Catering manager – Full time – Permanent

Coolings Nurseries; Knockholt; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Ownership

28 days holiday

Staff discount

Job summary

Coolings Nurseries' Blueberry Café in Knockholt, Kent seeks a Catering Manager to lead the café operations with calm leadership and a commercial mindset. You’ll drive menu decisions, margins, and service quality in a beautiful garden-centre setting.

The role offers stable full-time hours, a supportive team, employee ownership benefits, 28 days holiday and a generous staff discount. You’ll manage people and processes to deliver consistent hospitality.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years’ proven experience in a catering or café management role.
• Commercially aware with profit margins, cost control and admin.
• Hands-on leader who builds trust, develops and inspires people.
• Calm, measured and solutions-focused.
• Values quality of life as much as service.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations, ensuring a seamless customer experience
• Manage menus with a commercial mindset – balancing quality, cost and efficiency
• Take control of the numbers, margins, stock and reporting
• Implement and refine processes that drive clarity, consistency and performance
• Lead, support and develop a great team of people – working alongside them, not “above” them
• Build a positive, accountable culture where standards are understood and upheld

Skills

Catering experience

Leadership

Financial acumen

Job description

Catering Manager

Location : Blueberry Café, Coolings Lifestyle, Main Road, Knockholt, Kent TN14 7LJDays / Hours : Permanent, Full Time – 40 hours per week including alternate weekends (Some flex up in peak periods)Salary : From £30,000 per year, depending on experienceMost catering manager roles ask for everything and give very little back… This one is different!This is a rare chance to step into a catering role that doesn’t demand burnout to succeed.If you’re ready to bring your experience into a setting where you can lead properly, work to your best andenjoy your surroundings, we’d love to hear from you.Set within a beautiful, high-end garden centre, our café offers a calm, inspiring environment – surrounded bygreenery, natural light and a loyal customer base that genuinely enjoys being here. This isn’t high-street chaosor late-night service. It’s quality, consistency and pride in what you deliver.We’re looking for a Catering Manager who is very organised, takes ownership of performance and leads fromthe front – someone who is just as comfortable working with numbers on a spreadsheet as they are leadingand mentoring a team member serving customers.

Why This Role Stands Out

Predictable, sociable hours – no late nights, more time for life outside work A calm, premium environment – say goodbye to stressful, high-pressure service Work-life balance that actually exists A stable, established operation with room to shape, improve and grow A great team that you can develop, not just manage.

The Role

You’ll take full ownership of the café operation, ensuring it runs smoothly, profitably and consistently to a highstandard. This is a role for someone who is highly organised and loves getting things in order, works to aprocess and strives to make things simple and clear, but who also understands that great hospitality isbuilt through people delivering quality food.

You will:

• Oversee daily operations, ensuring a seamless customer experience
• Manage menus with a commercial mindset – balancing quality, cost and efficiency
• Take control of the numbers, margins, stock and reporting
• Implement and refine processes that drive clarity, consistency and performance
• Lead, support and develop a great team of people – working alongside them, not “above” them
• Build a positive, accountable culture where standards are understood and upheld

About You

You’re not just experienced, you’re focussed in the way you work.

• Have at least 2 years’ proven experience in a catering or café management role

• Commercially aware – confident with profit margins, cost control and admin
• A hands-on leader who builds trust, develops and inspires people
• Calm, measured and solutions-focused
• Someone who values quality of life as much as quality of service

• Pleasant, people-centred work environment in great location
• Our employees own a big part of the business through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT)
• Opportunity to develop your skills and grow within the company
• 28 days holiday with 2 days’ additional holiday after 3 years’ service
• Birthdays off after first complete year of service
• Generous staff discount, company pension and free on-site parking
• Uniform is provided

Own transport arrangements are essential as public transport is not reliable to Coolings.