At a Glance
- Tasks: Join us in creating delicious new bakery products and optimising existing ones.
- Company: Galeta, a fast-growing wholesale bakery leading in innovation.
- Benefits: Mentorship, real responsibility, and growth opportunities in a dynamic environment.
- Other info: Work closely with talented professionals and learn about the bakery industry.
- Why this job: Be part of a creative team launching exciting bakery products every month.
- Qualifications: Experience in a kitchen is a plus; passion for baking is essential.
The predicted salary is between 25000 - 30000 £ per year.
About Galeta
Galeta is a fast-growing wholesale bakery at the forefront of bakery innovation. We partner with leading coffee shops, food-to-go brands and hospitality groups across the UK, delivering high-quality viennoiserie, cakes, muffins and patisserie. With new product launches every month and a strong focus on quality and creativity, we are building a product-led culture across the business and this role is central to that ambition.
The Role
- 5 days per week
- 8:00am – 5:00pm
- Based on-site at our Hays bakery
- Salary: Depending on experience
We are looking for a Junior Development Chef to work closely with our Head of Product, supporting the delivery of both:
- NPD (New Product Development)
- EPD (Existing Product Development & optimisation)
This is a hands-on, fast-paced role suited to someone driven, highly organised, commercially aware and eager to learn. You will play a key part in turning ideas into scalable, launch-ready products.
Key Responsibilities
- Recipe Development & Testing
- Support formulation and scaling of new recipes under guidance of the Head of Product
- Conduct kitchen trials and structured bake-offs
- Accurately record formulations, process notes and trial outcomes
- Adjust recipes for performance, consistency and cost
- Assist in scaling recipes from kitchen to production
- NPD & EPD Project Support
- Assist in delivering multiple product launches per month
- Support optimisation of existing products (cost, quality, appearance, shelf life)
- Help improve product specifications and consistency
- Prepare samples for internal reviews and customer tastings
- Support supplier sample testing and benchmarking
- Documentation & Technical Support
- Maintain recipe databases and version control
- Assist with product specs and handover documentation
- Ensure accurate allergen and ingredient records
- Support quality assessment standards where required
- Trends & Market Awareness
- Stay up to date with bakery trends, flavours and formats
- Conduct competitor benchmarking
- Bring ideas and inspiration to development sessions
- Monitor seasonal opportunities and innovation in the wholesale bakery market
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Production, Technical and Commercial teams
- Support production trials and first runs
- Assist in troubleshooting product issues
- Has previous experience in a professional kitchen or food production environment. Bakery, pastry or development experience is beneficial but not required for the right driven candidate.
- Has strong baking fundamentals with a clear passion for cakes, pastries and product innovation.
- Is highly organised and detail-focused.
- Thrives in a fast-paced environment.
- Has a strong work ethic and “can-do” attitude.
- Is commercially curious not just creative.
- Is ambitious and keen to grow within product development.
- Have food development or food science training.
- Have worked in wholesale or high-volume production.
- Understand costing and yield calculations.
- Direct mentorship from the Head of Product.
- Exposure to high-volume wholesale product development.
- Experience launching products into national accounts.
- Real responsibility and ownership from day one.
- The opportunity to grow with a scaling, product-led business.
About You
We are looking for someone who:
Bonus points if you:
What You’ll Gain
Junior development chef in London employer: Galeta
At Galeta, we pride ourselves on being a dynamic and innovative wholesale bakery that fosters a collaborative and creative work environment. As a Junior Development Chef, you will benefit from direct mentorship, hands-on experience in product development, and the opportunity to contribute to exciting new launches while working alongside passionate professionals in our Hays bakery. With a strong focus on employee growth and a culture that values creativity and quality, Galeta is an excellent employer for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the food industry.
