Cellar Door Manager

Strawberry Seed Consulting; Bellbrae; On-site; AUD 30,000 - 42,000; Part time

Job summary

Bellbrae Estate on the Surf Coast is seeking a part-time Cellar Door Manager to lead daily operations, host guests and guide a small team. You’ll balance rosters with demand, oversee tastings, and drive wine sales while delivering a warm, seamless experience.

Reporting to the General Manager, you’ll ensure high hospitality standards, manage bookings, stock and daily admin, and help grow the cellar door as the estate expands.

Qualifications

• Current Victorian RSA certificate is required.
• Availability to work Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
• Wine industry or cellar door experience is highly regarded.
• Strong hospitality, organisation and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach cellar door team and roster staff.
• Welcome guests and conduct tastings, sharing winery story.
• Grow wine sales and encourage repeat visits.
• Manage bookings, emails and customer inquiries.
• Oversee stock, opening/closing, and cash reconciliation.
• Maintain safety standards and food and liquor licensing.
• Coordinate with the pizza provider for service and invoicing.

Skills

Hospitality leadership

Team leadership

Customer service

Communication

Roster planning

Wine knowledge

Education

Victorian RSA certificate

Job description

Good wine, genuine hospitality and a beautiful Surf Coast setting. Bellbrae Estate is a family-owned winery on the Great Ocean Road, near Bells Beach. Our cellar door brings together regional wines, woodfired pizza and a relaxed welcome for locals and visitors. We’re looking for a Cellar Door Manager who will take care of our guests, support our team and help grow this part of the business.

About You

You love wine and making people feel welcome. You bring a friendly, grounded approach, listen well and stay calm when service gets busy. You’re professional without being formal, and you know how to create a relaxed experience while keeping standards high.

You have experience in hospitality and leading a team, with the confidence to run day-to-day operations independently. You’re organised, reliable and a clear communicator who follows through, works well with different personalities and helps others do their best.

You also understand the business behind good service. You can balance rosters with demand, keep an eye on costs and turn a great tasting experience into wine sales and repeat visits.

Wine industry or cellar door experience would be highly regarded. A genuine interest in wine, sound hospitality skills and a willingness to keep learning are important. You’ll be curious about what happens beyond the tasting bench, from growing grapes to making wine.

You’ll need a current Victorian Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate and availability to work both Saturdays and Sundays, as well as public holidays when the cellar door is open.

What will you be doing day to day?

Reporting to our General Manager and Winemaker, you’ll take ownership of the cellar door’s daily operations. This is a hands-on role, combining hosting, team leadership and the practical work that keeps service running smoothly.

Your responsibilities will include:

Lead, roster and coach the cellar door team, building their wine knowledge and confidence in customer service.

Recruit and induct additional casual team members for the busy summer season.

Welcome guests, conduct individual and group wine tastings, and share the story behind our wines.

Grow wine sales directly to customers, encourage return visits and work with the General Manager on sales initiatives and winery promotions.

Manage bookings, emails and enquiries, and respond thoughtfully to customer feedback.

Build a positive working relationship with our independent woodfired pizza provider, coordinating service, supplies and timely invoicing.

Manage stock, ordering and stock records, and maintain a clean, well-presented cellar door.

Monitor staffing costs, sales and day-to-day spending, and report on performance to the General Manager.

Oversee opening, closing, cash and EFTPOS reconciliation, and other daily administration.

Maintain safe work practices and food safety and liquor licensing standards, and look for practical ways to improve operations.

What's on offer?

You’ll join a welcoming, family-run business with an approachable General Manager who values trust, flexibility and life outside work. There’s room to bring your ideas, make the role your own and learn more about viticulture and winemaking as the estate continues to grow and move towards more sustainable vineyard practices.

This is a permanent part-time role with a minimum of 28 hours per week, normally worked over Thursday to Sunday. Both weekend days are part of the regular roster. Shifts generally finish around 4-5 pm, with no regular dinner service. Additional hours may be available by agreement during peak periods, particularly over Christmas and January. If 28 hours is your preferred ongoing commitment, we’re open to discussing how that could work.

There is scope to complete some bookings and email administration from home by agreement, while being on site to lead service during opening hours. Remuneration will reflect your skills and experience and will be discussed during recruitment.