Area Support Manager - North Wales And North West

Equipment Sales & Service Limited.; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Dine Contract Catering in North Wales and the North West is seeking an Area Support Manager to drive culinary excellence across our workplace dining portfolio. You'll coach Unit Managers and Chef Managers, implement menus and seasonal concepts, and ensure every site delivers exceptional food and customer experiences.

This role requires multi-site leadership, strong food safety knowledge, and a hands-on approach to operations.

Qualifications

• Strong culinary background in contract catering, hospitality or foodservice.
• Experience leading multiple sites and coaching managers.
• Proven ability to raise food standards and customer experience.
• Knowledge of food safety, compliance and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Champion Dine's food vision and standards across sites.
• Implement menus, concepts, promotions and seasonal initiatives.
• Coach Catering Managers and Chef Managers to build capability.
• Provide hands-on support to improve food quality, presentation and service.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction and performance.
• Conduct site reviews for consistency, compliance and excellence.
• Share best practices region-wide and drive continuous improvement.
• Support mobilisation projects and new contract launches.
• Represent food innovation and hospitality across Dine.
• Occasionally provide operational cover at portfolio sites.
• Inspire teams by coaching, mentoring and leading by example.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Multi-site operations

Staff coaching

Food safety & compliance

Customer experience

Commercial awareness

Communication & relationship skills

Driving licence & travel

Job description

Core working hours are Monday to Friday; however, due to the operational requirements of our sites, there will be an expectation to provide on-call cover on a rotational basis over weekends. Are you passionate about great food, developing people and raising standards? We're looking for an experienced and inspiring Area Support Manager to help drive culinary excellence across our portfolio of workplace dining operations throughout North Wales and North West. This is a fantastic opportunity for a food-led leader who thrives on coaching teams, improving standards and bringing food concepts to life. Working closely with our Unit Managers, Chef Managers and Regional Managers, you'll play a key role in ensuring every site delivers exceptional food, outstanding customer experiences and consistently high brand standards. Personality behind every plate. Food first. Always. At Dine, food isn't an add-on. It's the centre of everything we do. Founded in the Northwest in 1997 and still proudly based in Warrington, Dine Contract Catering was built by chefs and food lovers who believed workplace dining could be something more. Today, that chef-led, food-first mindset still defines us. We're a business where chefs are empowered to create, bringing together seasonal ingredients, local suppliers and bold ideas to deliver food experiences with real personality, purpose and pride. Every offer is tailored. Every menu has intent. What You'll Be Doing As an Area Support Manager, you'll be the driving force behind our food culture, supporting sites to deliver innovative, fresh and high-quality food experiences that delight our customers every day.

• Champion Dine's food vision, culinary standards and customer experience across multiple sites
• Support the successful implementation of menus, food concepts, promotions and seasonal initiatives
• Coach and develop Catering Managers, Chef Managers and operational teams to build capability and confidence
• Provide hands-on support in operations, helping teams achieve excellence in food quality, presentation and service delivery
• Identify opportunities to enhance customer satisfaction, innovation and commercial performance
• Conduct site reviews to ensure consistency, compliance and operational excellence
• Share best practice across the region and embed a culture of continuous improvement
• Support mobilisation projects, business initiatives and new contract launches
• Act as a visible ambassador for food innovation, hospitality and operational excellence throughout Dine
• Occasionally provide operational cover at sites within the portfolio
• You'll be a passionate food professional with the ability to inspire others and raise standards through coaching, mentoring and leading by example.

Essential

• A strong culinary background within contract catering, hospitality or foodservice
• Multi-site operational experience
• A genuine passion for delivering exceptional food and hospitality experiences
• Experience coaching, developing and influencing managers and operational teams
• Strong knowledge of food safety, compliance and operational best practice
• Commercial awareness and the ability to identify opportunities for improvement
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the region including overnight stays where required

Desirable

• Previous experience as an Area Manager, Support Manager or similar multi-site leadership role
• Level 3 Food Safety qualification (or above)
• IOSH Managing Safely qualification
• Experience supporting mobilisations, change programmes or operational improvement projects