Catering Manager (Full Time)

Full job description

Catering Manager

Job description
- No evening work
- No split shifts
- No Christmas/festive rush

Trentham Monkey Forest is home to 140 free-roaming Barbary macaque monkeys. In the park, customers are free to walk amongst the monkeys in their forest home and discover this fascinating species. Unique within the UK, we are looking for a motivated individual to join our dedicated team.


The onsite ‘Banana Café’ and additional catering outlets serve hot and cold meals, drinks, snacks and ice cream to our visitors. A bustling, quick-paced environment throughout the season, we are looking for an organised, enthusiastic individual to train and recruit our seasonal café team. Working alongside the Park Manager and Director of the park, the Café Manager will help to develop and improve a successful café in an award-winning attraction.


The Detail…

The Café Manager will be required to work as part of the café team and will also help cover the Shop & Kiosk Manager on their days off, working closely as part of a tight knit team.


The successful candidate will be required to show dedication to the role and be required to work all school holidays, bank holidays and most weekends (apart from during the closed season where occasional weekend work will be required).


5 days/week, no evening service, or split shifts. Working during the opening hours of the park (normally 9am – 5.30pm)


Salary: £25k-£27k dependent on experience


Responsibilities (Reporting To Director & Park Manager)


•    Responsible for the day-to-day running of the cafe making provision for duties to be covered when absent.

•    Training, supervising & managing café staff.


•    Serving food and beverages to customers.


•    Preparing homemade wraps, cakes and daily specials.


•    Over-seeing the quality of food made in-house.


•    Establishing a rota in advance for café assistants.


•    Responsible for ‘close down’ procedures and cashing up.


•    Conducting interviews and recruiting with approval of Director and Park Manager.


•    Ensuring high quality and a variety of food available.


•    Maintaining high standards of cleanliness and customer service.


•    Ensuring that food hygiene rules are observed at all times including keeping detailed logs and allergy information is kept up to date.


•    Sourcing suppliers, negotiating prices and reporting to Director and Park Manager.


•    Ensuring stock rotated and waste controlled.


•    Ensuring the maintenance of café equipment and logbooks are updated.


•    Monitoring customer feedback to improve service.
Our Requirements


•    Experience operating in a high-volume business, at a management level.


•    Exceptional guest service skills within a guest focused environment.


•    Awareness of current food & beverage trends with the ability to benchmark against competitors.


•    In depth knowledge and experience of Health & Hygiene Safety legislation processes


•    Computer literate with working knowledge of Excel and other Microsoft products


•    Knowledge of balancing guest requirements and service capabilities with the need to return a profit
Not Essential, but Desirable


•    Experience of food & beverage in a leisure or visitor attraction environment


•    Hold a relevant vocational qualification in food & beverage
Benefits


•    Closed for 3 months of the year, giving you time to review the strategic direction of the Café


•    Working within a close, supportive team


•    Free private staff parking


•    The fantastic working culture of being given the chance to turn your creative ideas into action


•    Free tickets to the Monkey Forest every month


•    Staff discount in the Shop & Café


•    Avoid the hustle and bustle of catering in the festive period!


Closing Date: 29th October 2025


Start Date: January 2026


Job Type: Permanent


Pay:

£25,000.00-£27,000.00 per year


Benefits:
•    Canteen
•    Company events
•    Company pension
•    Discounted or free food
•    Employee discount
•    Free parking
•    On-site parking
•    Store discount
Ability to commute/relocate:
•    Stoke-on-Trent: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Apply now!

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