Cafe Co-ordinator

Durham County Council; Spennymoor; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Durham County Council is seeking a Café Co-ordinator to lead the operation and development of the café at Hardwick Park, ensuring high standards of food quality, service and hygiene to deliver an outstanding visitor experience.

You will supervise a dedicated team, manage rotas and budgets, contribute to menu development, and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations while driving service improvements and income opportunities.

Qualifications

• Level 2 CIEH Food Hygiene Certificate (or equivalent).
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification in Catering or Food Preparation (e.g. City & Guilds 705/706, 707, 708).Essential Experience
• Experience supervising, leading, and motivating staff within a catering environment.
• Experience working in a busy catering operation.
• Experience using IT systems including Microsoft Word and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Organise and oversee daily café operations to maintain excellent standards of food quality, presentation, and customer service.
• Supervise, motivate, and develop staff, including inductions and ongoing training.
• Prepare staff rotas to meet service demands while remaining within budget constraints.
• Ensure full compliance with Food Hygiene, SFBB, HACCP, COSHH, Health & Safety, and Fire Safety requirements.
• Manage stock ordering, stock control, cash reconciliation, till records, and timesheets.
• Assist with menu planning, food preparation, bakery production, and product development.
• Monitor income, expenditure, and sales performance, contributing to business growth and service improvement.
• Support the planning and delivery of outdoor events and specialist catering activities.
• Maintain a safe, clean, secure, and welcoming environment for staff and visitors.
• Contribute to the development of new catering initiatives and improvements to service provision.

Education

Level 2 CIEH Food Hygiene Certificate

NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Catering or Food Preparation

Tools

Word

Excel

Job description

Are you a passionate catering professional with strong leadership skills and a commitment to delivering outstanding customer experiences? We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Café Co-ordinator to help lead the operation and development of our popular café at Hardwick Park.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in one of the region's most visited parks, which has seen significant recent investment and attracts around half a million visitors per year, helping to deliver high-quality food and service, enhancing Durham County Council’s reputation and maximising income opportunities.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

As Café Co-ordinator, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the café, ensuring high standards of food quality, presentation, hygiene, customer service, and financial performance. You will supervise and support a dedicated team of staff, making effective use of resources to deliver an exceptional visitor experience.

Working within the Park's Food Hygiene Policy and budget, you will support business growth, contribute to menu development, manage stock and staffing resources, and ensure compliance with all relevant health, safety, hygiene, and food safety regulations.

Key Responsibilities

• Organise and oversee daily café operations to maintain excellent standards of food quality, presentation, and customer service.
• Supervise, motivate, and develop staff, including inductions and ongoing training.
• Prepare staff rotas to meet service demands while remaining within budget constraints.
• Ensure full compliance with Food Hygiene, SFBB, HACCP, COSHH, Health & Safety, and Fire Safety requirements.
• Manage stock ordering, stock control, cash reconciliation, till records, and timesheets.
• Assist with menu planning, food preparation, bakery production, and product development.
• Monitor income, expenditure, and sales performance, contributing to business growth and service improvement.
• Support the planning and delivery of outdoor events and specialist catering activities.
• Maintain a safe, clean, secure, and welcoming environment for staff and visitors.
• Contribute to the development of new catering initiatives and improvements to service provision.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

Essential Qualifications

• Level 2 CIEH Food Hygiene Certificate (or equivalent).
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification in Catering or Food Preparation (e.g. City & Guilds 705/706, 707, 708).Essential Experience
• Experience of supervising, leading, and motivating staff within a catering environment.
• Previous experience working in a busy catering operation.
• Experience using IT systems including Microsoft Word and Excel.Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held week commencing 12th October.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable.

Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.