Hospitality and Catering

Job Title: Catering Manager

Location: Abbotsford, Melrose

Reporting to: Commercial Manager

Status: 35 hours per week – 5 days over 7 days (plus additional hours as agreed). The post holder will be expected to work flexibly within the opening hours of the operation which includes weekend working and occasional evening work.

Salary: £15.38/hour (pro rata f/t £27,991 – Grade 5, spine point 13)

Employee Benefits  

 

Pension contributions matched up to 4% of salary.  

   

Free parking – enjoy free family walks any time at Abbotsford.  

 

Staff discounts in our shop, café, and public events.  

Context

Abbotsford was designed and built by Sir Walter Scott as both his home and the location for his extensive collection of books and historical memorabilia, and was first opened to the public in 1833, five months after his death. After the death of his last descendent in residence, Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott, in 2004, The Abbotsford Trust was created to preserve, protect, and promote not only the house, but also the life and works of Sir Walter. Abbotsford is considered to be one of the most important heritage sites in Scotland.

The Visitor Centre welcomes some 94,000 people through its doors every year, the majority of whom will come to the café during their visit. Open 10am to 5pm in high season, and 10am to 4pm in low season, Ochiltree’s Café and its outdoor Horsebox serve tourists, coach groups, local residents and dog walkers of all ages year-round. The café at Abbotsford came in-house in 2023, having previously been contracted out to a management company. Catering services for private events and the 5 star luxury self catering Hope Scott Wing is provided by external caterers, who on occasion may require limited use of kitchen facilities.

Job Purpose

Responsible for achieving the commercial and service objectives for catering at Abbotsford

Responsible for achieving financial targets monitored via key performance indicators including total sales, gross profit on sales, and full cost management in all areas

The management of all functions of the café catering operation at Abbotsford including management of staff, resources, business development, customer satisfaction and quality standards

Scope and Accountability

The Catering Manager reports directly to the Commercial Manager and is responsible for achieving the objectives of the catering plan. They are responsible for the following resources:

Annual turnover in the region of £400,000 with a target profit to be agreed annually

All purchasing and staff costs

All catering staff; kitchens and front of house

All catering health and safety, and food hygiene requirements

Key Responsibilities

Lead on overall food strategy for the operation; menu development and innovation in all food offers with the support of the Kitchen Lead and the Commercial Manager

Ensure seasonality in menus and a variety of choice for the range of customers at Ochiltrees

Develop and monitor supply chain to ensure excellent quality and consistency of products, following best practice and systems in purchasing

Monitor food cost, control food waste and manage discrepancies in gross profit achievement

Support the kitchen to ensure all food is presented for service in a timely manner

Ensure staff are briefed about menus, allergens, and other relevant information

Develop menus as required for private hires, events, and any other F&B requirements

Ensure that services are delivered with a customer focused ethos

Support kitchen team to develop cost controls and standard recipes

People Management – Responsibilities

Develop training and development plan for catering staff and monitor delivery and completion of individual training plans

Build and maintain good working relationships with colleagues within the wider organisation

Creates a working atmosphere which motivates and encourages all members of staff to perform to the best of their abilities

Systems and Processes – Responsibilities

Set, work to, and be able to evaluate budgets for sales performance, monitoring turnover and costs and responding quickly to variances in performance, implementing corrective action where necessary

Manage the day-to-day administration of the operation ensuring systems compliance; development of Standard Operating Procedures to support this

Lead on food safety with the support of the Kitchen Lead in line with current legislation; ensure completion of daily and other due diligence requirements

Oversee catering Health and Safety requirements, in accordance with risk assessments and in line with current legislation

Oversee kitchen and front of house maintenance requirements

Ensure daily and weekly cleaning duties are undertaken and due diligence paperwork completed

Responsible for the control of stock rotation and wastage

Ensure regular review of supply chain and prices into unit

Comply with, and ensure compliance with, all Abbotsford policies and procedures

Ensure services meet Health and Safety standards established by Abbotsford

Other Responsibilities

Contribute to the wider Abbotsford marketing strategy and development of marketing initiatives including a catering-specific marketing plan and associated collateral

Monitoring the effectiveness of catering marketing activity and responding accordingly, demonstrating a full understanding of the customer base

