Development Chef - Shore Based - Southampton

Working within Carnival UK’s Food & Beverage department in Southampton, the Development Chef’s primary responsibility is to develop  the culinary offer in line with brand requirements, working with ship and shore teams to create exciting and innovative concepts and an exceptional customer proposition.  In line with our Dining Strategy, you will work within a planned development cycle to deliver continuous improvement of the culinary offer, understanding the trade off between innovation, cost, quality and operational constraints.

From fine dining to fast food, you will look at the full food range across one of our brands (P&O Cruises and Cunard) including all restaurants, events/theme nights, special occasions and more. Experience of a range of cuisines and balancing the demands across multiple menu cycles would be ideal. You will ensure the proposed menus are accurately communicated to the business,costed and measured against budget or business case. The aim is to ensure our brands are quicker to respond to trends and able to deliver new menus, recipes and concepts in a speedy, processed and effective manner. You will be capable of taking full project ownership from beginning to end to encompass all the key development phases including review.

You will work closely with other culinary experts as part of team and work with both the Operational  and Onboard Teams in regards to implementation and other relevant services teams on development and planning,  maintaining an excellent level of clear communication across the teams. This will include working with the Brand Marketing teams and “Innovation Managers”, support the development of the culinary concept, establish a compelling proposition and then work with key stakeholders to define the product, including quality and cost

About You

We are seeking an individual who has proven experience within a similar role, that has developed new menu concepts through to successful implementation, who has flair and innovation with cuisine that they can bring into our brands. 
This role will be a shore based role within our Southampton office with some onboard travel. 

• Experience of working and developing menus in a diverse, commercial environment
• Significant experience of working in innovative food environments where exceptional standards of food quality and modern food production techniques are key components.
• Ability to influence and inspire at a number of levels of an organisation
• Demonstrable history of developing a culinary concept into a compelling product proposition
• Proven track record in food production in a large scale Catering Environment with a particular focus on food production.
• Clear track record of culinary skills in a commercial environment with focus on cost management and cost analysis.
• Recognised Food Technology Qualifications and background.
• Excellent knowledge of Public Health requirements HACCP & USPH requirements

Desirable:            

• Understanding and experience of the provision of a broad and constantly evolving food product to the Cruise Industry.
• Understanding of the cruise ship environment.
• Educated to A level or HND level
• Understanding of Marine Public Health requirements in both UK & US
• Have previously worked in a corporate environment
• Understanding of commercial food procurement within the Food Service Industry

About us

Carnival UK is the operating company for P&O Cruises & Cunard. We provide unforgettable holiday experiences and operate a winning culture to achieve standout success.

For over 175 years, our iconic ships have been defining sophisticated ocean travel. Our Cunard ships have always been The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World.  We continue our legacy of luxury ocean travel with our flagship Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, with Queen Mary 2 providing the only regularly scheduled transatlantic service between Southampton and New York.

P&O Cruises has a proud and long tradition, with seven ships including our flagship Britannia which joined our fleet in March 2015.  Our new ship, the largest in the UK market, will join the fleet in 2020, meaning we can offer more experiences tailored to British tastes - combining genuine service, a sense of occasion and attention to detail, ensuring passengers have the holiday of a lifetime, every time.

It takes great passion and real dedication to maintain our position at the top. That’s why extraordinary, passionate people are at the heart of our journey delivering the highest standards to our valued customers. With support to help you reach your potential, attractive company benefits and incredible employee offers on discounted cruises we want your career with us to be successful and fun.  Join us on our journey, apply now.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.