Cafe Operations Lead - Park Café & Guest Experience

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

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.