This job description is indicative of the nature and level of responsibility associated with the job. It is not exhaustive and there may be a requirement to undertake such other duties as may be required to meet the needs of Abbotsford

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

Food safety qualification level 3 (intermediate)

Management experience in a customer focussed hospitality/cafe environment (at least 2 years)

Experience of managing operational catering functions of quality, process, ordering, stock-control etc

Experience in menu planning and design

Experience of managing budgets and financial procedures

Experience of staff management including appraisals, training, and development

Desirable

Formal management/catering qualification

Formal training to assist in delivery of staff training e.g., “Train the Trainer”

Experience in mobilising a new hospitality business

Skills and Abilities

Essential

Ability to motivate others and to manage conflict effectively

Ability to respond positively to a pressurised environment and adopt a positive approach to problem solving; making contingency plans as needed

Excellent written and verbal communication skills including reporting skills

IT skills including Excel and Word

Personal Qualities

Commitment to the Abbotsford Trust’s mission, vision and values

Commitment to Equality and Diversity and understanding of how they may apply within own role and customer relations

Ability to work weekends, bank holidays and occasional evenings as required

Please apply by sending a CV and covering letter to vacancies@scottsabbotsford.co.uk

Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust has recently invested in the redevelopment of the café space. We aim to provide a flagship café within the Halls building that offers employment and training in a vibrant working environment and provides healthy, well-prepared and good quality food for all of our customers.

Purpose of Post:

The management of all functions of the café operation at Maryhill Burgh Halls including management of staff, resources, business development, good food, quality standards and supporting the ethos of exceptional employment opportunities for local people.

We are looking for a dynamic experienced Cafe Manager to help deliver the successful running of the operation. We seek someone with strong catering management experience, food production skills, commercial attitude and behaviours, great customer service skills and experience of working within a vibrant, creative environment. They will also have a strong value base that promotes training and development. Experience of working with volunteers and people with training needs will be advantageous.

The key elements of the role are:

• Food preparation and planning responsibilities
• Resource management – people, product and other resources
• Systems and processes – responsibilities for development and ongoing management
• Development of event catering opportunities
• Development of food elements of community engagement programmes

To view the full job description and person specification and to apply please visit Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust’s website.

Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust
Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust (MBHT) was established in 2004 as a registered charity in North West Glasgow to save the Victorian Burgh Halls from demolition and bring the Halls back into community use. MBHT raised over £9 million to regenerate the building and it reopened in 2012 as a multipurpose space including an event venue, office spaces to let and local heritage site including a museum and exhibition space and collection of artefacts. Heritage has been at the heart of the Trust’s aims and activities from the beginning of the Burgh Halls’ regeneration project. MBHT continues to look for ways to engage and involve the local community to promote local culture, arts and heritage and highlight the excellent community facility of the historic Burgh Halls. 2024 will be an exciting year for the Trust with development of a new business plan, community engagement following our consultations and the further development of our café along with our programme of exhibitions, collaboration, workshops, talks and tours as well as our participation in a number of festivals.

Email: recruitment@mbht.org.uk or Tel: 0141 948 0700 for more information.

This is a rare opportunity to join our small team as an Assistant Chocolatier producing award-winning world-class chocolates. This permanent full-time year-round position is suited to a kind, dedicated, patient assistant who will help wherever required while developing skills necessary to become an artisan chocolatier. Personal qualities are more important than experience as full training will be given. Long term commitment is required.

The ideal candidate enjoys excellence, fine detail, continuous learning, and is content with repetitive tasks in a production kitchen. You will work efficiently under pressure, value genuine friendships and be a clear communicator.

Benefits and pay are excellent, work is Monday-Friday 9-5.30
and surrounded by a kind and supportive team.

See Indeed for full details or email Master Chocolatier Iain Burnett at chocolatier@highlandchocolatier.com Tel.01887 840775
Grandtully, between Aberfeldy & Pitlochry PH9 0PL

The Fruitmarket is looking for a Chef

We’re looking for an experienced chef to work within a small, experienced brigade to ensure smooth running of the café kitchen. The kitchen’s ethos is making things from scratch and working with fresh, seasonable produce and a regularly changing menu. The continuing success of the café is a vital part of the Fruitmarket’s public-facing offer as we expand our activity, including catered events. The Fruitmarket’s café is popular with our exhibition audiences, busy commuters, local residents, and tourists alike. Our core opening hours are 9am–6pm.

