What is a Food Development job?

The food industry is the largest industry in the UK, which surprises a lot of people. However, when you then start to think about the number of products we see on a supermarket shelf everyday and then think about all the people that are involved in delivering each of those products on to the shelf it becomes far less surprising.

One important job sector within the food industry, which is essential for ensuring high quality products are available to the consumer, is Product Development. This is the group of people within the industry who are responsible for not only coming up with all the new and exciting ideas, but also delivering these ideas into commercially viable, feasible products.

So, how do you get into new product development?

Different people take different routes into development within the food industry, many people come from a food related degree or equivalent qualification. Others are trained chefs that decide to move into the food industry and use their skills in a different way. The important thing is to have a real passion for food and the ability to understand the wants and needs of the customer, while also understanding the limitations and possibilities that the factory environment provides.

To start a career in development then you should be looking for a concept technologist or process technologist role.

A concept technologist would work with chefs in the development kitchen, working on blue sky ideas and making up samples to be presented to customers, eventually coming up with products that are commercially viable and could feasibly be produced in the factory environment. The concept technologist may also be involved in presenting ideas to the customer, which could be a retailer or food service business.

Process technologists are responsible for taking these concepts and translating the recipes into the factory, ensuring the scaled up recipe is representative of the initial, signed off kitchen sample. The process technologists spend a large amount of time in the factory, scheduling in factory trials which have to fit around standard planning and it is a role that requires a high amount of tenacity and problem solving skills. The rewards however are great, as there is nothing better than seeing a product you have worked hard to manufacture on the supermarket shelf!

What is the difference between a development role in food manufacturing and a development role within food retail?

A Product Developer in a retailer has a very different role to a concept technologist or development manager in a manufacturer. A Product Developer in retail is responsible for driving innovation within the business and briefing suppliers on new product ranges or products. As a product developer you will be expected to have an excellent understanding of the customer and able to translate consumer insights into commercially viable ideas. Strong project management skills are key for this role as you manage a large portfolio of products, across a number of different suppliers.

Compared to development in manufacturing, the product developers role is far less hands on, instead you are responsible for reviewing concepts from your supply base, and with your team selecting the best possible options for your category. The key for this role is to take a holistic view of your product area and have an understanding of what the future for your range or category will look like and translate this to your supply base so they can work on product concepts on behalf of you.

It sounds great, but what opportunities are there for career progression in product development?

The opportunities for career progression are great within development and in the food industry, not least because there is a major lack of talent in this area within the UK. This makes it a fantastic career option for anyone thinking about what career route to take. Within manufacturing, you can choose to take the route to development manager, onto development controller and most large businesses also have an Innovation Director level. If your forte is process then look for a large company that enjoys a large amount of innovation, these teams will always require highly experienced process managers to lead the team of process technologists. The possibilities within different food categories is almost endless and you can gain experience within chilled and ambient to gain a broad and varied experience to set you apart from other development professionals.

Written by Lucy Wager