Deputy General Manager

Company of Cooks; London; On-site; GBP 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading catering company as a Deputy General Manager at the iconic Tower of London, overseeing diverse front-of-house operations. This role promises an exciting opportunity to lead a passionate team while ensuring exceptional service and guest experiences at one of the UK's top attractions.

Benefits

Personal Development and Training opportunities

Life assurance scheme

Pension scheme

Holiday allowance

Private medical eligibility

Eye care

Wellbeing strategy

Family friendly support

Social events and communication with leaders

Volunteering days

Recognition schemes and awards

Qualifications

• Strong background in hospitality or catering management, ideally in high-footfall or multi-outlet environments.
• Natural leadership skills and solution-focused approach.
• Excellent communication and organisational abilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily service across all catering units, stepping in as General Manager when needed.
• Supervise, motivate, and coach front-of-house teams.
• Maintain high standards of food presentation and service quality.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organisational

Guest Experience

Job description

Craft, Creativity and Community - we are Company of Cooks! These are our values, and they go far beyond corporate waffle. In fact, they set the tone for everything we do. Company of Cooks have been working with some of the UK’s most cherished venues since 1996, delighting customers and clients alike with great food and drinks, brilliant service and an absolute focus on the details that make good restaurants, cafes and bars, great ones. In October 2019 the company was brought into the CH&CO family. The completion of the deal saw Company of Cooks become the group’s go-to operators in heritage and performance venues, art galleries and destinations. We are excited to be recruiting for a Deputy General Manager to work with us at Tower of London.

We are looking for a passionate and proactive Catering Deputy Manager to support the General Manager in leading the catering operations across this unique and high-profile site. As the second-in-command, you will be instrumental in delivering excellence, developing the team, and maintaining the highest standards in one of the most visited attractions in the UK.

Location: EC3N 4AB

Working Pattern: 5 0ver 7, 40 hours per week, shifts between 9am to 6pm generally Sunday to Thursday

Salary: £45,000 per annum

Your Role:

In this hands-on leadership role, you will help manage the day-to-day running of all front-of-house catering services, including:

• The Tower’s busy Main Café

• Multiple historic kiosks throughout the site

• A fleet of mobile food vans serving grab-and-go options to thousands of visitors

Your focus will be to ensure operational excellence, staff engagement, and unforgettable guest experiences — all while upholding the prestige and heritage of the Tower.

Key Responsibilities:

Support and Lead Operations Act as the General Manager’s trusted second-in-command, overseeing daily service across all catering units and stepping in fully during their absence.

• Team Leadership Supervise, motivate, and coach front-of-house teams to ensure productivity, high morale, and exceptional service delivery. This role has 4 managers reporting in, total team management of 8, FOH is 15 to 45 depending on season.

• Service Standards Maintain high standards of food presentation, speed of service, cleanliness, and customer care in line with Compass and HRP expectations.

• Workforce Planning Coordinate team rotas and deployment across various units, adapting dynamically to visitor flows and peak periods.

• Training and Development Support the onboarding, induction, and continuous training of new and existing team members, promoting a culture of learning and service excellence.

• Health & Safety Ensure full compliance with food hygiene, allergen, health & safety, and risk assessment protocols on-site.

• Guest Experience Be present on the floor, resolving issues, gathering guest feedback, and fostering an atmosphere of warmth and hospitality.

• Collaboration Liaise with kitchen, logistics, and HRP partners to maintain efficient, seamless operations across the site.

Our Ideal Candidate:

• A strong background in hospitality or catering management, ideally in high-footfall or multi-outlet environments

• Natural leadership skills — approachable, solution-focused, and able to lead by example

• Excellent communication and organisational abilities

• Passion for guest experience and high service standards

• Ability to remain calm and effective under pressure

• A hands-on, can-do approach and flexibility to adapt to daily site demands

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
• Private medical eligibility
• 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

Vacherin officially formed part of CH&CO Catering Group Ltd in 2021.

Partnerships, Innovation, Integrity, Quality, Fun

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/2606/47611001/52746793/SU #Gather and Gather

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!