Application Process
For an informal discussion about the role please contact Martin Collins, Head Chef chef@fruitmarket.co.uk. 
 
Please visit our website https://www.fruitmarket.co.uk/recruitment/ to download the job description and equalities monitoring form.  
 
Please complete the equalities monitoring information and submit a CV. 
 
Your CV should be maximum 2 pages and demonstrate that you have the required skills for the post.

The application should be emailed to  jobs@fruitmarket.co.uk with Chef as the email subject heading. 

We will contact shortlisted candidates directly.
Application deadline: Wednesday November 1st, end of day.

Are you enthusiastic about food & ‘Taste our Best’ representing Scotlands leading food & beverage businesses?

Do you have creative flair, not only in the kitchen, but in developing a program of events in our tearoom that compliment our core visitor experience?

Have you an eye for detail and a passion for providing excellent customer service?

Pitmedden Garden welcomes over 30,000 visitors each year and a visit to The Garden Tearoom at Pitmedden Garden is popular with locals and tourists alike.

We focus on providing a classic tearoom experience, with guests relaxing in the sumptuous surroundings of Pitmedden House, overlooking the historic gardens, with outdoor seating also available during the warmer months.

Our menu includes favorites such as seasonal soups, specialty scones and also our signature afternoon tea.

During the autumn and winter when garden is closed, the tearoom becomes the perfect backdrop for a variety of workshops, food experiences and social gatherings.

Are you enthusiastic about food & ‘Taste our Best’ representing Scotlands leading food & beverage businesses?

Do you have creative flair, not only in the kitchen, but in developing a program of events in our tearoom that compliment our core visitor experience?

Have you an eye for detail and a passion for providing excellent customer service?

Castle Fraser welcomes over 45,000 visitors each year and a visit to the Castle Tearoom is popular with locals and tourists alike.

We focus on providing a welcoming tearoom experience, with guests relaxing in the vaulted room, soaked in history and formed part of the kitchen of the Castle.

Our guests can enjoy our menu includes favorites such as seasonal soups, specialty drinks and home baking.

Castle Fraser is home to a variety of large-scale family focused events, including Halloween trails, Archeology weekends and the food & beverage department are key to supporting these and maximising income opportunities and customer experience.

Our Visitor Experience team members are the first point of contact for visitors. We welcome hundreds of people each week to our Centre and this role ensures that the variety, quality and sustainability of food products provided through our Seabird Café contributes to the customer’s overall experience.

Principal responsibilities
We are looking for an enthusiastic person who is motivated to provide an excellent offer in our café, leads by example on customer care and professionally handles customer compliments and complaints. The individual will be a team player and, as part of our visitor experience management structure, will need to undertake the tasks of the designated Centre Duty Manager on a rota basis.

i. Provide a warm and friendly welcome to our customers ensuring that they have a
good customer experience and that our approach is inclusive towards everyone.
ii. Support the Catering Manager in running the Seabird Café and kitchen to deliver a
varied menu that meets our sustainability (local, sustainable sources) and quality
(taste, presentation, value) of products we serve in the café.
iii. Undertake specific duties assigned by the Catering Manager including rota
preparation, stock ordering and receipt, checking equipment is operational and daily
cash/payment reconciliation.
iv. Work safely, observing all Health & Safety policies and procedures and the hygiene
standards required from our catering system.
v. Supervise café and kitchen staff ensuring that they understand their duties and are
supported to carry these out effectively day to day. Support recruitment and training
needs.
vi. Assist with the preparation of food in the kitchen, when required.
vii. Ensure all caterings areas are checked and are fully operational, cleaned and meet
required hygiene standards.
viii. Undertake the activities required of our Centre Duty Manager on a rota basis which
includes opening up/closing down the Centre, daily safety checks and ensuring the
visitor experience team is deployed across teams to meet the customer demands
across the day.
ix. Efficiently handle customer compliments and complaints.
x. Be willing to learn about our wider charitable activities and talk to customers about
these, including promoting the benefits of our visiting our paid experience and
membership.
xi. Carry out any other reasonable duty which is within the competence of the post,
when directed by the Catering or Duty Manager to assist.

