R&D Chef- Beverages

Swish is building the next generation of food delivery by owning the entire value chain, from menu design and pricing to kitchen operations and customer experience. Backed by leading investors, we're building the future of food delivery by continuously launching new products, expanding into new markets, and creating innovative operating models.

We are looking for an experienced Beverage Specialist to lead Swish’s beverage menu development—from specialty coffees and teas to milkshakes and cold beverages. You will own recipe development, standardisation, costing, and quality, taking products from concept to launch and ensuring consistent execution across kitchens

Key Responsibilities

New Product Development

• Develop new hot and cold beverages, including espresso-based coffees, cold brews, teas, milkshakes, coolers, and seasonal specials.
• Lead the end-to-end NPD process, from ideation and market benchmarking to trials, tastings, costing, and product launches.
• Identify emerging beverage trends and adapt them to Indian consumer preferences.
• Improve existing beverages based on customer feedback, sales performance, and market trends.

Recipe Standardisation and Scalability

• Develop standardised recipes, SOPs, recipe cards, portion specifications, and preparation guidelines.
• Ensure beverages can be prepared consistently across all kitchens with minimal preparation time and complexity.
• Develop products suitable for delivery, considering temperature retention, separation, ice melt, shelf life, and packaging.
• Conduct trials to ensure recipes maintain their taste and quality when prepared at scale.

Costing and Vendor Management

• Develop recipes that meet target food costs and margin requirements without compromising quality.
• Work with procurement teams to source and evaluate coffee beans, tea, dairy and non-dairy alternatives, syrups, and other ingredients.
• Identify and evaluate vendors based on quality, consistency, availability, and cost.
• Recommend suitable beverage equipment, including espresso machines, grinders, blenders, and dispensers.

Training and Quality Control

• Train kitchen teams on beverage preparation techniques, recipes, equipment usage, and quality standards.
• Conduct regular quality checks and taste audits to maintain consistency across kitchens.
• Identify and resolve issues related to preparation, taste, presentation, and product quality.
• Ensure compliance with applicable FSSAI guidelines, hygiene standards, and food safety practices.

Performance Tracking and Continuous Improvement

• Track beverage sales, customer ratings, reviews, and product performance.
• Use customer insights and operational feedback to improve recipes and introduce new products.
• Identify opportunities to improve preparation speed, ingredient utilisation, and overall product profitability.

What We're Looking For

Must-have

• 4+ years of experience in beverage R&D, specialty coffee, café operations, or QSR beverage development.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of espresso-based beverages, manual brewing, cold brew, tea, milkshakes, and blended drinks.
• Experience developing and scaling beverage recipes for Indian consumers.
• Ability to create detailed recipe documentation, SOPs, and standardised preparation processes.
• Experience with beverage costing, ingredient sourcing, vendor coordination, and equipment selection.
• Strong understanding of beverage quality, consistency, hygiene, and food safety.
• Ability to work hands-on in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple product development projects.

Good to have

• Barista certification, such as SCA, or formal culinary or food and beverage training.
• Experience working with cloud kitchens, QSRs, or delivery-first food brands.
• Understanding of ingredient stability, shelf life, packaging, and beverage quality during delivery.
• Familiarity with Excel or Google Sheets for recipe management and costing.