Assistant Catering Manager

Restaurant Associates UK; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career development programmes

Digital GP and wider healthcare

Exclusive travel discounts

Discounts on groceries

Cinema ticket discounts

Job summary

Restaurant Associates UK operates a modern corporate staff restaurant in Birmingham, offering breakfast and lunch with AI tills and a pre-order app. The role supports daily operations, manages a team, and delivers high-quality customer service in a dynamic workplace catering environment.

You’ll collaborate with the Catering Manager and kitchen team to ensure food safety, events delivery and exceptional guest experiences across 250–300 daily covers.

Qualifications

• Experience in workplace catering or contract catering.
• Proven ability to supervise a team and deliver excellent customer service.
• Understanding of catering compliance and stock management.
• Experience supporting hospitality functions and client-facing events.

Responsibilities

• Support daily restaurant operations and maintain food and service standards.
• Supervise, motivate and develop the catering team through briefings and coaching.
• Ensure food safety, allergen, health and safety, and compliance standards.
• Manage stock control, ordering and waste reduction; support cost control.
• Keep paperwork and compliance records up to date.
• Plan and deliver hospitality services and events.
• Utilise digital catering systems and help colleagues maximise their use.
• Build strong relationships with chefs, colleagues, clients and stakeholders.

Skills

Team supervision

Customer service

Catering operations

Communication

Planning & organisation

IT literacy

Tools

AI tills

MenuGuide

Pre-order apps

Digital menus

Stock management systems

Job description

Are you an experienced catering professional with a passion for great food, excellent service and supporting a successful team? We’re looking for an enthusiastic, hands-on Assistant Catering Manager to help lead a newly refurbished corporate staff restaurant. With a pre-order app, AI tills and digital catering systems, this is an opportunity to bring your leadership skills to a modern workplace catering environment. The site welcomes approximately 250–300 employees daily, serving freshly prepared breakfasts and a varied lunch menu, from hot dishes to salads, sandwiches and grab-and-go favourites. Alongside daily restaurant service, the team delivers hospitality ranging from working lunches and sandwich platters to high-quality bistro-style dinners and corporate events. Working closely with the Catering Manager and kitchen team, you’ll help keep operations running smoothly, support colleagues and deliver a welcoming experience for customers and guests.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Supporting daily restaurant operations and maintaining excellent food and service standards.
• Supervising, motivating and developing the catering team through briefings, training and coaching.
• Maintaining food safety, allergen, health and safety, and compliance standards.
• Managing stock control, ordering and waste reduction while supporting cost control.
• Keeping operational paperwork and compliance records accurate and up to date.
• Supporting the planning and delivery of hospitality services and events.
• Using digital catering systems and helping colleagues get the most from them.
• Building strong relationships with chefs, colleagues, clients and stakeholders.

You’ll Bring

• Experience in workplace catering, staff dining, contract catering or hospitality.
• A proven ability to supervise a team and deliver excellent customer service.
• A sound understanding of catering compliance, stock management and operational administration.
• Experience supporting hospitality functions and client‑facing events.
• Strong IT skills and experience with catering technology, including AI tills, MenuGuide, pre‑ordering apps, digital menus and stock management systems.
• Excellent communication, planning and organisational skills.
• A positive, proactive approach and the ability to stay calm during busy service periods.
• Commercial awareness, attention to detail and enthusiasm for new ideas and ways of working.

Benefits

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

About Us

Restaurant Associates provides brilliant hospitality through our food, drink and services. We work with our partners and collaborate with our clients to achieve great things together. Every day, our teams of passionate hospitality professionals strive for excellence in delivering employee dining and hospitality to some of the UK's leading workplace as well as inspiring exceptional experiences in iconic cultural and heritage destinations.

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!