David Courtney-Jones: Cert-Ed: MIH:FWMCS:

New Product Development & Business Generation
Sauces, Fillings, Seasonings, Marinades, Baked Goods
Specification Sheets, Manufacturing Formulas, Cost Analysis
Presentation & Demonstration of New Culinary Products

Restaurant Menu Design
Menu Design for Corporate and Private Restaurants
Recipe & Formula Creation for Kitchen Components and Ingredients

Process Design and Flowcharting
Documentation for HAACP, Inventory Management and Instruction

Site Troubleshooting and Management
Training and Management for New Restaurant Properties
Troubleshooting Challenging Restaurant Properties

When David Courtney-Jones gets creative in the kitchen, people taste the results. As a research chef, he mixes good taste with good science, creating recipes for restaurants I can make restaurant quality food that can be mass produced," says David, "so the culinary quality—the freshness, taste, and texture—has to hold up."

Research chefs, also called product development or food innovation chefs, create new foods for restaurant chains, coffee shops, and food manufacturing companies. They blend culinary training with a knowledge of food science. "As chefs, we can make food that tastes good and has visual appeal," says David. "We can weave flavors together." But research chefs also understand food preservation, mass production, and the technical terms used by scientists. And they use this knowledge in their recipes.

Research chefs get ideas for new menu items from many different sources. They often use the results of customer surveys to determine what customers crave. Suggestions are general. They might include requests for a large portion size, a low price, or a certain flavor, such as smoky or sweet. Research chefs give the ideas substance by creating several different recipes to match these characteristics. "My job is to create options," says David. For every product that makes it to the public, researchers cook up 30 to 100 alternative recipes that never make it out of the laboratory.
 
Research chefs are also called product development or food innovation chefs
    

Research chefs also find inspiration by following trends in consumer tastes. They sample the menus of fine restaurants, often traveling abroad to stir up their creativity. And chefs read culinary magazines and study cookbooks, searching for recipes to modify.

With a set of food qualities in mind, research chefs start experimenting with ingredients. David often begins his day with a trip to the grocery shops. "I pick up fresh ingredients," he says, "then go play in my kitchen."he might try different styles of chopping, compare grilling an ingredient with frying it, or contrast vacuum-packed ingredients with frozen ones. In one recipe, David was striving for the just right level of spiciness and the best type of cheese to give a toasty flavor.he uses his technical expertise to pick ingredients that will taste good when cooked in bulk, under the real world conditions of a restaurant.

David’s recipes also need to be convenient. To make a burrito that was portable, for example,he decided to grill it. The grilling process seared the burrito so it would stay closed, even when it held more food than the other burritos did.

A research chef’s kitchen is similar to the kitchen of any professional chef, with heavy-duty mixers, salamanders—tools for browning the tops of food—and other gadgets. But a research chef’s kitchen is designed for precision. Graduated cylinders stand in for measuring cups, and scientific balances that are accurate to the milligram replace the standard countertop scales. Large-batch recipes have to be detailed and accurate so that they can be reproduced in every restaurant. "We strive for quality and consistency," says David.

At each stage of development, recipes are tested with customers. In the first testing session, a focus group of customers might choose among 50 or more pictures and written descriptions of possible menu items. "I let the customers tell me what they like," says David. "I’m cooking for them, not myself."
For every product that makes it to the public, researchers cook up to 100 alternative recipes
    

Eventually, focus groups taste samples of the most appealing of the proposed foods. Responses are taken during experiments conducted in sensory labs by food scientists and marketers. David observes and learns from these experiments. "People might say a product is too messy, too spicy, or too expensive, so I tweak it,"he says. "With food, small changes in ingredients can make a dramatic impact."

When David isn’t fine-tuning recipes, he works as a freelance Relief chef and learning from his coleauges. "Development is a collaborative process," he says. Financial experts check a recipe’s profitability. Market researchers confirm its popularity. Food scientists concentrate on food safety and other considerations. And training and operations managers ensure that the restaurant chefs will be able to make the food quickly and well.

Meetings like these highlight non-food-related skills that research chefs need in their jobs: good communication skills and the ability to persuade. "You have to prove your Theories," says David. he gives evidence that his ideas will be successful, especially when they require a large monetary investment, such as new restaurant equipment.

Research chefs who work for food manufacturers instead of restaurant chains perform slightly different tasks. They help food scientists develop flavor additives and prepared and frozen foods. They consult with restaurant chefs to learn what they need and explain flavor possibilities. If the restaurant wants a lemon flavor, for example, should it be acidic, sweet, or peely? Should it be liquid or dry? Research chefs translate the specifications of the restaurant into the technical language of scientists. Research chefs also test food scientists’ products, using them in recipes to make sure they taste good.

To gain their unique mixture of skills, most research chefs earn a degree in Science & Culinary Arts or have many years experience as a top chef like David, And on top of it all study at home in food science and chemistry. David received his Cert-Ed in Teaching and advanced international Culinary Arts Diploma, studied general science at home and worked in many hotels and Restaurants worldwide and developed himself to be an expert in food science and cookery. David completed several  years with chefs experienced in fine dining, an experience he recommends highly. "Work with as many different people as you can," he says. "It’s important to learn different techniques and to build contacts in the industry."
" As chefs, we can make food that tastes good and has visual appeal," says David.

The chance to be innovative adds spice to the job. "I’m always looking for a new way to achieve something in a recipe," says David.

And when a recipe succeeds, research chefs share it with a wide audience. "I love seeing a product be successful," David says. he also enjoys seeing people eating and liking his creations.

Knowing that his creations are popular adds zest to David’s work, but the work itself is what he likes best. By mixing a passion for food, a knack for science, and a flair for creativity, he wrote a recipe for a career he loves.
David has been awarded the prestigious ORDER OF MERIT MEDAL for his contribution to catering and has succeeded in becoming a WORLD MASTER CHEF, a grade of chef greater than any other and has official recognition as a professional international Master Chef for his outstanding cookery ability and was awarded The Diploma In Culinary Excellence designated as a Certified Master Chef attesting to the successful completion of the required programme of study in fine gastronomy and culinary philsophy of International Cuisine, awarded on the 20th day of Dec 2007.