Waitrose has appointed Martyn Lee to the role of executive chef to lead its product development.
He will head up a team of development chefs based at the Waitrose Food Innovation Studio at its Bracknell headquarters, which opened in 2019 following a £1.5m investment.
The retailer stated that Lee’s role will include developing its own brand ranges, which include Waitrose & Partners No.1, Heston from Waitrose and Cooks’ Ingredients.
Lee has held senior product development roles with a number of major food manufacturers and retailers. Most recently he was Executive Chef – Product Development at Tesco. He has also worked for Moy Park as a senior development chef which included spending a year collaborating with the Waitrose innovation team on new meat, fish and poultry ranges.
Natalie Mitchell, Head of Production Innovation & Own Brand, Waitrose & Partners, said: Martyn’s wealth of experience and creative vision will help us to continue offering the high-quality and distinctive products our customers expect.”
Lee added: “Waitrose is known for pushing the boundaries on quality and delivering cutting edge innovation but also for its strong sourcing credentials – so it’s incredibly exciting to be joining the team. I’m looking forward to adding my own creativity to one of the UK’s most respected brands.”
Following a period of lacklustre trading, Waitrose has been pushing through major range reviews aimed at removing product duplication, whilst focusing on own label and exclusive items to help it differentiate itself from rivals.
