F&B Operations Lead & Guest Experience Champion

THE WHITLEY WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST; Newquay; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days paid holiday pro-rata

Top-tier training

Free zoo entry for family

Staff parking

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounts on food & retail

Job summary

Newquay Zoo is seeking a confident and proactive Food and Beverage Coordinator to lead guest experiences across our site, with a focus on restaurant and catering operations. You will coordinate admissions, retail, front-of-house, and F&B to ensure smooth, safe, and high-standard service.

The role is hands-on and involves leading teams, ensuring quality and compliant service, and maintaining consistent cash handling and documentation. This position is known internally as Senior Operations Host.

Qualifications

• NVQ 2 Customer Care or equivalent is required.
• Significant experience in a Food and Beverage role.
• Experience working in a busy operational environment (visitor attractions, hospitality, retail, leisure, events).
• Demonstrated experience taking responsibility during shifts, coordinating colleagues or acting as a senior/lead host.
• Experience handling customer enquiries, complaints and escalations confidently.
• Experience following procedures related to cash handling, health & safety, and compliance.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to guide, support and motivate colleagues during daily operations.
• Excellent customer service skills with confidence in dealing with a wide range of guests.
• Confident use of till systems, ticketing systems or similar POS

Responsibilities

• Champion exceptional customer service by maintaining high guest engagement.
• Lead the team in delivering efficient F&B service with consistent quality, speed and presentation.
• Support preparation and service of food and beverages to required standards.
• Oversee stock rotation, waste minimisation and related documentation.
• Ensure hygiene, allergen, licensing and health & safety procedures are followed.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness and presentation in F&B areas.
• Oversee cash handling, tills, and cash deposits.
• Maintain accurate documentation and reporting for hosts.
• Communicate issues to supervisors/managers promptly and clearly.
• Take delegated operational decisions when covering the manager.
• Handle complex guest queries professionally and aim for a positive outcome.
• Provide accurate information about site memberships and experiences.
• Capture and share guest feedback for ongoing improvements.
• Foster a positive, collaborative team culture for peak performance.

Skills

Customer care

Food & Beverage

Leadership

Cash handling

POS systems

Guest service

Education

NVQ 2 Customer Care

Tools

Till systems

Ticketing systems

Job description

Newquay Zoo is seeking a confident and proactive Food and Beverage Coordinator to lead guest experiences across our site, with a focus on restaurant and catering operations. You will coordinate admissions, retail, front-of-house, and F&B to ensure smooth, safe, and high-standard service.

The role is hands-on and involves leading teams, ensuring quality and compliant service, and maintaining consistent cash handling and documentation. This position is known internally as Senior Operations Host.