Consultant Chef – Culinary Product Development

Company: Food Research Lab
Position: Consultant Chef – Culinary Product Development
Engagement Type: Freelance / Consultant / Project-Based
Department: Research & Development (R&D;)
Industry: Food Product Development
Work Location: R&D; Facility, Chennai (as per project requirements)

1. Job Purpose

To provide culinary expertise and technical support for the development, modification and standardization of innovative food products, with a focus on traditional Indian cuisine, snacks, spice blends, ready-to-cook and convenience food products.

The Consultant Chef will work closely with the R&D; team to convert traditional culinary recipes and innovative food concepts into standardized, reproducible and commercially viable food formulations through hands-on kitchen trials, ingredient selection, recipe optimization, sensory evaluation and process standardization.

2. Required Qualifications

- Diploma or Degree in Culinary Arts, Hotel Management, Food Production or an equivalent professional culinary qualification.
- Candidates with substantial practical culinary experience may also be considered.
- Strong knowledge of Indian cuisine, particularly South Indian and North Indian preparations.
- Good understanding of spices, seasonings, ingredient functionality and flavour development.
- Knowledge of food preparation techniques, recipe development and kitchen operations.

3. Required Experience

- Minimum 5–8 years of hands-on experience in professional culinary operations, food product development or culinary consultancy.
- Demonstrated experience in developing Indian snacks, traditional dishes, spice blends, gravies and convenience food products.
- Experience in recipe modification, ingredient optimization and standardization.
- Practical experience conducting kitchen trials and evaluating food products.
- Experience working with food manufacturing companies, food innovation teams or R&D; departments will be an added advantage.

4. Required Knowledge and Skills

- Strong expertise in traditional Indian cuisine and innovative culinary product development.
- Knowledge of samosa, paratha, biriyani masala, tikka masala, spice blends, gravies and ready-to-cook products.
- Understanding of ingredient selection, flavour balancing, seasoning and texture optimization.
- Ability to modify traditional recipes while maintaining authentic taste, aroma and texture.
- Knowledge of cooking methods, food preparation processes and product consistency.
- Understanding of frozen, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat food formats.
- Ability to conduct multiple kitchen trials and manage different product development assignments.
- Knowledge of sensory evaluation, including taste, aroma, appearance,



texture and overall acceptability.
- Ability to document standardized recipes, ingredient quantities and preparation procedures.
- Good communication, coordination, creativity and problem-solving skills.

5. Job Responsibilities

A. Culinary Product Development

- Develop new and innovative food products based on traditional Indian cuisine.
- Modify and re-engineer existing recipes to create new product formats.
- Develop innovative samosa fillings, pastry formats, shapes and textures.
- Develop layered, flaky and crispy paratha variations.
- Formulate and optimize biriyani masala, tikka masala powder and other spice blends.
- Develop Indian snacks, gravies, convenience foods and ready-to-cook products.
- Maintain the desired traditional taste, aroma, texture and overall eating experience.

B. Hands-on Kitchen Trials and Recipe Optimization

- Conduct practical kitchen trials for different food product concepts.
- Optimize ingredient proportions, seasoning, spice combinations and cooking methods.
- Evaluate taste, aroma, texture, appearance and overall product acceptability.
- Identify product development challenges and recommend corrective measures.
- Work on multiple product categories and formulations based on project priorities.

C. Recipe Standardization and Documentation

- Convert culinary recipes into standardized formulations with accurate ingredient quantities.
- Establish standard preparation procedures and cooking instructions.
- Document ingredient specifications, preparation methods and trial observations.
- Maintain consistency and reproducibility across different batches.
- Prepare detailed trial reports and recipe development documentation.

D. Collaboration with the R&D; Team

- Coordinate with food technologists, food scientists and product development teams.
- Provide culinary inputs and practical recommendations during product development.
- Support the conversion of chef-developed recipes into commercially viable food products.
- Recommend suitable ingredients, processing techniques and alternative formulations.
- Participate in product review meetings and development discussions.

E. Product Quality and Improvement

- Evaluate developed products based on sensory characteristics and defined quality expectations.
- Identify opportunities to improve taste, texture, appearance and product consistency.




- Recommend suitable modifications to improve product performance.
- Support the R&D; team in product refinement and further development trials.

6. Expected Deliverables

- Current culinary product concepts and innovative food formats.
- Developed and optimized recipes with accurate ingredient quantities.
- Standardized formulations and preparation procedures.
- Detailed kitchen trial observations and reports.
- Sensory evaluation feedback and product improvement recommendations.
- Ingredient selection and substitution recommendations.
- Documentation of cooking methods and process parameters.
- Support in converting culinary preparations into scalable food product formulations.

7. Preferred Candidate Profile

Candidates with experience in the following areas will be preferred:

- Professional chefs specializing in Indian cuisine.
- Culinary consultants with food product development experience.
- Executive Chefs and R&D; Chefs from food manufacturing companies.
- Chefs experienced in frozen foods and ready-to-cook products.
- Specialists in traditional snacks, spice blends and convenience foods.
- Chefs with experience in food innovation, recipe standardization and product commercialization.

8. Engagement Expectations

- The consultant will be engaged on a freelance, project-based or scheduled consultation basis.
- The consultant must be available for hands-on product development trials at the FRL R&D; facility as agreed for each project.
- Flexibility to work across multiple food categories and product concepts is expected.
- The consultant must coordinate with the R&D; team and complete assigned deliverables within agreed timelines.
- Professional fees, project schedules and deliverables will be mutually agreed upon before commencement of each assignment.

9. Performance Expectations

The consultant will be evaluated based on:

- Innovation and creativity in culinary product development.
- Taste, aroma, texture and overall product acceptability.
- Accuracy and consistency of standardized recipes.
- Ability to execute multiple kitchen trials.
- Quality of documentation and technical inputs.
- Timely completion of assigned project deliverables.
- Effective collaboration with the R&D; team.

About Food Research Lab

Food Research Lab focuses on food research, product development, formulation innovation, food testing and scientific support for food industry requirements. The Consultant Chef will work with the R&D; team to develop innovative, standardized and commercially viable food products.

Contact person:
Gray-95661 33822

Job Types: Part-time, Freelance, Volunteer

Pay: From ₹10,000.00 per month

Work Location: Remote

📌 Consultant Chef – Culinary Product Development (Chennai)
🏢 Guires Solutions Private
📍 Chennai