Role: Development Chef
Location: Leeds
Salary: £38k-£42k
Hours per week: 45
Venue: Popular Cafe & Events Venues

UK Driving License and Access to a Vehicle is a Must

A growing hospitality group is recruiting an experienced Development Chef to lead menu development and culinary standards across multi-site retail and event catering operations. This senior Development Chef role combines hands-on leadership with strategic food development, commercial control, and team training.

Their main site in Leeds needs new focus and direction to improve performance and utilise the full site to generate other avenues of income. A chef with a keen eye and great with figures ideally from a contract catering background would be a fantastic fit.

Benefits & Perks

• Closed Christmas Day

• Company laptop provided

• 70/30 split between operational kitchens and development work

• Share scheme after 2 years (points-based)

• Team incentives

• Development bonuses linked to performance

The Role

The Development Head Chef will work closely with the Group Executive Chef to deliver a consistent, scalable, and commercially focused food offer across retail, café, conferencing, and event catering sites. This Development Chef position is ideal for a Head Chef with strong multi-site experience and a passion for menu development, GP control, and operational consistency. You will be required at times to work at other sites across the Yorkshire area to assist with events but will primarily be based in Leeds.

Key Responsibilities

Menu Development & Food Strategy

• Lead menu development across retail, conferencing, and event catering operations

• Deliver seasonal, scalable, and cost-effective menus

• Create and maintain recipes, specifications, and portion controls

Commercial & GP Control

• Manage food GP, portion control, and waste reduction

• Support menu costing, pricing structures, and supplier performance

• Analyse menu and sales performance to drive profitability

Operational Standards

• Ensure consistent food quality and presentation across all sites

• Implement food SOPs across multiple locations

• Adapt menus for varying site volumes and staffing models

People Leadership

• Train, develop, and support kitchen teams across multi-site operations

• Support recruitment, onboarding, and succession planning

• Deliver structured training aligned with group standards

Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with food safety, HACCP, allergen, and H&S legislation

• Maintain audits, documentation, and compliance standards

Strategic Support

• Support new business tenders, mobilisations, and new site openings

• Work with Sales and Marketing on menu promotions and food concepts

Key Accountabilities

• Consistent delivery of food quality and brand standards

• Achievement of GP, cost, and waste targets

• Successful rollout of menus across multi-site operations

• Development of high-performing kitchen teams

• Full compliance with food safety and allergen legislation

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