate.

The Development Chef will act as the food authority across the group — owning menu development, recipe standardisation, supplier and cost management, and food safety compliance — while championing each brand's individual identity and point of difference.

Key Responsibilities

• Menu & Product Development
• Lead the design and development of new menus, dishes and products across all Bart & Taylor brands.
• Create and test recipes that balance creativity, food cost, operational simplicity and brand identity.
• Develop seasonal menu changes, specials and promotional dishes in line with brand calendars.
• Work with brand and marketing teams to ensure new dishes align with each brand's positioning and customer.
• Standards, Quality & Consistency
• Own and maintain recipe specifications, method cards and plating guides across all sites and brands.
• Set and audit food quality, presentation and portioning standards; carry out regular site visits and quality checks.
• Act as the central point of expertise for food quality issues, resolving them consistently across brands.
• Food Safety & Compliance
• Ensure all recipes and processes meet food safety, allergen and nutritional labelling regulations.
• Work with site teams to uphold HACCP, EHO and internal audit standards across every brand.
• Keep allergen matrices and nutritional information accurate and up to date for all menu items.
• Supply Chain & Cost Control
• Manage relationships with suppliers, negotiating pricing and sourcing new products or ingredients.
• Monitor and control food costs, working with operations and finance to protect margins across brands.
• Identify opportunities to streamline ingredients and suppliers across brands without compromising quality.
• Training & Leadership
• Train and coach kitchen teams on new dishes, techniques and standards at launch and on an ongoing basis.
• Support recruitment, mentoring and development of chefs across the group.
• Represent the food function in leadership discussions, bringing a chef's perspective to wider business decisions.

Person Specification Experience

• Proven experience as a Development Chef, Executive Chef or Senior Head Chef, ideally across multiple sites or brands.
• Track record of successful menu development from concept through to rollout.
• Experience managing food cost, supplier relationships and margins at a commercial level.
• Experience working across varied cuisines, formats or brand styles is highly desirable.

Skills & Knowledge

• Strong culinary skills with a good understanding of current food trends and customer expectations.
• Sound knowledge of food safety, allergen and nutritional legislation.
• Confident using recipe costing, menu engineering and kitchen management systems.
• Excellent communication skills, able to influence and align stakeholders across different brand teams.
• Personal Attributes
• Hands-on and adaptable, comfortable working across different kitchens, teams and brand cultures.
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple projects and deadlines at once.
• Commercially minded, balancing creativity with cost and operational reality.
• A natural leader and teacher, able to bring kitchen teams with them through change.

Ability to commute/relocate

• Covent Garden WC2H 9QJ: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Experience

• Head Chef: 3 years (required)

Language

• English (required)

Work authorisation

• United Kingdom (required)

Location

• Covent Garden WC2H 9QJ (preferred)
• Work Location: In person