Food & Beverage Team Leader

Summary

The National Trust is renowned for its food and hospitality. We run 185 cafes all over England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and we'd love you to join us.

Are you passionate about great food and exceptional customer service? Do you thrive in a team-focused, fast-paced environment? The National Trust is looking for two dedicated and enthusiastic Food & Beverage Team Leaders to join our brand-new café team at Acorn Bank, as we re-open for a new season operating our café in house.

Because we are in a rural area, please think about how you’d be able to get here for work, before applying for the job.

Benefits: We want to help you look after the things that matter to you, such as saving for your future, getting a discount on your weekly shop, or encouraging you to find a work-life balance. Please read our package, below, to see what benefits we offer you.

Hours: 1500 hours a year. This role is based on annualised hours, where the amount of hours you work each month may vary, however your salary will be paid in 12 equal instalments over the year. The hours will be worked between February and November, which are the opening months for the property.

37.5 hours a week, working 5 out of 7 days including Saturday or Sunday. Shifts are 9:30am-5pm.

Duration: Fixed Term Contract until 30 November 2026

Salary: £17,460 per annum/ £11.64 an hour

Interview date: TBC

For this role, you’ll need to complete our online assessment instead of using a C.V. or online application form. This will help us understand more about your strengths and give you more information on the role.

What it's like to work here

Nestled in the Eden Valley, Acorn Bank is known for its tranquil gardens, historic watermill, and vibrant orchard. Our new café is set to be a key part of the visitor experience in a welcoming and picturesque setting.

To find out more about what it’s like to work in a food and beverage team for the National Trust, click here to watch our video.

What you'll be doing

As a Food & Beverage Team Leader, you’ll be at the heart of this exciting new venture, delivering an exceptional experience to visitors. Your responsibilities will include leading the daily operations of the café to ensure smooth service whilst maintaining high standards. You will inspire, train, and motivate the team to consistently deliver outstanding customer service.

Working closely with the Food & Beverage Manager, you will oversee food safety, hygiene, and compliance with National Trust guidelines. Additionally, you will manage stock levels, co-ordinate ordering, and strive to reduce waste, while collaborating with the wider National Trust team on property.

Your focus will be front of house, dealing directly with people and serving them food and drink. Crucial to this role will be your love of working with people, your positive ‘can-do’ attitude and your desire to provide an outstanding service.

Using your excellent eye for detail, you’ll make sure all displays and signs are accurate, and that the food is looking good. At times, you may need to help the kitchen team with preparing food.

You’ll also be supervising the induction and training of colleagues, to help build a team that’s dedicated to great service and to giving people a day to remember.

We’ll give you an induction that fits the job, and training in allergens and food safety, plus any mentoring needed to help you in your role. You can sign up for further professional training and development if you wish.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all of the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what’s possible in this role.

Who we're looking for

No experience is needed, but we’d love to hear from you if you’re:

• Friendly and adaptable, with a positive ‘can-do’ approach.
• Enthusiastic and willing to learn.
• A people person, who cares about communicating well and giving great service.
• Aware of health and safety compliance.
• A problem solver, who can lead and support a team every day.

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.

Location: Penrith, GB

Posted Date: 1/8/2025