Head of Culinary Innovations

We are a young brand, growing rapidly to serve healthy & fresh food & beverage. Our vision is to make healthy food accessible, without compromising on taste. We serve smoothies, shakes, refreshers & millet sandwiches. Everything we do is all-natural, preservative-free & fully transparent. 

Our good-food ATMs are stationed in 30+ locations in Delhi NCR including places like Amity university, Select City Walk, Worldmark Aerocity, Ambience mall, Max Group & Fortis group. We are also partners with food court aggregators like Smartq, Foodforum, Gokhanna. We have served 10 Lakh + orders and are on track to open 100 kiosks in this financial year. 

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Head of Culinary Innovations to join our dynamic team at Basil. The ideal candidate will have 4-6 years of experience in leading a kitchen, developing innovative recipes, and maintaining the highest standards of food quality and hygiene. The Head of Culinary Innovations will be responsible for overseeing all kitchen operations, ensuring the delivery of exceptional culinary experiences, and driving the continuous evolution of our menu.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development:

• Create and deliver healthy, tasty, and affordable products.
• Innovate continuously to develop products that are scalable and have good throughput.

D2C Product Innovation & Development

• Design and develop retail-ready D2C food & beverage products that are tasty, clean-label, and scalable.
• Stay ahead of consumer trends (gut health, immunity, functional ingredients, plant-based, regional fusion, etc.).
• Work with cold chain/ambient shelf life depending on the SKU type.
• Ensure packaging, portioning, and consumption experience align with modern D2C expectations (on-the-go, resealable, aesthetic).
• Use iterative development cycles to test products quickly via pilot launches or A/B batches.

Product Ownership:

• Manage end-to-end quality, training, and menu mix at kiosks.
• Ensure the taste and quality of products required for the machine. 
• Oversee vendor finalizations to ensure the best quality is served.
• Coordinate closely with procurement, tech, and ops teams for seamless implementation

Seasonal Menu Changes:

• Execute three menu changes annually based on the season, taking full ownership of this process.
• Develop innovative recipes that align with our core values (healthy, no preservatives, no processed), while considering cost, throughput, and scalability.
• Streamline the supply chain and training processes for new products.

Training and Development:

• Be an integral part of the training team, teaching recipes to staff.
• Create recipe books and fruit quality guides.
• Conduct training sessions and kiosk visits to impart product knowledge on the ground.

Recipe Development for Machines:

• Develop new recipes within technological constraints.

Daily Tasks:

Weekly Recipe Innovation:

• Innovate recipes every week and plan meticulously to launch a new product on the Basil menu every month.
• Ensure product launches in the first week of each month.

Quality Control and Vendor Management:

• Conduct regular vendor finalizations to maintain the best quality of ingredients. 
• Perform quality checks on products at kiosks and in the machine.

Training Sessions:

• Teach recipes and product knowledge to staff. 
• Make recipe books and fruit quality guides. 
• Conduct regular training sessions and kiosk visits to ensure consistent product quality.

Supply Chain Management:

• Streamline the supply chain for new products to ensure timely and efficient delivery.

Recipe Adaptation for Machines:

• Develop and test new recipes for machines, considering technological constraints and ensuring the final product meets taste and quality standards.

Vendor Sourcing:

• Identify, evaluate, and onboard new vendors to maintain consistent supply and improve product quality and pricing.

RM Cost Control:

• Monitor and optimize raw material costs through recipe engineering, vendor negotiation, and efficient inventory management.

Qualifications

• 7-8 years of experience as a Head Chef or in a similar leadership role in the kitchen.
• Proven ability to develop and innovate recipes, with a strong understanding of clean and unprocessed food concepts.
• In-depth knowledge of kitchen safety and sanitation regulations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Experience in product innovation and end-to-end product management.
• Excellent vendor management and negotiation skills.
• Ability to streamline supply chain processes.
• Strong training and team development skills.
• Ability to work within technological constraints for machine-based recipes.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• A collaborative and supportive work environment.
• The chance to be part of a mission-driven company revolutionising the food industry.