Food & Beverage Assistant Manager

Chester Zoo; Chester; On-site; GBP 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK zoo is seeking an experienced Assistant Manager for The Oakfield pub. You will oversee daily operations and ensure exceptional guest experiences. Ideal candidates should have proven management experience in hospitality and strong knowledge of food and beverage standards. This role offers a competitive salary of £31,929 and multiple employee perks.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Healthcare plan

Cycle to work scheme

Discounted gym membership

Staff pass for zoo visits

Qualifications

• Experience operating in a high-volume business at a management level.
• Exceptional guest service skills in a guest-focused environment.
• Experienced people manager who can inspire a team in various disciplines.
• Knowledge of Health & Hygiene Safety legislation processes.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the daily management of The Oakfield pub.
• Lead and develop the front of house team.
• Manage food and beverage systems including EPOS and stock control.
• Maximize revenue and profitability by monitoring payroll and spend.

Skills

Guest service skills

People management

Food & beverage knowledge

Health & Hygiene Safety

Budget management

Communication skills

Education

Vocational qualification in food & beverage

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

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The Oakfield Assistant Manager

We have an exciting opportunity to join our growing team at The Oakfield, set within the UK's number 1 zoo. As part of the Food and Beverage team, the Assistant Manager will be responsible for the daily management of the front-of-house team at this unique pub, ensuring an outstanding experience for every guest. This is a fantastic chance to work in a truly special environment, where you'll help deliver exceptional food and drink service in the heart of Chester Zoo.

The Role

As an Assistant Manager at The Oakfield, our award-winning gastro pub set in the heart of Chester Zoo, you'll be responsible for the day-to-day running of the front of house operations. You'll work closely with our Head Chef and wider food and beverage team to deliver exceptional service, maintain high standards, and ensure our guests have a memorable experience every time they visit.

You will:

• Oversee the daily management of The Oakfield pub, ensuring smooth service and an exceptional guest experience at all times
• Lead, motivate, and develop the front of house team, supporting recruitment, training, and performance management to uphold service excellence
• Manage all food and beverage systems including EPOS, stock control, cash handling, and health and safety compliance
• Utilise sales and performance data to inform decisions, set clear goals for the team, and react quickly to trading trends to drive results
• Maximise revenue and profitability by monitoring payroll and spend, encouraging upselling, and minimising waste and shrinkage
• Ensure all team members adhere to policies and procedures, including food safety standards, health and safety legislation, and licensing laws
• Support the delivery of occasional events held within The Oakfield, ensuring they are integrated seamlessly with regular pub operations

This is a hands-on leadership role ideal for someone with previous experience in a management role in hospitality, who thrives in a high-quality, guest-focused environment.

The Package

You'll be working a variety of shifts, including days and evenings for events such as weddings and corporate functions. Contract hours are 40 hours per week, 5 days out of 7 on a rota basis including weekends and bank holidays.

• Permanent contract
• £31,929 per annum based on 40 hours per week
• 33 days annual leave
• Annual holiday buy/sell scheme
• Staff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off, plus multiple complimentary tickets for your friends and family
• Cycle to work scheme
• Healthcare plan and employee assistance programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Discounts on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more via Perks
• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions up to 9%

Our Requirements

• Experience operating in a high-volume business, at a management level.
• Exceptional guest service skills within a guest focused environment
• Experienced people manager who is able to lead and inspire a team in a range of disciplines
• Awareness of current food & beverage and event trends with the ability to benchmark against competitors and able to present ideas for improvement to introduce best practice ahead of the game
• In depth knowledge and experience of Health & Hygiene Safety legislation processes
• Good practical knowledge of budgets, forecasting and setting targets
• Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to liaise to people at all levels
• Computer literate with working knowledge of Excel and other Microsoft products
• Knowledge of balancing guest requirements and service capabilities with the need to return a profit
• Knowledge of effective performance monitoring systems

Although not essential, the following would be desirable

• Experience of food & beverage in a leisure or visitor attraction environment
• Experience of delivering events.
• Hold a relevant vocational qualification in food & beverage

Please be aware we reserve the right to close our vacancies earlier than the listed date if we have received a high level of applications. We would recommend that if you do wish to be considered that you complete the application as promptly as possible as shortlisting and interviews may be taking place whilst the advert is live.

What makes Chester Zoo a great place to work?

Well, where do we start? Here goes...

We're a huge team of conservationists, scientists, educators, animal welfare experts, marketeers, visitor experience professionals, environmental policy influencers; the list goes on. Each and every one of us is on a mission to make Chester Zoo the best in the world, and our planet a better place.

As the UK's biggest and best zoo, we have ambitious goals, exciting plans, and there's always lots going on here. We're an inclusive and diverse organisation, made up of over 600 permanent and 500 temporary team members, and we know how important it is to invest in our colleagues to help boost their career development. We have ambitious goals, and we want you to be with us for the long term on our exciting journey.

Our working environment could not be more different from a typical office - where else can you see critically endangered orangutans from your office window, or stroll among rare giraffes and tigers on your lunch break?