Catering Manager

Gather + Gather; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life assurance

Pension scheme

Holiday allowance

Healthcare support app

Eye care

Wellbeing strategy

Job summary

Gather + Gather in Cambridge is seeking a Catering Manager to lead a busy workplace café and hospitality service, delivering high standards of food and service for around 130 covers daily.

The role requires hands-on leadership, budgeting and proven ability to develop a small team while building strong client relationships. 40-hour week, Monday to Friday, 8:00–4:30.

Qualifications

• Experience in catering management or hospitality leadership within workplace/café environments.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing small teams.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operation of a busy café and hospitality service for ~130 covers daily.
• Oversee breakfast, lunch and hospitality catering; manage bookings and events.
• Provide hands-on leadership to a team of 3; support development and performance.
• Build relationships with clients and guests to deliver outstanding service.
• Manage rotas, stock, ordering, budgets and related admin.
• Ensure food safety, health and safety and company compliance standards.

Job description

Great food in the workplace isn't simply about fuel. It's about increasing productivity and improving performance; it’s about happy, motivated people and inspiring environments. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do – we live to bring food and people together.

We are brave, bold and curious adventurers in food and drink. Never shy of being different, always challenging the conventional.

Our passionate team of chefs, baristas, servers, nutritionists and much more, love nothing more than creating memorable moments that enrich the everyday. Come and join our award-winning teams – we are currently recruiting for a Catering Manager to join our team.

Salary: £36,000 per annum

Location: Cambridge, CB2 0RA

Shift Pattern: 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday (8am - 4.30pm)

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operation of a busy café and hospitality service, ensuring excellent standards of food and customer service.
• Oversee breakfast, lunch, and hospitality catering services for approximately 130 covers per day.
• Manage hospitality bookings and coordinate the smooth delivery of meetings, events, and catering requests.
• Provide hands-on leadership to a team of 3 employees, supporting their development and performance.
• Build strong relationships with clients and guests, delivering an exceptional customer experience.
• Manage rotas, stock control, ordering, budgets, and all associated administrative tasks.
• Ensure all food safety, health & safety, and company compliance standards are maintained.
• Monitor financial performance and identify opportunities to improve service, efficiency, and profitability.
• Work closely with the Operations Manager to ensure the operation runs effectively and consistently.

Our Ideal Candidate

• Previous experience as a Catering Manager, General Manager, or Hospitality Manager within a workplace catering, hospitality, or café environment.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing and motivating small teams.
• Hands‑on approach with the ability to balance operational duties and administration.
• Experience managing hospitality bookings, client relationships, and event catering.
• Excellent organisational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Confident managing budgets, ordering, stock control, and reporting.
• Passionate about delivering outstanding food, hospitality, and customer service.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to build relationships with clients, guests, and colleagues.
• Able to work effectively in a fast‑paced environment while maintaining high standards.
• Comfortable reporting to the Operations Manager and supporting wider business objectives.

What's in it for you?

• Personal Development and Training opportunities
• Life assurance scheme
• Pension scheme
• Holiday allowance
• Access to Healthcare Support App which includes Annual health check, Digital GP, Mental Health Consultations, Nutritional Consultations, Second Medical Opinion
• Eye care
• A great wellbeing strategy – including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, salary finance
• Family friendly support
• Regular social events and communication with our leaders
• A holiday purchase scheme
• Volunteering days
• Professional subscriptions
• Recognition schemes and people awards
• Long service awards
• Access to some great high street discount vouchers

Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/0610/48091001/52837941/SU #Gather and Gather

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!