Head Waiter

Fortnum & Mason; Greater London; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious dining establishment in London is seeking a Head Waiter to join their team. You will be responsible for delivering exceptional service and leading the restaurant team to achieve targets. The role requires experience in similar dining environments and strong communication skills. You will enjoy competitive hourly rates, bonuses, and a supportive work culture with opportunities for development.

Benefits

Competitive hourly rate + paid overtime

Discretionary annual bonus up to 5%

Staff discounts up to 40%

Subsidised staff restaurant

28 days holiday + birthday day off

Matched pension scheme

Qualifications

• Experience within an Afternoon Tea / High Tea / Private Dining restaurant.
• Solid interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to think quickly and rationally.

Responsibilities

• Work with the management team to ensure smooth running of the restaurant.
• Create extraordinary customer experiences.
• Motivate and inspire team to hit targets.

Skills

Exceptional customer service

Interpersonal and communication skills

Ability to multitask

Team leadership

Attention to detail

Job description

Head Waiter - London

Join the Fortnum & Mason Team!

Are you passionate about delivering great service and eager to share your knowledge with others? Do you have a flair for customer service and a love for artisanal products? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you!

Fortnum & Mason are looking for an exceptional Head Waiters / Waitress to join our unique team at our beautiful Flagship store in Piccadilly at our Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. Responsible for demonstrating world‑class service, our new team member will possess passion for our product, and an ability to bring this to life for each and every customer.

Why Work For Us

• Competitive hourly rate + paid overtime
• Discretionary annual bonus (up to 5% of salary)
• Up to 40% store and restaurant discounts
• Subsidised staff restaurant using Fortnum's ingredients
• 28 days holiday + a day off for your birthday and 5 extra wellbeing days off
• Matched pension scheme and career development opportunities
• Annual staff party and incredible gifts after 5 years

What You'll Do

• Work with the Restaurant management team to ensure the smooth running of the restaurant
• Help drive, motivate and encourage the teams to look for areas where we can deliver more
• Support and develop the Waiters and Commis waiters
• Create and deliver an extraordinary customer experience, meeting all targets set
• Act as a role model at all times with customer experience at the top of the agenda
• Demonstrate an authentic and passionate understanding of brand, menus and restaurant service
• Ensure all the teams are aware of any menu changes and can accurately inform the customers
• Motivate and inspire team to hit targets
• Consistently lead by example
• Help to ensure that all staff carry out their duties to the best of their abilities at all times, liaising with other supervisors where appropriate

What We're Looking For

• Experience within an Afternoon Tea / High Tea / Private Dining restaurant.
• Coach, counsel and train team to deliver exceptional customer service at all times
• Ability to think quickly and rationally to ever‑changing situations
• Consistently lead by example
• Solid interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to multitask, prioritise and manage time effectively
• Think widely while focusing in on important detail generating winning ideas
• Demonstrate an authentic and passionate understanding of brand, menus and restaurant service

We are committed to developing your career and nurturing your talent, regardless of age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation

We respect and embrace each other's differences, to create a truly inclusive environment.

In the last year alone, our people have been recognised and celebrated, winning awards for their outstanding contributions to Retail, Technology, Global Hospitality & Tourism, Visual Merchandising & Display, Customer Service and Local Community Awards.