Are you a culinary visionary with a passion for flavours and food innovation?
30th April, 2025
With over 80 years of delivering trusted, high-quality food products, we’re looking for a Culinary Innovation Manager to help us write the next chapter in our story. If you’re a forward-thinking culinary professional who blends creativity with strategy, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact at a company rooted in tradition and driven by innovation.
Objective of the Role:
You will lead the culinary innovation and development of new predominantly pork-based products from concept to commercialisation. The Culinary Manager will use their deep understanding of flavour, formulation, and production processes to create market-leading products that align with consumer trends, business goals, and regulatory standards. A proven track record of successful NPD execution in the protein sector is essential.
Key Responsibilities:
* Drive the end-to-end development of meal solutions including sausage, ham products, from concept ideation through scale-up and launch.
* Translate culinary trends and market insights into commercially viable product concepts.
* Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Marketing, Procurement, QA, Manufacturing) to ensure product feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with brand strategy.
* Lead kitchen-based prototyping and recipe development, applying technical knowledge of pork, beef, chicken and turkey processing and protein behaviour.
* Optimise texture, flavour, and appearance of products to meet sensory expectations and shelf-life requirements.
* Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, nutritional guidelines, and labelling standards.
* Manage and document NPD trials, sensory evaluations, and production testing.
* Partner with suppliers and ingredient manufacturers to identify and source innovative raw materials.
* Present concepts and prototypes to stakeholders, customers, and leadership teams with clear justification for innovation decisions.
* Stay up to date with emerging trends, ingredients, and technologies in the protein and processed meat space.
30th April, 2025
With over 80 years of delivering trusted, high-quality food products, we’re looking for a Culinary Innovation Manager to help us write the next chapter in our story. If you’re a forward-thinking culinary professional who blends creativity with strategy, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact at a company rooted in tradition and driven by innovation.
Objective of the Role:
You will lead the culinary innovation and development of new predominantly pork-based products from concept to commercialisation. The Culinary Manager will use their deep understanding of flavour, formulation, and production processes to create market-leading products that align with consumer trends, business goals, and regulatory standards. A proven track record of successful NPD execution in the protein sector is essential.
Key Responsibilities:
* Drive the end-to-end development of meal solutions including sausage, ham products, from concept ideation through scale-up and launch.
* Translate culinary trends and market insights into commercially viable product concepts.
* Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Marketing, Procurement, QA, Manufacturing) to ensure product feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with brand strategy.
* Lead kitchen-based prototyping and recipe development, applying technical knowledge of pork, beef, chicken and turkey processing and protein behaviour.
* Optimise texture, flavour, and appearance of products to meet sensory expectations and shelf-life requirements.
* Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, nutritional guidelines, and labelling standards.
* Manage and document NPD trials, sensory evaluations, and production testing.
* Partner with suppliers and ingredient manufacturers to identify and source innovative raw materials.
* Present concepts and prototypes to stakeholders, customers, and leadership teams with clear justification for innovation decisions.
* Stay up to date with emerging trends, ingredients, and technologies in the protein and processed meat space.
Required Skills:
* Expert-level culinary skills with strong understanding of meat science, particularly pork and sausage processing.
* Proven track record of successful NPD in the protein/meat industry with commercial launches.
* Strong project management capabilities and ability to lead cross-functional projects from kitchen to production.
* In-depth knowledge of food safety, regulatory requirements, and product labelling specific to meat and protein-based products.
* Proficient in recipe costing, yield management, and product standardisation.
* Comfortable working in both culinary/ production environments.
* Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
* Degree or certification in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Meat Science, or related discipline.
* 3 – 5 years’ experience in a culinary product development role, preferably within meats category.
* Experience working in a high-volume food production environment.
* Familiarity with tools for sensory analysis, nutritional profiling, and product benchmarking.
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