Kitchen Systems & Central Product Development Manager
Chestnut Group | Head Office, Bury St Edmunds
We're looking for someone who can sit across the table from a Head Chef one minute and the Head of Procurement the next — and speak both languages fluently.
About the role
Chestnut's food strategy rests on a single principle: segmentation sets the foundation, discipline earns the freedom to create. This role exists to make that real in every kitchen, every day — owning Procure Wizard discipline, bringing genuine professional kitchen judgement into procurement decisions, and turning proven property-level dishes into centrally-made products that protect margin and consistency across the estate.
This is a food technology and development role, not a culinary one. You'll need deep, practical fluency in how professional kitchens actually run — recipe costing, portioning, production — and the credibility that comes from technical depth and data command. You'll be equally comfortable challenging a supplier on quality as you are talking cost with the Head of Procurement.
What you'll be doing
Procure Wizard adherence
- Own the estate-wide Procure Wizard relaunch and support Regional Head Chefs on ongoing compliance
- Confirm ordering, recipe costing and portioning match what's approved in the system — monitor deviation and flag it for action
- Contribute at the menu brief stage — pricing trends, industry direction, and PW build support for new menus
- Report compliance and recurring issues to the Food & Drink Committee monthly
Procurement partnership
- Act as the culinary voice in category and supplier decisions — is a cheaper product actually good enough for Chestnut?
- Partner with the Head of Procurement on the top-10 strategic supplier programme, bringing product knowledge and quality judgement to the table
- Taste, test and sign off product substitutions before they go live in Procure Wizard
- Flag where consolidation is realistic without compromising the guest proposition — and where it isn't
Development kitchen ownership
- Identify which dishes or components are strong candidates for centralised production, based on volume, consistency and labour burden
- Build the business case — estate-wide volume, GP upside, BOH labour saving — before committing development kitchen time
- Document the true cost of the property-made version as the baseline the central alternative has to beat
- Work with the Development Kitchen team to design, test and refine centrally-made products — stocks, patties, pastry and more, following the model already proven at 76.7% margin
- Own the handover into live service — signed-off product into Procure Wizard, mini markets and property kitchens without disruption
- Track and report food GP improvement and BOH labour reduction for every product through the pipeline
Who we're looking for
Someone with real kitchen experience who's moved into food technical, procurement or development — commercially sharp, data-literate, and credible enough to hold their own with Head Chefs and category buyers alike.
What's in it for you
- Performance-based bonus scheme
- 50% food discount across all Chestnut venues
- Overnight stays from £75
- Family & friends discounts, high street & lifestyle discounts
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Refer a Friend bonus
- Wagestream access
- Accredited development and training pathways
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Kitchen Systems & Central Product Development Manager in Bury St Edmunds employer: Le Strange Arms
Chestnut is an exceptional employer, offering a warm and welcoming work environment at The Weeping Willow in East Anglia. With flexible hours to accommodate personal commitments, employees benefit from accredited training courses, generous staff incentives, and unique rewards like wine discounts and affordable overnight stays across our properties, making it a truly rewarding place to grow your career in the hospitality industry.
