Catering Manager

Chartwells Independent; Carlisle; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Compass Group in Carlisle is seeking a Catering Manager to lead a café operation. You will own the day-to-day duties, supervise a small on-site team, and ensure the café delivers outstanding service, quality and commercial performance.

You are a hands-on leader with experience in catering leadership, budgeting, stock control, and KPIs, plus strong organisational and communication skills. Level 2 Food Hygiene is desirable.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a café or catering operation.
• Strong people management and team development.
• Experience budgeting, stock control and KPIs.
• Food hygiene and safety compliance experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage the café and catering operation.
• Lead, coach and develop a small on-site team.
• Deliver an exceptional customer experience.
• Control budgets and labour costs.
• Maintain food quality, safety and service standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales and engagement.

Skills

People management

Budgeting

Stock control

Communication

Food service excellence

Education

Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate

Job description

Catering Manager - CarlisleLead a Café. Inspire a Team. Create an Exceptional Customer Experience.

At Compass Group, we know that great hospitality is about more than serving food. It's about creating a welcoming environment, building relationships with customers, and delivering consistently excellent experiences.

We're looking for an enthusiastic and driven Catering Manager to take responsibility for a thriving café operation in the Carlisle area. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate hospitality professional who enjoys ownership, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and loves developing people.

You will lead a small team, manage the day-to-day operation, and play a key role in ensuring the café delivers outstanding service, quality, and commercial performance.

What You'll Be Doing

As Catering Manager, you'll be the driving force behind the operation, ensuring every day runs smoothly and efficiently.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing all aspects of the café and catering operation
• Leading, coaching, and developing a small on-site team
• Delivering an exceptional customer experience
• Managing stock, ordering, and supplier relationships
• Controlling budgets, labour costs, and financial performance
• Ensuring full compliance with food safety and health & safety standards
• Maintaining excellent food quality, presentation, and service standards
• Identifying opportunities to improve sales, engagement, and service delivery
• Building a positive and motivating working environment

Who We're Looking For

You are a confident and hands-on leader who takes pride in creating successful catering operations.

You’ll ideally have:

• Previous experience as a Catering Manager, Café Manager, Catering Supervisor, or similar hospitality leadership role
• Strong people management and team development skills
• Experience managing budgets, stock control, and KPIs
• Excellent organisational and communication abilities
• A passion for food, customer service, and operational excellence
• A proactive mindset with the ability to solve problems and make decisions
• Level 2 Food Hygiene qualification (desirable)

Why Compass Group?

Joining Compass means becoming part of a business that invests in its people and celebrates success.

In return, you'll benefit from:

• Excellent career development opportunities
• Ongoing training and support
• A supportive and inclusive team culture
• Access to Compass benefits and wellbeing programmes
• The opportunity to make a genuine impact within your business