The company, which owns brands including Hovis, Oxo, Mr Kipling, Bisto and Ambrosia, said that it aims to grow the panel to 5,000 respondents, all of whom should be involved in the purchase of ingredients or the preparation of food in pubs and other eateries across the UK.

Premier Foods said that the panel had been introduced to allow chefs the chance to provide direct feedback and “have a direct impact on what is manufactured and produced for their workplace”.

Paul Carr, the firm’s head of business development, said: “We are really pleased to be able to offer chefs a true voice in the catering industry and give them the opportunity to share their perspective with us. We are in a position to take their feedback on board and make changes for the better and chefs will be able to benefit from seeing the responses of their peers on catering issues.”

As well as monetary rewards, panel members will be given access to information and data produced through the research. The panel is being managed by EasyInsites.