Food & Beverage Manager


Department:

Events & Commercial Development

Responsible to:

Head of Events and Commercial Development

Contract type:

Full time, permanent

Salary:

£35 – 38,000.00

Line manages:

Chef & Kitchen Assistant


About this job

As Food & Beverage Manager at Woolwich Works, you'll lead the strategic development and commercial performance of our food and drink offer across multiple venues and events. This is a pivotal role focused on innovation, profitability, and quality, not day-to-day café operations.

You’ll shape our hospitality strategy, build supplier relationships, and drive financial performance through smart procurement, strong product development, and effective compliance systems. You'll also play a key part in shaping the visitor experience, ensuring our bars and catering reflect the high standards of our brand.

Reporting to the Head of Events and Commercial Development, you’ll work closely with senior leaders to enhance the cultural and commercial impact of Woolwich Works through a dynamic and distinctive food and beverage offering. This role suits a proactive, commercially minded professional who can blend creative vision with operational oversight and inspire a high-performing team.

Is this job for you?

If you're a commercially savvy food and beverage professional with a passion for delivering quality and creating memorable experiences, this could be the perfect fit.

You're someone who thinks strategically, leads confidently, and thrives on developing offers that delight customers while driving revenue. You understand compliance, margin management, and hospitality trends, but you're also creative, collaborative, and not afraid to challenge the norm.

If you're ready to take ownership of a growing F&B operation within a vibrant cultural organisation and want your work to have both commercial and community impact, then yes, this job is for you.

Responsibilities

  1. Take ownership of F&B financial performance, working to meet and exceed sales targets and identifying commercial opportunities for growth and efficiencies.
  2. Support in the development of the Food & Beverage (F&B) offer, ensuring product quality, brand alignment, profitability, and innovation across all food and drink sales points across the venue.
  3. Lead and oversee all food and beverage procurement, stock management, and supplier relationships, ensuring robust systems are in place for purchasing, inventory control, wastage reduction, and loss prevention. This includes managing cellar operations and beverage systems, maintaining high technical and safety standards, and aligning procurement activity with sustainability goals, commercial performance targets, and the Trust’s strategic priorities.
  4. Oversee compliance with food safety and hygiene standards, ensuring robust systems (e.g., HACCP) are maintained by the kitchen team and aligned with best practice and legislative requirements.
  5. Lead health and safety compliance within the F&B domain, ensuring that all systems of work, risk assessments, training, and incident responses are proactively managed and documented.
  6. Ensure compliance and accountability in allergy and intolerance management, overseeing systems to record, communicate, and train on allergen content and food safety.
  7. Set and maintain high standards in product delivery, guiding the design of food and beverage menus and leading staff training programs in their preparation and product knowledge to reinforce brand consistency and quality.
  8. Ensure the EPoS systems and technology infrastructure meet the business needs of the F&B operation, supporting accurate sales analysis, reporting, and stock reconciliation.
  9. Provide strategic oversight of the bar operation during events, ensuring optimal layout, staffing plans, service models, and audience experience aligned with event objectives. Actively driving revenue and ensuring financial target are met without compromising service quality.
  10. Champion visitor experience within the F&B operation, working closely with the Visitor Experience Manager to ensure that service delivery consistently enhances the organisation’s public-facing reputation.
  11. Curate the atmosphere and environment of F&B spaces, setting standards for presentation, branding, and ambience that reflect the identity and values of Woolwich Works.

General Responsibilities

  1. Lead, support and develop the team, fostering a high-performance culture through clear goals, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.
  2. Undertake designated responsibilities, such as a First Aider, Fire Marshal or Duty Manager if required and appropriately trained.
  3. Ensure full compliance with all relevant legal, licensing, health and safety, safeguarding, and internal policy requirements.
  4. Support the development of future talent by welcoming and mentoring work experience placements, interns and apprentices, creating an inclusive and supportive environment.
  5. Promote and maintain a safe working environment, following the Trust’s Health and Safety Policy and all other relevant policies, procedures and encouraging others to do the same.
  6. Protect the organisation’s data and information assets, ensuring all work complies with the Trust’s data protection policies and the Data Protection Act 2018.
  7. Take personal responsibility for ongoing learning, undertaking training and professional development as required to meet the evolving needs of the organisation.
  8. Always act in the best interests of the Trust, complying fully with all relevant organisational policies and procedures.
  9. Carry out any other duties reasonably expected of the role.

Note: This job description outlines key responsibilities but does not form part of the employment contract. Duties may evolve over time and will be reviewed periodically in consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience

  • Proven experience in a senior food & beverage, hospitality, or bar management role with responsibility for commercial performance and team leadership.
  • Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene (including HACCP), licensing law, allergen management, and health & safety compliance.
  • Experience in stock control, procurement, supplier management, and achieving gross profit targets.
  • Confident using EPoS systems for sales tracking, stock management, and reporting.
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and organisational skills with the ability to motivate teams and manage multiple priorities.
  • Strong commercial awareness with the ability to align customer experience with financial goals.

Desirable skills and experience

  • Experience working in a cultural venue, visitor attraction, or events-based organisation.
  • Familiarity with tendering processes and supplier contract negotiations.
  • Understanding of food and drink trends, sustainability practices, and brand-led hospitality design.
  • Knowledge of cellar management, drinks systems, and bar service delivery in high-volume settings.
  • Formal training or certification in hospitality, leadership, or catering management.

Conditions



Hours of work

This is a full-time role, typically 40 hours per week, usually worked Monday to Friday.

However, flexibility is essential. You will be required to work outside of these hours, including evenings, weekends, and bank holidays, to support the successful delivery of events and other key organisational activities. No additional payment will be made for this, but time off in lieu may be granted where appropriate. You will also be expected to work operationally during major events

Holiday:

25 days per year, plus Bank Holidays (or days off in lieu of Bank Holidays), based on full time working. The Trust’s holiday year runs from April to March.

Location:

Woolwich Creative District Trust is based in Woolwich, southeast London. We may require you to work elsewhere or travel within the UK as part of your job.

Probationary period:

This role is offered on a permanent basis and is subject to a 6 month probationary period.

Notice period:

Prior to receiving written confirmation of the satisfactory completion of the probationary period, either you or the Trust can terminate employment by giving 1 month’s notice in writing.

Following satisfactory completion of the probationary period, the notice period will be 3 months.

References and right to work:

Offers are subject to receipt of satisfactory references and evidence of right to work in the UK

DBS check:

Due to the nature of this role, an enhanced [or basic] DBS check will be required prior to appointment.