Deputy General Catering Manager

Vacherin; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Personal Development and Training

Life assurance scheme

Pension scheme

Holiday allowance

Eye care

Wellbeing strategy

Volunteering days

Professional subscriptions

Long service awards

Job summary

Vacherin in London is seeking a Deputy General Catering Manager to lead day-to-day hospitality and events, delivering high standards for 50 to 350 guests, and overseeing the full event journey from enquiry to post-event follow-up.

The role requires hands-on management, strong client relationships, budgeting awareness, and the ability to deputise for the General Catering Manager. The position offers a £49,680 annual salary, a 40-hour week, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Previous catering/hospitality management experience.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Proven ability to manage events and client enquiries from start to finish.
• Good understanding of gross profit, budgets and costs.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day hospitality and events operation for events of 50–350 guests.
• Manage full event journey from enquiry to planning, delivery and follow-up.
• Prepare proposals, quotations and paperwork with accuracy.
• Build strong relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Lead, motivate and develop the events team.
• Coordinate operational teams to ensure smooth events and high service standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve the guest experience and introduce new ideas.
• Deputise for the General Catering Manager during absences and oversee wider catering operation.

Skills

Hospitality management

People management

Event management

Client relationships

Budget awareness

Job description

At Vacherin we celebrate diversity and embrace individuality. We genuinely like the people we work with, and love coming together to reset , refresh and have fun. We empower our people through togetherness , we give them the chance to shine and unlock their potential, and they fuel our strength and growth.

Are you passionate about food ,drink and service ,want to be part of an award-winning hospitality team- and still make it home for dinner? We are looking for a Deputy General Catering Manager to join our team in London.

Rate of Pay: £49,680 per annum, overtime paid at a premium of 1.5

Working Pattern: Monday - Friday, 40 hours per week, 8 hour shifts between 7am - 7pm, event overtime can run until 11pm

Location: London, E1 6PW

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day hospitality and events operation, delivering consistently high standards across events of approximately 50 to 350 guests.
• Manage the full event journey, from initial enquiries and bookings through to planning, delivery and post-event follow-up.
• Prepare event proposals, quotations and supporting paperwork, ensuring all details are accurate and well organised.
• Build strong relationships with clients and key stakeholders, understanding their requirements and providing a responsive, professional service.
• Lead, motivate and develop the hospitality and events team, creating a positive and high-performing environment.
• Coordinate operational teams to ensure events run smoothly and service standards are consistently achieved.
• Proactively identify opportunities to enhance the hospitality offer, improve service delivery and introduce fresh ideas.
• Deputise for the General Catering Manager during periods of absence, taking responsibility for the wider catering operation and team.
• Support the management of an operation with approximately £3 million annual turnover and 27 employees.
• Monitor financial performance, including gross profit, budgets, operational costs and financial reporting.
• Support period-end financial processes, operational reviews and wider business planning.

Our Ideal Candidate

We’re looking for an experienced hospitality and catering professional who enjoys being hands‑on with events and clients, but also has the commercial and operational confidence to step up and lead the wider business when required.

• Previous catering experience, with a strong background in hospitality, events or banqueting.
• At least 1–2 years' experience in a hospitality, banqueting or catering management role.
• Experience managing events and functions, ideally across a range of sizes and requirements.
• Confidence handling event enquiries, quotations, proposals and event paperwork.
• Strong people management skills, with experience leading, motivating and developing teams.
• A good understanding of gross profit, budgets, costs and operational performance.
• Strong client relationship and communication skills.
• The confidence to take ownership of the wider catering operation when deputising for the General Catering Manager.
• A proactive approach, with the ability to spot opportunities to improve the guest experience and introduce new ideas.
• Previous experience as a Catering Manager, Hospitality Manager, Deputy General Manager or similar would be particularly relevant.
• Previous catering, hospitality or banqueting experience is essential for this position.

What's in it for you?

Working with Vacherin has its perks! People are at the heart of everything we do, so we've developed a range of benefits to keep you happy.

• 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

About 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/0911/48908001/52789340/SU #Vacherin

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!