Development Chef

We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. Here, everything in our Sainsbury’s stores starts out in Sainsbury’s Commercial. Whether it’s the product, proposition, packaging or price, or the fact that something tastes great, our team is responsible for all food, non-food and Clothing items available in Sainsbury’s stores, digitally and on demand. You’ll discover it’s incredibly fast-paced. People here are in it together and not afraid to take risks. They’re enthusiastic too, and their amazing leadership team is right behind them. The knowledge and experience you gain here could set you up for career moves anywhere else in the business. So, if you’re passionate about your products and just as hungry to learn, you’ll fit in perfectly.

Joining the Sainsbury's team as a Development Chef means immersing yourself in a dynamic and innovative environment where culinary creativity and passion are at the forefront of product development. With a strong focus on culinary trends and product innovation, you will have the opportunity to showcase your skills, collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders, and bring new product ideas to life in the kitchen. By working in the Central Innovation team, you will be part of a supportive and collaborative culture that values personal growth and development, offering opportunities for training, upskilling, and exposure to a wide range of culinary experiences.

As a Development Chef at Sainsbury's, you will play a vital role in creating and developing innovative new food product concepts and ranges. Your responsibilities will include:

• Conducting research on culinary trends and presenting your findings
• Showcasing products through dinner and PR events
• Coming up with new and exclusive concepts
• Writing recipes for various marketing campaigns
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams, such as Marketing and Events, to ensure that products are aligned with the company’s goals and meet customer demands

As a Development Chef, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the creation of exciting new food products that will delight our customers and enhance their shopping experience with us.

As a Development Chef at Sainsbury's, you are a talented culinary professional with a passion for creating exceptional food experiences. With your expertise and creativity, you possess the ability to develop innovative and delicious recipes that meet the diverse needs and preferences of our customers. Your knowledge of culinary trends, ingredients, and techniques allows you to stay ahead in the ever-evolving food industry. As an integral part of our team, you bring a strong attention to detail, ensuring that the food you create not only tastes amazing but also meets the highest quality standards. With your dedication to enhancing the customer experience through culinary excellence, you play a vital role in shaping and delivering our food offerings to delight and inspire our customers.

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrable, proven experience as a professional chef currently, with the ability to create and execute high-quality, innovative recipes in food retail or similar.
• Strong knowledge of culinary techniques, flavour profiles, ingredients and food trends, with the ability to translate insights into commercially viable product concepts.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint, with the ability to design creative, visually engaging slides to inspire internal stakeholders and communicate new product development ideas.
• Excellent organisation and communication skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally and present confidently to various audiences.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced kitchen environment, demonstrating strong time management, hygiene standards, competency in following standard recipe writing practices and adaptability across all food categories.
• Ability to plan and lead some small events with flexibility to work occasional evenings for events.

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new — whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits.

Starting off with colleague discount, you’ll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year. We’ve also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You’ll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 10% of salary, depending on how we perform.

Your wellbeing is important to us too. You’ll receive an annual holiday allowance and you can buy up to an additional week’s holiday. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an employee assistance programme.

Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.