Essential skills and experience
• Consistent delivery of a high-quality visitor experience, with a customer-focused
attitude.
• A confident communicator – verbal and written.
• Organised with an ability to take the initiative, prioritise your work and supervise
others.
• A team player – adaptable and flexible to a varied working environment and able to
handle customer compliments and complaints.
• An ability to work under pressure at peak times.
• An appropriate means of transport to get the Centre across the working week between 0830 and 1800 and occasional evening events.

Desirable skills and experience
• Alignment with our charity’s conservation and education goals.
• An awareness of and affinity to environmental sustainability.

Our stylish café serves freshly prepared meals and refreshments made with locally-sourced ingredients including morning coffee, lunches and afternoon tea. The modern light interior offers commanding views over Abbotsford and the surrounding countryside providing the perfect place to get together with friends and family.

Working as part of the Ochiltree’s cafe team, you will serve customers to ensure an exceptional standard of service to all visitors.

We are looking for part-time and full-time candidates for this post.

Application Process
For more details of the role, please see the link below for the Waiting Staff job description.

To apply, either submit your CV or download and complete the Application form, sending it to vacancies@scottsabbotsford.co.uk.

Should you have any enquiries or questions about the position, please contact Alex Pate at vacancies@scottsabbotsford.co.uk.

Application deadline: open until suitable candidate hired

PLACE OF WORK

The GlenAllachie Distillery, Aberlour, Moray, AB38 9LR, Scotland

THE COMPANY

The GlenAllachie is one of Scotland’s few independently owned and managed Scotch whisky companies. Led by Billy Walker, who boasts an incredible 50-year tenure in the world of whisky, they strive to be industry leaders in both liquid quality and cask innovation. With ownership of The GlenAllachie single malt, Meikle Tòir Peated single malt, MacNair’s Lum Reek blended malt, MacNair’s Exploration Rum and White Heather blended Scotch brands, they have an impressive portfolio that is growing exponentially. The multi-award-winning brand home, based in Aberlour, is at the heart of the company. Winner of Visitor Attraction of the Year 2022, they are renowned for providing one of the best visitor experiences in the Speyside region, and with recent significant investment, they are looking to bring in the right person to continue to develop their brand home.

THE JOB

A fantastic opportunity has arisen with one of Scotland’s most revered independent Scotch Whisky producers for a Brand Home Manager based at our brand home in Speyside. This opportunity will allow you to work alongside some of the most exciting talent in the industry, with significant opportunities for personal and professional development.

THE ROLE

This role represents a wonderful opportunity for a dynamic and experienced professional to join the GlenAllachie team at their Speyside home in Aberlour. Reporting to the Marketing Director, this role will lead the entire operation at The GlenAllachie Distillery Visitor Centre, which includes tours, events, retail and bar activities. The person will require exceptional commercial acumen to lead and manage the people and activities successfully. The candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing the brand home strategy for the company.

ROLE DETAILS

Lead the visitor centre team in delivering exceptional, engaging and educational visitor experiences through tours, events, tastings and retail.
Develop and execute the strategic vision for the brand home, continually focussing on the growth of the visitor centre and driving towards enhanced experiences.
Develop new visitor experiences, seeking fresh and exciting ways to exceed customer expectations and needs while promoting the GlenAllachie brands.
Ensure strong management of the visitor centre shop and bar is in place, including stock management and overseeing all money-handling procedures.
Ensure daily operation is managed efficiently and delivered to consistently high standards.
Build and maintain excellent relationships with the Operations Director and the distillery/warehouse teams to ensure the smooth running of the Visitor Centre and that all health and safety standards are complied with.
Ensure the Visitor Centre operation is appropriately resourced for both public visitors and Trade/VIP visits.
Maintain responsibility for the quality of the overall visitor experience.
Manage the tour booking system (Checkfront) and all tour enquiries, including trade/VIP visits.
Manage the till system (EPOS), which will include regular reporting, stock management and product review.
Leading the recruitment, induction, and ongoing training of team members. Includes annual reviews, training and development and ensuring support in place to deliver a consistent and exceptional customer experience.
Understand, lead, and comply with safety, quality and sustainability legislation.
Lead by example by actively delivering all experiences within the business, from hosting guided tours to serving in the bar and shop.
Working alongside the marketing team to plan and execute any events held within the visitor centre, including managing the distillery events for the Spirit of Speyside Festival.
Manage monthly, quarterly and annual reporting to ensure the visitor centre growth strategy is effective and adjust as necessary to ensure continued increased profits.
Support where necessary at brand events and whisky shows.
KEY SKILLS

