Product Developer - Grocery

Founded in 2003 Wasabi's vision is to lovingly create and serve delicious Asian food for a busy nation. Wasabi now has 41 thriving restaurants across London and major UK cities and 4 in New York and in 2019, we introduced Wasabi Home Bento the grocery channel, launching exclusively in Sainsbury’s. Building on that success, the grocery business broadened its reach to Tesco in September 2022, followed by exciting launches in Co-op and Morrisons in 2024. Wasabi grocery has seen phenomenal growth and is now a £62m RSV brand. Wasabi proudly stands as the No. 2 chilled ready-meal brand in the market, consistently attracting new customers to the category through an innovative East Asian range. Wasabi’s menu is celebrated for its unique character, exceptional freshness, and bold flavours. Our diverse range is designed to delight a wide audience, delivering both comfort and excitement with every bite. We have an ambitious 5-year growth strategy, focusing on new restaurants, franchise partnerships, and international expansion. As we prepare for our next phase of growth and innovation, we have an incredibly exciting opportunity for a Product Developer (Grocery) to join our Food Team. The role is based in Park Royal. The Role: Working alongside the Grocery Senior Product Development Manager and Grocery Product Development Technologist, you will support all grocery-related product launches from our  Central Production Kitchen in Park Royal as well as with key manufacturing partners. This is a hands-on role, responsible for both creating new recipes and enhancing existing ones. You will collaborate closely with internal departments and key suppliers to deliver high-quality products while ensuring food safety, integrity, and legality. You will be involved throughout the full product lifecycle – from concept through to launch – including planning, recipe development, benchmarking, testing, sample preparation, recipe set-up, and costings. The role also includes sourcing new ingredients, liaising directly with suppliers alongside procurement colleagues, supporting process teams during trials, and assisting the Grocery Senior Product Development Manager with presentations. In addition, you will play a key role in the continuous improvement of our products, working with the Central Production team to manage projects through the business gate process and driving quality and innovation across the grocery range. Key Responsibilities: Recipe & Product Development • Develop new recipes in line with company strategy, briefs, food vision, nutritional standards and central production capabilities, process standards. • Continuously improve existing recipes and processes to enhance quality, cost efficiency, meeting nutrition targets and compliance. • Write and maintain recipes, costings, quality assurance specifications, and product attribute documentation. • Draft initial cooking instructions and collaborate with technical/process teams for validation. Benchmarking & Analysis • Conduct and facilitate competitor benchmarking alongside the Senior Product Development Manager and Food Product Technologists. • Conduct and facilitate gap analysis in partnership with the Senior Product Development Manager and Food Product Technologists. Testing & Validation • Conduct kitchen-level organoleptic and shelf-life testing of products, ingredients, and packaging, recording results according to standards. • Validate, test, and sign off raw ingredients and packaging in collaboration with procurement and supplier assurance. • Support corrective action processes by attending taste panels and conducting competitor benchmarking and gap analysis. • Attend positive release tastings, reviewing products prior to launch and signing off quality before first delivery. Packaging & Ingredient Sourcing • Support the Senior Product Development Manager with packaging briefs and related documentation. • Prepare ingredient sourcing briefs under Senior PDM guidance and manage supplier communications on specifications and amendments. Trials, Launches & Handover • Attend pre-production trials, launches, and handover meetings to ensure seamless recipe translation into commercial scale-up. • Provide training and support where required during product transition. • Conduct troubleshooting and support continuous improvement initiatives across recipes, ingredients, quality, and processes. Samples & Presentations • Deliver product presentations at gate stages alongside the Senior PDM and Grocery Product Development Technologist. • Produce high-quality samples for presentations, photography, tasting sessions, and customer visits. • Attend photography sessions and retailer sell-in sessions, supporting the Senior PDM with sample production, cooking, and presenting. • Support marketing and promotional activities, ensuring consistent representation of food quality and vision. Kitchen & Compliance • Support the maintenance of the development kitchen, including cleaning, restocking, and raw material procurement. • Ensure compliance with company policies, food safety standards, and best practices at all times. Additional Responsibilities • Provide hospitality support for internal activities, customers and high-profile visitors. • Support supplier visits. • Stay updated on food trends, competitor activity, and wider retail market developments. • Support the organisation and participation in food trawls and food shows. • Attend training courses as required to maintain knowledge and skills. Our requirements: Previous experience as a Product Developer within the food manufacturing industry. Proven background in short shelf-life chilled products within a manufacturing environment (essential). Degree in a food-related discipline (e.g., Food Science, Food Technology, Home Economics) preferred. Strong knowledge of food, ingredients, and culinary practices. Awareness of food trends; knowledge of East and Southeast Asian cuisine advantageous, but not essential. Passion for great-tasting food.  Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and proactive with strong industry awareness. Excellent communication skills, able to interact effectively at all levels. Highly organised and methodical, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Strong planning skills with exceptional attention to detail. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. In return we provide: A great working environment Pension scheme Target Bonus Refer A Friend Scheme Free Sushi or hot food (vegan options available) 50% discount in our Branches Employee Assistant Programme Hybrid working model Long Service Awards Wagestream - a financial wellbeing benefit that lets you access your pay as you earn it in real time and manage savings Life Assurance Electric Vehicle Scheme through Octapus Cycle To Work Free on-site parking A variety of discounts (shopping, food & drink, entertainment and health & fitness) through Perkbox and The opportunity to develop your skills within a growing company. Our people make us who we are. Join a company where you’ll have the opportunity to work for a growing company and build a real career. COME ROLL WITH US