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- Tasks: Lead a dynamic catering team and ensure top-notch food services at a prestigious school.
- Company: Join Holroyd Howe, a leading contract caterer focused on innovative food services for independent schools.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, 28 days holiday, free meals, and comprehensive training support.
- Why this job: Make a meaningful impact in a values-led environment while enjoying work-life balance and growth opportunities.
- Qualifications: Experience in high-quality catering management and strong leadership skills are essential.
- Other info: Commitment to sustainability and nutrition is at the heart of our operations.
The predicted salary is between 44000 - 66000 £ per year.
Company Description
Location: West Surrey
Salary: £55,000 per annum + amazing benefits!
Benefits:
- Competitive salary of £55,000
- 52-week contract with minimal out-of-term operations
- Additional hours worked in term time compensated with lieu time out of term
- 28 days holiday including bank holidays
- Volunteering and grandparent leave available
- Enhanced family-friendly policies
- Comprehensive training and development support
- Company pension and life assurance
- Access to Perkbox discount platform
- Mental health and wellbeing support
- Free meals while on duty
- Clear progression opportunities through structured pathways
About the Role:
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a General Manager to lead the catering services at one of the area's most respected independent day schools. This position oversees the delivery of food and hospitality services across the site, including a busy dining operation, staff hospitality, and events. The successful candidate will lead a dedicated catering team, ensuring exceptional quality, innovation, and service.
Responsibilities include operational leadership, financial and compliance oversight, team development, and delivering outstanding client satisfaction within a premium educational environment.
What We’re Looking For:
We’re seeking an experienced and people-focused operator with a background in managing high-quality catering in education or similar sectors. A passion for food, service excellence, and team culture is essential. If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact in a values-led setting, while enjoying a strong work-life balance and long-term growth opportunities, we’d love to hear from you.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage a large team to ensure efficient and high-quality catering services
- