Development Chef - Merchant Gourmet

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Date: 16 Jun 2026

Location: Worksop R & D, GB

Company: Premier Foods

Based - Worksop

Permanent, Full Time

 

 

At Premier Foods, we’re passionate about creating high-quality, delicious food that people love. Our Merchant Gourmet brand is at the forefront of premium, plant-based and wholefood innovation – and we’re looking for a Development Chef to help shape what’s next.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a creative, trend-driven foodie to turn bold ideas into standout products that inspire consumers and support our ambitious growth plans.

 

What you'll be doing?

As a Development Chef, you’ll bring the Merchant Gourmet brand to life through innovative, delicious product development:

  • Create exciting, trend-led food concepts across cuisines, categories and formats
  • Deliver new product development (NPD) and improvements to existing products (EPD)
  • Ensure all products balance taste, simplicity, and wholesome goodness
  • Stay ahead of the curve by tracking food trends across retail, foodservice and media
  • Work closely with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Nutrition and Project Management
  • Support product launches with presentations, recipe development and food styling
  • Inspire colleagues through culinary workshops and knowledge sharing sessions

 

What we need from you?

We’re looking for someone who is passionate about food, thrives on creativity, and enjoys turning ideas into reality:

  • Professionally trained chef 
  • Experience in development chef roles, ideally within a food manufacturing environment
  • Strong understanding of translating concepts into scalable products
  • Passion for plant-based, vegetarian or wholefood cooking
  • A natural creative with strong culinary and flavour development skills
  • Confident presenting and delivering food demonstrations
  • Self-motivated, collaborative and able to manage projects independently

 

What we offer you in return?

  • Competitive salary and bonus
  • Up to 7.5% pension
  • Private medical insurance and life assurance
  • Hybrid working (50% home / 50% office or site)
  • Sharesave scheme and the option to purchase additional holiday
  • Extensive learning and development opportunities
  • Access to a wide employee discount scheme

 

Ready to apply?

Click Apply and submit your CV tailored to this opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you

At Premier foods we believe in inclusion, authenticity and individuality. We aim to ensure all existing and future colleagues are given equitable opportunities and are respected, valued and encouraged to bring their true authentic selves to work no matter who they are, what they look like, who they love or what they believe in. Our culture is one where everyone is welcome.

We're proud to be a Disability Smart employer and are committed to supporting disability inclusion throughout our recruitment process. If you experience any access issues or require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know so we can ensure you have the support you need.