Sean Flint likes to eat out a lot.
It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.
Sean is our Executive Chef, which means he is responsible for overseeing the amazing food we create for supermarkets across the UK.
It’s therefore important that he keeps abreast of the latest tastes and trends.
Being a development chef is a lot different than being a chef working in a restaurant as Sean, who can list Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing and Mark Sargeant as the people he has worked for, can testify to.
He says: “In a restaurant environment, of course you have to develop new recipes but once you do this, you will tend to serve the same food on a regular basis, and once service is over, you can forget about it until the next lunchtime or dinner service.
“In a development kitchen you have to constantly be thinking of new recipes/dishes and often be able to respond to last minute requests from customers.
“Restaurants are generally a few years ahead of the retail sector, so eating out regularly is essential as it can give you an idea of what the supermarkets will be asking for in 2-3 years’ time.
“I remember eating a pulled pork enchilada in a restaurant around 4 years ago and subsequently developed this for a customer, they’re now in many supermarkets but we believe we were 2 to 3 years ahead of the game.
“So, when I say I eat out a lot, people think I have a great job, which I do of course, but it’s all in the name of research – honestly.”
Sean says the process of taking a dish developed in the SK kitchen to a supermarket shelf is not an easy one.
He adds: “In any given week we are developing dozens of new dishes and we may present say 15-20 to a customer tasting panel.
“Of these dishes, perhaps 5 will be selected and even then we have to do further work to tweak the taste, look or price until the customer is happy.
“It’s not easy but there’s no better feeling than seeing a dish you created eventually being sold in a supermarket, knowing it’s being bought and enjoyed by, potentially, millions of people.
“That’s even more satisfied customers than when I worked at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Claridges and Petrus.!”
About Neil Shaefer
Marketing & Communications Executive of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
