Regional Catering Manager

Dwr Cymru Cyf; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company in Wales seeks a hands-on Regional Catering Manager to oversee food operations across several sites. In this dynamic role, you will lead teams, develop talent, and enhance the food offering with fresh, local produce. If you have experience in managing catering operations and a passion for hospitality, we'd love to hear from you. The position entails working weekends and bank holidays with a supportive team environment and generous benefits package.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus public holidays

Childcare voucher scheme

Pension

Free car parking

Staff discounts

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in a high-volume catering/restaurant operation.
• Experience in a cafe/restaurant environment.
• Ability to communicate at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Oversee food preparation and service in high-volume catering.
• Lead and manage a team of staff.
• Develop and cost menus and manage food orders.
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene and safety standards.
• Support staff development through training and accreditation.
• Enhance food offering using fresh, local produce.
• Drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Skills

High volume Catering / Restaurant operation experience

Health & Safety experience

Excellent customer service skills

Knowledge of food hygiene licensing law

Team management experience

Senior level representation

Income growth in food operations

Food service & production experience

Effective communication in English

Proficient IT skills

Job description

We're looking for a hands‑on Regional Catering Manager to lead and support our catering teams across all South East sites. This is not a desk‑based role – you’ll be actively involved in kitchen operations, working alongside your teams to deliver consistently high standards of food and service. You’ll set the tone, lead by example, and ensure our cafés/restaurants are welcoming, well‑run, and aligned with our values. In addition to overseeing our visitor‑facing catering outlets, you’ll also be responsible for our staff and team café areas, ensuring they remain comfortable, well‑managed spaces that support our wider workforce. This role is all about people – leading teams, developing talent, and creating a positive, collaborative culture. You’ll bring energy, organisation, and a passion for food and hospitality, helping us deliver memorable experiences for both visitors and colleagues alike. We’re not looking for fine‑dining chefs – we’re building a team of food lovers who care about quality, consistency, and community. If you’ve got experience managing catering operations, working in kitchens, and leading teams, we’d love to hear from you.

• Oversee all aspects of food preparation, service, and delivery in a high‑volume, seasonal catering environment to ensure exceptional quality.
• Lead and manage a team of permanent and seasonal staff, driving performance, customer service, and achievement of KPIs.
• Develop and cost menus, manage food orders, and monitor theoretical vs. actual GP to stay within budget.
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene and safety standards, including maintaining Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) and HACCP documentation.
• Support staff development through 1:1s, training plans, succession planning, and food hygiene accreditation (Levels 1‑3).
• Enhance the food and beverage offering using fresh, local produce and aligning with customer expectations and market trends.
• Drive customer satisfaction and loyalty by delivering high‑quality service and becoming a regional leader in food and hospitality.
• Manage operational controls, including tills, cash reconciliation, stock management, staffing levels, and cost controls.
• Contribute to marketing and events planning, supporting the development of a customer‑focused product and annual events programme.
• Act as an Operations Coordinator, ensuring the safe and efficient running of the site as part of a rota.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in high volume Catering / Restaurant operation using fresh produce.
• Practical Health & Safety experience in a high volume; Cafe/Restaurant environment.
• Excellent customer service skills, from a customer focused background with the ability to communicate at all levels.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements associated with food hygiene licensing law, Premises licence, FSA, EHO, trading standards.
• Proven track record of managing developing and maintaining a team to meet customer and business needs.
• Experience in representing an organisation at senior level.
• Proven track record of growing income across a food and beverage operation.
• Demonstrable experience of food service & food production in a high volume establishment to a set standard, exceeding expectations and customer perception.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English.
• Proficient IT skills – MS Word, Excel, Outlook.

Benefits

• Site based role
• You will be contracted to work weekends & bank holidays over a 7 day rota, working 5 days out of 7, We know that if our employees are happy, our customers are happy.
• Beautiful location and surroundings
• Supportive team and environment
• 25 Days annual leave plus public holidays (pro rata)
• Childcare voucher Scheme
• Pension
• Free car parking
• Staff discounts (restaurants, water sports and bike hire)
• Dŵr Cymru Cyf, a limited company registered in Wales No. 2366777. Registered office: Linea, Fortran Road, St. Mellons, Cardiff CF3 0LT © Dŵr Cymru Cyf 2019.