Food & Beverage Supervisor

Chester Zoo; Chester; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff pass for zoo visits

Cycle to work

Healthcare plan

Pension scheme

33 days annual leave

Discounts

Job summary

Chester Zoo is seeking a Food & Beverage Supervisor to support the Assistant Manager in running our busy front‑of‑house team across multiple outlets, from fast food to cafe and kiosks. You will lead by example, deliver exceptional guest service and ensure stock, cleanliness and food safety standards are met.

Working 40 hours per week over 5 days, including weekends and bank holidays, you will help train staff, monitor performance, and participate in events such as Into the Night.

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams in a high-volume restaurant or fast-food environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to train, coach and mentor others.
• Demonstrated customer service focus and energy in a busy setting.
• Experience with cash handling, stock management and completing compliance documentation.
• Competent in Microsoft Office and EPOS systems.

Responsibilities

• Support the Assistant Manager to ensure smooth day-to-day running of your unit.
• Train, motivate and empower your team to deliver an outstanding visitor experience.
• Ensure your unit is presented to the highest standards and fully stocked.
• Lead by example, acting as a role model for exceptional customer service.
• Monitor standards of cleanliness, food safety and compliance procedures.

Skills

Leadership

Customer service

Team training

Communication

Cash handling

Stock management

Compliance

Tools

EPOS systems

MS Office

Job description

Food & Beverage Supervisor

We are looking for the perfect candidate to join our Food & Beverage team at Chester Zoo — someone who lives and breathes hospitality and thrives on delivering excellent customer service.

As a Food & Beverage Supervisor, you will support the Assistant Manager in organising and overseeing the daily activities of the front‑of‑house team within your designated unit, ensuring we consistently deliver the world‑class experience the zoo is known for.

Food & Beverage at the zoo includes a wide variety of outlets, from fast food and traditional family favourites to a gastro pub, coffee shops, kiosks, our staff canteen and a street kitchen serving Indonesian‑inspired street food.

The Role

Providing key operational support to the Food & Beverage Assistant Manager, this is an excellent opportunity to showcase your strong leadership and people skills within a fast‑paced environment.

You will:

• Support the Assistant Manager to ensure the smooth day‑to‑day running of your unit
• Train, motivate and empower your team to deliver an outstanding visitor experience every day
• Ensure your unit is presented to the highest standards and fully stocked to meet visitor expectations
• Lead by example, acting as a role model for exceptional customer service
• Monitor standards of cleanliness, food safety and compliance procedures

The Package

You’ll be working 40 hours per week across a variety of shifts, 5 days out of 7 on a rota basis, including weekends and bank holidays. Hours will generally fall within core zoo opening times, although evening work will be required for events such as ‘Into the Night’ and ‘The Lanterns’.

• Permanent contract
• Salary of £27,500 based on 40 hours per week
• 33 days annual leave
• Holiday buy/sell scheme
• Staff pass for zoo visits during your time off, plus complimentary tickets for friends and family
• Cycle to work scheme
• Healthcare plan and Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Discounts via Perks on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more
• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions of up to 9%

Our Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to coordinate and support large teams daily
• Experience in a similar supervisory role within a high‑volume restaurant or fast‑food environment
• Confident in training, coaching and mentoring others
• Strong customer service focus
• Experience in cash handling, stock management and completing compliance documentation
• Competent in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and EPOS systems

What makes Chester Zoo a great place to work?

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.

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