Development Chef
Working Location
Production Kitchen + Restaurant Sites
Commitment & Salary Range
Full-time hours | £40,000 - £50,000
Additional Notes
Travel required as part of the role
Summary
At Seed, food is at the heart of everything we do. We’re passionate about real food - ethically sourced, vibrant, nourishing, and never lacking in flavour - carefully created to be enjoyed and loved by every customer.
We’re looking for a Development Chef to lead our production kitchen and shape how our food is developed, executed, and continuously improved across all Seed locations. This is a senior, hands-on role for a chef who cares deeply about flavour, consistency, people development, and building systems that allow great food to be delivered at scale.
You’ll own the end-to-end food journey: from recipe development and production kitchen execution through to training restaurant teams and ensuring every dish served reflects Seed’s standards.
The Role
The Development Chef is responsible for the full food journey at Seed, including menu development, production execution, training, and ongoing quality control.
Key responsibilities include:
Menu & Product Development
Lead the development of seasonal menu updates across the year.
Create and evolve bowls, salads, dressings, marinades, sauces, and toppings that align with Seed’s food identity.
Research, test, and refine recipes to ensure balance, flavour, and consistency.
Introduce seasonal ingredients, new ideas, and relevant food trends while staying true to the brand.
Recipe Development & Documentation
Produce clear, detailed recipe documentation including batch guides, prep methods, and finishing notes.
Ensure all recipes are scalable and consistently executable across multiple sites.
Review and refine recipes post-launch based on feedback and performance.
Collaborate with the wider management team on pricing, costing, and margin
considerations where required.
Production Kitchen Leadership
Lead the production kitchen, setting standards for quality, food safety, organisation, and efficiency.
Continuously improve production workflows, batch processes, and handover to site kitchens.
Ensure production output supports consistency and speed at restaurant level.
Training & Menu Rollouts
Train kitchen leads and teams ahead of each seasonal launch.
Deliver clear guidance on preparation, seasoning, assembly, and presentation.
Support training through hands-on demonstrations and practical guidance (including video or visual tools where helpful).
Ensure teams feel confident and capable before and after new menu launches.
Quality Control & Kitchen Presence
Maintain a strong, regular presence across kitchens to uphold standards.
Monitor consistency, freshness, technique, and flavour across all locations.
Provide hands-on coaching and corrective guidance where needed.
Increase kitchen presence during launches, busy periods, or staffing challenges.
Identify and resolve issues relating to prep, workflow, waste, or execution drift.
Supplier & Ingredient Oversight
Maintain relationships with key suppliers and food reps.
Stay informed on availability, pricing changes, and new product options.
Ensure ingredients consistently meet Seed’s standards for quality and flavour.
Brand & Food Identity
Protect and evolve Seed’s food style across all locations.
Ensure presentation, flavour, and freshness standards are consistently met.
Support marketing and brand teams with food insights during launches or campaigns.
Collaboration & Leadership
Work closely with Directors, Operations, and Restaurant Managers to ensure food systems are scalable and efficient.
Provide input on equipment, workflow, and kitchen layout improvements that impact food quality.
Contribute to strategic planning and expansion discussions from a food and operations perspective.
Take part in regular leadership check-ins to review performance, upcoming launches, training needs, and any food-related risks or opportunities.
What We’re Looking For
A chef who thrives in both creative and operational environments.
Experience leading kitchens that produce food at scale (production, multi-site, or
high-volume operations preferred).
Strong understanding of systems, consistency, and team training.
A mentor-first mindset, with the ability to develop people and build confident teams.
Deep respect for ingredients, flavour, and seasonality, paired with commercial awareness.
Someone who enjoys collaboration and open dialogue with founders, chefs, and restaurant teams.
Calm, organised, and solutions-focused, with high standards and attention to detail.
Why Join Seed
This isn’t a single-site Head Chef role.
This role offers the opportunity to shape how food is developed and delivered across a growing health focused brand. You’ll have real influence over menus, kitchens, and teams, with space to test ideas, improve systems, and raise standards as the business evolves.
If you’re motivated by building something long-term and creating your mark on a food brand, we’d love to hear from you.