About the role
We are seeking a talented and creative Culinary Development Chef/Sous Chef to join the Hardlyworkingco team. This is a full-time position that combines leadership in the kitchen with culinary innovation. Working under the direction of the Founder(s) and the Executive Chef, this role is hands-on — testing recipes, costing menu items, sourcing ingredients, and training kitchen crews so that every new dish lands the way it was designed to.
What you'll be doing
1. Recipe Testing & Execution
- Own recipe testing for new and seasonal menu items, from initial concept through to a service-ready build.
- Test on the kitchen line during agreed off-peak windows so live service isn't disrupted.
- Validate taste, consistency, and repeatability before any dish is signed off.
2. Menu R&D under Founder Direction
- Translate the Founder's brand vision and creative briefs into structured, testable recipe concepts.
- Maintain a clear development pipeline and keep the Founder(s) updated against key milestones.
3. Food Costing
- Calculate food cost percentages and ingredient yields for every menu item, flagging variances against target margins.
- Keep costing and recipe data accurate and current in the recipe management system.
4. Kitchen Quality Control SOPs
- Draft and maintain SOPs, station build guides, and plating references for new and existing items.
- Keep documentation aligned with how the kitchen actually executes.
5. Ingredient Sourcing
- Source ingredients from multiple suppliers, balancing quality, cost, and reliability of supply.
- Prioritise ingredients that cross-utilise existing stock to protect storage capacity and reduce waste.
- Validate price stability and lead times before locking a new ingredient into a recipe.
6. Food Tastings
- Prepare and present tastings, incorporating feedback into further iterations.
- Keep a clear record of how each dish evolved through revisions.
7. Training Outlet Kitchen Crew
- Train outlet kitchen crew on new and existing menu items, certifying teams can replicate dishes to standard without supervision.
- Build simple training aids (photos, short videos, or written guides) to scale training across shifts and outlets.
- Check in post-rollout to catch execution issues early.
What we're looking for
- Minimum 2 years of culinary experience within a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR), including experience in recipe development, R&D within F&B.
- Hands-on experience with recipe costing and standardisation for multi-outlet or scaling operations.
- Experience training or leading kitchen crew, with strong technique and plating discipline.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong palate and culinary creativity, with the discipline to work within a Founder-led creative direction.
- Good working knowledge of food costing, ingredient sourcing, and supplier evaluation.
- Meticulous documentation skills for recipes, yields, and SOPs.
- Comfortable presenting and receiving feedback directly from Founders and senior stakeholders.
- Team-oriented, hands-on, and willing to work across kitchens and outlets as needed.