Costume Character - Elf - Cheddar Gorge & Caves

Longleat Enterprises Limited (trading as Longleat); Cheddar; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 15,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

29 days holiday

Unlimited free entry to Longleat and C

Complimentary tickets to Longleat and 

50% off Membership for Friends and Fam

Discounts on food and beverages and RM

Discounts on Longleat VIP Experiences

Discretionary bonus scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Pension scheme

Perks at work

Flexible working schemes

Job summary

Longleat Enterprises Limited (trading as Longleat) seeks energetic and guest-focused individuals to become Santa’s Elves at Cheddar Gorge & Caves for the festive season. You’ll rotate through interactive roles, delivering magical moments and helping families feel part of the adventure from arrival.

Role involves storytelling, music, and playful interaction, with duties including greeting guests, guiding scenes, handing out gifts, and assisting Santa.

Qualifications

• Have an outgoing, enthusiastic and approachable personality.
• Undertake a DBS check due to the nature of this role.
• Have strong team-working skills.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills.
• Deliver the guest experience in line with safeguarding requirements.

Responsibilities

• Greet families and welcome them to the experience with warmth and enthusiasm.
• Lead interactive scenes throughout the cave using festive storytelling and group participation.
• Keep guests engaged and entertained as they move toward the grotto.
• Support the grotto experience by assisting Santa and managing guest flow.
• Hand out presents to children as part of the experience.
• Prepare and organise gifts before sessions and ensure stock is available.
• Stay in character and deliver a consistently guest-focused, magical experience.
• Engage confidently with guests of all ages and adapt to individual needs with kindness.
• Help maintain a tidy, safe environment and assist with daily setup and pack-down.
• Follow all Health & Safety procedures and complete safeguarding training before starting.

Job description

About the role:

We’re looking for energetic, cheerful, and guest-focused individuals to become one of Santa’s Elves at Cheddar Gorge & Caves this festive season. This is a truly interactive and performance-based role, where you’ll help deliver magical, memorable moments for every guest — not just at the grotto, but through a series of festive scenes set throughout the cave.

Elves bring the experience to life through storytelling, music, playful interaction, and animated delivery, helping families feel part of the adventure from the moment they arrive. You’ll be part of a team that creates wow moments.

Throughout the day, you’ll rotate between a variety of interactive roles, including:

• Greeting families and welcoming them to the experience with warmth and enthusiasm


• Leading interactive scenes throughout the cave, using festive storytelling, playful improvisation, and group singing (no solos!)


• Keeping guests engaged and entertained while they journey towards Santa


• Supporting the main grotto experience by assisting Santa and managing guest flow


• Handing out presents to children as part of the experience


• Preparing and organising gifts before sessions and ensuring stock is in place


• Staying in character and delivering a consistently guest-focused, magical experience


• Engaging confidently with guests of all ages and adapting to individual needs with kindness and warmth


• Helping maintain a tidy and safe environment, assisting with daily setup and pack-down


• Following all Health & Safety procedures and completing safeguarding training before starting

Working Environment

The festive experience takes place inside Gough’s Cave, including several interactive stations and the grotto itself — located approximately quarter mile inside the cave along a level, well-lit path. The role includes a moderate amount of walking, standing, light movement, and animated interaction. The cave environment can be cool and damp, so elves should be comfortable working in those conditions.

About you

We are looking for people who are confident, warm and enthusiastic, with the ability to bring the magic of Christmas to life for every family who visits the grotto. You'll:

• Have an outgoing, enthusiastic and approachable personality.


• Undertake a DBS check due to the nature of this role.


• Have strong team-working skills.


• Have excellent interpersonal skills.


• Deliver the guest experience in line with all Safeguarding requirements.

Your contract

You’ll join us on a Fixed Term basis, from mid November until 24 December 2026, when Santa’s work is all done for another year! Hours will be predominately weekend based, with midweek hours available Christmas week.

A little about us

Cheddar Gorge and Caves is a world-famous site set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is one of Britain’s most spectacular natural landmarks.

Being England's largest gorge, with a depth of 400ft and a length of 3 miles, this site presents an unforgettable experience for visitors throughout the year.

Why join the Cheddar team?

This unique work environment will immerse you in the breath-taking scenery of awe-inspiring cliffs and remarkable subterranean stalactite show caves, holding numerous fascinating secrets about our prehistoric ancestors and serving as a central location for caving and rock climbing enthusiasts worldwide.

You will receive attractive benefits that include:

• 29 days holiday inclusive of bank holidays, rising to 31 days at 5 years’ service.


• Unlimited free entry to Longleat and Cheddar Gorge and Caves for our employees


• Complimentary tickets to Longleat and Cheddar Gorge and Caves, 18 per annum pro rata


• 50% off Membership for Friends and Family


• Discounts on food and beverages and retail merchandise


• Discounts on Longleat VIP Experiences and Accommodation


• Discretionary bonus scheme


• Employee Assistance Programme


• Employer contributory pension scheme


• Life assurance scheme


• Perks at work


• Range of flexible working schemes