General Manager

Little And Large Hotel Company Limited; East Malling; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tronc

Performance-related opportunities

Company discounts

Training and development

Career progression

Job summary

The Leicester Arms, a lovingly refurbished country pub with rooms in Penshurst, Kent, is seeking a hands-on General Manager to own the operation from floor to back office. You’ll lead the front-of-house team, drive a strong food-led offer, and oversee bedrooms and events with a focus on guest experience and commercial performance.

As a visible leader, you’ll recruit, train and develop teams, manage rotas and payroll, and work closely with the Head Chef to deliver exceptional hospitality.

Qualifications

• Previous General Manager experience in a quality pub, restaurant, hotel or hospitality business.
• Experience managing a food-led operation.
• Experience with bedrooms or boutique hospitality would be a strong advantage.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of P&L, labour and GP.

Responsibilities

• Lead front-of-house teams and manage day-to-day operations across pub, restaurant, bedrooms and events.
• Drive revenue across food, drink, rooms and events with strong cost control.
• Recruit, train and develop teams; manage rotas, labour and payroll.
• Maintain high standards of service, presentation and guest experience.
• Ensure health & safety, licensing compliance and community engagement.

Skills

Leadership

People management

P&L management

Hospitality operations

Customer service

Recruitment & training

Food & beverage

Job description

We’re looking for an exceptional General Manager to lead The Leicester Arms, our beautiful country pub with rooms in the heart of Penshurst, Kent.

Following a major refurbishment in 2024, The Leicester Arms has been transformed into a stylish, characterful pub with 11 individually designed bedrooms, a strong food and drink offer, beautiful outside spaces and a growing reputation as a destination for dining, stays and events.

We’re looking for an experienced, hands-on General Manager who can take full ownership of the business, lead from the floor and continue to develop The Leicester Arms into one of the best pubs with rooms in the area.

This is a genuinely hands-on General Manager position.

You’ll be responsible for the day-to-day running of the entire operation, including the pub, restaurant, bedrooms and events, working closely with the Head Chef and senior management team.

You’ll take ownership of:

• Leading, developing and motivating the front-of-house team
• Delivering exceptional guest experiences across food, drink and bedrooms
• Maintaining consistently high standards of service and presentation
• Recruitment, training and development
• Rotas, labour management and payroll control
• Sales, forecasting, budgets and P&L performance
• Driving revenue across food, drink, rooms and events
• Stock control, purchasing and margin management
• Bedroom standards and the overall guest journey
• Guest feedback and complaint resolution
• Health & safety, licensing and compliance
• Local marketing, events and community engagement
• Working closely with the kitchen team to deliver a strong food-led operation

About You

We’re looking for someone who is naturally hospitable, commercially minded and comfortable taking complete ownership of a busy operation.

You’ll ideally have:

• Previous General Manager experience in a quality pub, restaurant, hotel or hospitality business
• Experience managing a food-led operation
• Experience with bedrooms or boutique hospitality would be a strong advantage
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of P&L, labour and GP
• Excellent leadership and communication skills
• High standards and strong attention to detail
• Confidence managing busy services from the floor
• Experience recruiting, training and developing teams
• A genuine passion for food, wine and hospitality
• The ability to build relationships with guests and the local community

Most importantly, we’re looking for someone who leads by example.

You should be visible, present and involved in the operation, supporting the team, engaging with guests and taking pride in every part of the business.

What We Offer

You’ll be joining Little & Large Pub Company, an award winning independent hospitality group with a collection of individual pubs across Kent, Surrey and London.

We offer:

• Tronc
• Performance-related opportunities
• Company discounts
• Training and development
• Genuine opportunities to progress within a growing business
• The autonomy to make a real impact on your site

The Leicester Arms has huge potential, and we’re looking for someone ambitious who wants to take ownership of the business, build a brilliant team and continue developing it as a destination for great food, drinks, stays and hospitality.

If you’re an experienced hospitality leader looking for your next challenge, we’d love to hear from you.

Little & Large Pub Company it’s the little things that make the large difference.