A research chef develops recipes for pre-packaged foods, focusing on taste, nutrition, and shelf life. They typically have culinary and food science education and work closely with product development teams. Employment opportunities are limited and require experience and education.
A research chef is a chef who experiments with different recipes and cooking methods to find ways to combine the art of cooking with the science of food. A research chef can typically find employment with companies that manufacture pre-packaged foods. These foods are usually dried, frozen, or canned, and the chef must develop recipes that suit these food preservation methods. Generally, the focus of these recipes is on taste, nutritional content, and shelf life.
Most often, to be hired as a research chef, a candidate must have completed education and training through an accredited culinary arts school. Also, some education in nutrition and food science is helpful. The pay scale for a head of research generally depends on experience and education level, but in the United States, the median salary for this job is around $55,000. In many cases, larger companies pay higher salaries, which can reach $65,000 on average.
In large companies, the head of research usually works closely with the product development team, in some cases under their direct supervision; however, this working relationship is sometimes reversed. Sometimes the head of research creates the dish, then product development works to find ways to market it. In large food processing companies, research chefs may have many chefs who work under them.
Restaurants sometimes employ chefs whose main responsibility is to create and test new recipes. In larger, very high-end restaurants, these chefs can earn better wages than those working in the commercial food processing industry; however, it is difficult to get jobs of this type. Often these jobs can be reserved for chefs who have already proven their talents elsewhere.
Many research chefs belong to culinary associations whose aim is to help these chefs secure employment and advance their careers. These associations sometimes offer continuing education, with courses in food science and nutrition. These groups also help chefs employed in research and development stay current on scientific developments in the industry.
Finding employment as a research chef can be difficult. Employment opportunities are not plentiful and are usually only open to chefs with many years of culinary experience. Those wanting a career as a head of research may have to start their career at a lower level and work their way up to the position. Generally speaking, the more education and experience a candidate has, the more likely they are to be considered for this type of position.
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