Role details

  • Job title: Food Editor, Tesco magazine
  • Function: Editorial, Tesco account
  • Location: Cedar offices in Bankside (and Cedar test kitchen)
  • Contract: Permanent contract, hybrid working (2-3 days in office)
  • Reporting to: Group Content Director, Tesco
  • Direct reports: Food Content Creator

Key Responsibilities

  • Manage the day-to-day running of the food desk, developing recipes and feature ideas, commissioning, editing and writing iconic recipes and food features
  • Work with the Group Content Director, feeding into the vision for food content, helping with future planning of Tesco magazine and associated projects
  • Collaborate across teams (editorial/subs/art, strategy & insight, account management) on the production of content for the magazine, Tesco Recipes website and branded content
  • Use social channels/SEO, digital tools, reader feedback, seasonal insight and AI tools to help craft the food content of each issue, tracking and analysing macro food trends, both nationally and internationally, to ensure content stays relevant and ahead of the curve
  • Represent Cedar within the wider Tesco agency mix, ensuring alignment and integration with the work of the Tesco Kitchen social team

Recipe Ideation

  • Generate iconic recipes using knowledge of food scene, social trends and AI to ensure they appeal to our magazine’s core demographic and adhere to Tesco’s strict criteria
  • Keep up to speed on Tesco product ranges, campaigns and messaging to inform approach
  • Pitch ideas, develop and commission recipes and home economists, addressing any questions, making tweaks to recipe ideas and suggesting new recipes when needed
  • Work with the wider team (primarily Group Content Director and Senior Writer) on food-related features, supporting with commissioning and writing, as required
  • Work with other agencies (e.g. social) to ensure our content aligns with their schedules  
  • Help develop compelling cover ideas, feeding into the PPM and attending shoots in place of the Group Content Director, as required
  • Work on food-related content for ad hoc briefs and supplements, as required

Recipe Development

  • Ensure recipes contain a reasonable number of ingredients, all available at Tesco
  • Be mindful of GDAs and health guidelines, working with nutritionist on GDAs and using AI tools to ensure recipes meet agreed nutritional criteria
  • Edit to ensure recipes are accurate, easy to understand and as succinct as possible, adhering to clearly defined guidelines
  • Own the full list of recipes being featured in each issue, working with the Food content creator to keep it up to date and identifying any issues/overlap with existing content
  • Liaise with wider team on stock availability to meet shoot/publication deadlines

Team Collaboration & Management

  • Collaborate with editorial, art, account management and subs teams to deliver work on time and to the highest quality
  • Motivate and manage the work of the freelance Food content creator, ensuring their ideas meet agreed criteria, and overseeing the recipe testing in the test kitchen
  • Build a strong network of food writers and recipe developers, ensuring quality and consistency across all food content
  • Build and maintain excellent relationships with clients and other agencies, developing trust and acting as the go-to expert for all things food content-related
  • Lead creative conversations in client meetings, presenting upcoming content as well as wider quarterly content to key stakeholders

Thought Leadership

  • Act as Cedar’s go-to food expert, on hand to help with queries from the wider team and feeding into food-related project across Tesco and its agencies
  • Stay tapped into food culture and activity within the food media and food industry
  • Identify and attend relevant events, building relationships and elevating the profile of Cedar and Tesco within the food media and food industry

Skills, Capabilities & Tools/Tech Exposure

Must Have

  • Experience in developing recipes for a print publication and/or websites
  • Good writing, organisational and communication skills
  • Confidence managing multiple projects and stakeholders
  • Good understanding of magazine production
  • Proficient in Microsoft office (Outlook / Word / Excel)

Nice to Have

  • Food qualification/food certification
  • Experience in retail or FMCG
  • Exposure to CoPilot and other AI tools

Ways of Working & Behaviours

  • Finger on the pulse of the latest food trends and industry (retail and media)
  • Calm, organised and dependable under pressure
  • Flexible and agile – able to take constructive criticism and adapt ideas at speed
  • Collaborative and supportive
  • Curious about all aspects of food, audiences and content performance

What Success Looks Like

  • Delivery of work on time and to agreed criteria
  • Food content that resonates with readers and creates a buzz around Tesco magazine
  • Fame and talkability for Tesco as a brand tapped into food culture
  • Successful integration and collaboration with Tesco Kitchen
  • Elevating the profile of Cedar and Tesco within the wider industry