Columbia Restaurants - Gastronomer - Food Trend Analyst

Job Description

We are seeking a Gastronomer - Food Trend Analyst to join our team and help ensure that the food we offer consistently meets the highest standards of quality and market suitability. This is a vital role for anyone who takes pride in sensory evaluation and who understands that a product must perform not only in taste and presentation, but also in the real-world expectations of customers across different outlets.

At the heart of the position is the responsibility to test the quality of food. You will evaluate products to confirm that they meet our internal standards for flavour, texture, appearance, freshness, and overall consistency. Your judgments will support better decision-making and help ensure that only the right products reach our customers. Alongside this, you will assess the suitability of food for the market. This means considering how well products match consumer expectations, brand positioning, and the specific demands of the retail and hospitality sectors in which we operate. Your work will help us validate whether products are truly ready for the marketplace, rather than simply passing basic checks.

In addition to quality testing, the role includes responsibility for the presentation of the final product. You will play an important part in ensuring that items are presented in a way that appeals visually and supports a positive customer experience. This applies across both confectionery retail outlets and the restaurants and hotels of the Columbia group. You will contribute to maintaining presentation standards, including how products are displayed, how they are served, and how they are presented to reflect the quality and brand values that customers expect from us. By observing and reviewing how products land with customers in these environments, you will help strengthen the connection between what we make and how it is experienced.

The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of food quality and the ability to conduct consistent, careful sensory testing. You should be detail-oriented, reliable, and comfortable producing clear observations and recommendations based on your findings. Strong communication skills are essential, as you will collaborate with relevant teams to share results and support improvements. While experience in food testing, gastronomy, food quality assurance, or a related field would be beneficial, we are also open to applicants with relevant experience demonstrating strong judgement, consistency, and a genuine passion for food.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to product excellence across a range of channels, from retail display to hospitality service. By bringing together quality evaluation, market insight, and presentation standards, the Gastronomer will play a meaningful part in shaping the customer experience throughout the Columbia group.

To apply, please submit your CV along with a short supporting statement explaining your experience and suitability for the role. If you have experience with food quality testing, product evaluation, or retail/foodservice presentation standards, please highlight this in your application. We look forward to hearing from you.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are kindly requested to send their CV to the HR Manager at [email protected].