about us

We are itsu, the leading Asian-inspired quick-service retail and grocery brand with over 80 restaurants across the UK, Belgium, and France, and a growing wholesale business across Europe and beyond. Our renowned delicious food made fresh in every restaurant, every day, has made itsu a top choice for healthy eating.

In addition to our restaurants, itsu [grocery] offers a range of high-quality Asian-inspired foods available online and in supermarkets. We are excited to be one of the leading brands in this specific group and have ambitious plans for continued growth both domestically and globally.

With its best-in-class-food, latest technology, innovation, and talented workforce, itsu is the future of fast food.

role responsibility

Product innovation

• Makes up recipes to meet the brief from the Senior NPD Manager and pro-actively considers how to approach, providing alternative ideas that are commercially viable and scalable.
• Accurately documents kitchen recipes, methods and briefs out to suppliers.
• Works with the Senior NPD Mangers and suppliers to review sample submissions and provides feedback.
• Pro-actively arranges tasting of samples developed or samples requested.
• Keeps up to date with food trends related to the category and new products that emerge within retail and restaurants.

Kitchen management

• Maintains a tidy, organised and clean kitchen.
• Ensures all ingredients required to produce kitchen samples for live NPD projects are maintained in stock.
• Supports with the general NPD shopping list, keeping the rest of the team pro-actively updated on ability to source required ingredients / samples.
• Cooks up products and dishes as per requests for business meetings
• Organises and supports products for external customer meetings

scope of the role

• Responsible for recipe innovation and supporting the Senior NPD Manager on delivering products from ideation to sign off at Gate 2.
• Day to day management of the kitchen and ingredient store.
• Responsible for cooking up the product range and samples as per requests.

the ideal candidate

• A passion for Asian food and an obsessed foodie
• Experience working in a professional kitchen, restaurant or development kitchen.
• Be able to work in a small team and individually
• Highly organised and self-motivated individual

perks and benefits

• Competitive salary
• Competitive bonus scheme
• 25 days holiday
• A great work-space with a ‘start-up’ feel in Central London
• Health insurance
• Company pension scheme
• The chance to work directly with the co-founder of itsu & Pret
• 50% employee discount in itsu shops
• Free itsu lunch 
• Discounts at major retailers
• A sizeable training budget to support your ongoing development