Experience in effectively leading the operational management within a business, ideally for a visitor/tourist attraction.
Exceptional leadership and people management skills.
Excellent customer care skills in providing and sustaining world-class customer service.
Ability to deliver creative and engaging experiences for a wide range of customers.
Management experience in an operational leadership capacity, including experience with annualised hour contracts, flexible workforces, and managing multi-faceted, vibrant and dynamic teams and individuals.
The ability to provide innovative and creative ideas to continually enhance the visitor experience.
Strong problem-solving skills.
Ability to multitask and prioritise a range of work streams in a fast-paced environment.
A collaborative approach and ability to work closely with multiple stakeholders across different parts of the business.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

2-3 years’ experience in leading a team in a management capacity.
Experience in presenting to a wide range of audiences.
Current Driving License.
Good knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Previous experience within the hospitality, retail and/or tourism sector is desirable.
Personal Licence holder (desirable but not essential as training will be provided).
PAY RANGE

£35,000 – £45,000 per annum, depending on experience

The Kitchen at Restoration Yard is a gorgeous restaurant in the stable yard area of Dalkeith Country Park, a beautiful 1,000-acre space owned by the Duke of Buccleuch. The team ensure that every guest receives a friendly welcome and the highest standard of service.

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who want to help our passionate team to provide an exceptional service to our guests. We have the following exciting opportunities working in our busy and fast paced restaurant, coffee shop, larder and Fort Douglas cabin:

Food & Beverage Assistants
You will be responsible for a busy section of the restaurant, ensuring a professional and relaxed dining experience for our guests. You will be confident and able to work independently, with the ability to communicate effectively with the kitchen and management team.

Baristas
If you’re passionate about coffee and share our desire to provide a perfectly handcrafted quality beverage whilst ensuring high standards of cleanliness, we would love to hear from you.

• Do you have a friendly and welcoming attitude?
• Can you demonstrate a passion for customer service?
• Are you able to thrive in a fast-paced environment?

If you want to work in a fun environment with like-minded people, then please get in touch! As a daytime operation we offer sociable hours to fit around your other commitments, although weekend working is essential to cover our busiest times. We have a variety of full-time and part-time shifts available depending on your availability.

To apply send a copy of your CV and covering letter to our recruitment team at recruitment@buccleuch.com indicating which role you are most interested in and what hours you are available to work.

The closing date for applications is 31 October.

Please view our Privacy Policy at https://www.restorationyard.com/privacy-policy/

This is a rare opportunity to join our small professional team producing award-winning world class gourmet chocolates – this position is suited to a kind, dedicated, patient assistant who will help wherever required while developing skills necessary to become an artisan chocolatier.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

The ideal candidate:

– has a continuous attitude of learning;

– has a sharp eye for detail and is also content with repetitive tasks in a production kitchen;

– works efficiently under pressure in an organized way;

– follows directions and recipes precisely;

– appreciates the difference between standard and gourmet chocolate;

– values genuine friendships and contributes to a positive team culture;

– communicates fluently and clearly with team mates and the Master Chocolatier;

– can support others closely as well as work independently with responsibility.

A passion for gourmet food is vital together with a willingness to work to the standards required by the Highland Chocolatier brand. Personal qualities are more important than experience as full training will be given.

BENEFITS OF WORKING HERE

Permanent, full-time, year-round work, with excellent pay.

Being surrounded by a kind and supportive team.

Training to world class standards.

Usual working hours 9 to 5.30 Monday to Friday.

Applicants must live within 30 minutes travelling distance of PH9 0PL.

Please send your CV with contact details for 2 referees and a handwritten covering letter to Master Chocolatier Iain Burnett. Tel. 01887 840775 chocolatier@highlandchocolatier.com