Catering Manager - Didcot

Compass Group PLC; Milton Heights; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Eurest, part of Compass Group PLC, is seeking a Catering Manager to lead a premium dining operation across two office locations in Didcot. You’ll drive first-class food and service, manage a team, and ensure excellent customer experiences in a fast-paced environment.

You’ll partner with culinary colleagues to deliver a fresh menu, uphold food safety standards, and optimise budgets and resources while maintaining strong client relationships and a welcoming workplace culture.

Qualifications

• Experience leading catering teams in a contract catering or hospitality setting.
• Strong customer service and people-management skills.
• Good understanding of food safety, health & safety, and compliance.
• Commercial awareness with budgeting, labour, stock control and purchasing.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the catering team to deliver outstanding service.
• Oversee two office-location operations and maintain high standards.
• Collaborate with culinary teams to offer a fresh, varied food offer.
• Manage budgets, labour, stock control and procurement for strong commercial results.
• Build and nurture relationships with clients and stakeholders to exceed expectations.

Job description

We're looking for an inspiring Catering Manager to lead our catering operation across two modern office locations on the same business park in Didcot. This is far more than a traditional catering management role - it's an opportunity to oversee a high-end complimentary dining experience that employees genuinely look forward to every day. From freshly prepared breakfasts and vibrant lunches to quality drinks, snacks and occasional hospitality, you'll ensure every customer enjoys first-class food and service with a smile while leading your team to deliver operational excellence. What You'll Be Doing

• Leading, motivating and developing your catering team to deliver outstanding customer service every day.
• Overseeing the catering operation across two office locations, ensuring consistently high standards.
• Working closely with the culinary team to deliver an exciting, fresh and varied food offer.
• Ensuring exceptional food presentation, service standards and customer satisfaction.
• Managing budgets, labour, stock control and purchasing to achieve strong commercial performance.
• Building strong relationships with clients and key stakeholders, ensuring expectations are consistently exceeded.
• Maintaining the highest standards of food safety, health & safety and compliance across the operation.
• Coordinating occasional evening hospitality and events as requested by the client.
• Monitoring performance through KPIs, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Driving innovation and creating a welcoming environment where both customers and colleagues thrive., As a Catering Manager, you'll enjoy a fantastic Monday to Friday working pattern with the opportunity to make a real impact, leading a premium operation that values quality, service and teamwork.
  Has previous experience as a Catering Manager, General Manager or in a similar operational leadership role within contract catering or hospitality.
• Is passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences and high-quality workplace dining.
• Has strong leadership skills with a proven ability to coach, develop and inspire teams.
• Possesses excellent commercial awareness with experience managing budgets, labour and financial performance.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and can confidently manage changing priorities and client expectations.
• Has outstanding organisational and time management skills.
• Communicates confidently with colleagues, clients and senior stakeholders.
• Takes pride in delivering consistently high standards and leading by example.
• Has a proactive approach to problem solving and driving continuous improvement., If you're an experienced catering leader who enjoys building high-performing teams, developing strong client relationships and delivering exceptional workplace dining experiences, we'd love to hear from you.
  At Eurest, we believe food has the power to transform the working day. We're passionate about creating better breaks through exceptional food, outstanding service and memorable experiences., At Eurest, we're redefining workplace dining by creating experiences that bring people together through great food and exceptional service. We invest in our people, encourage innovation and provide genuine opportunities to build a rewarding career within one of the UK's leading food and support services businesses.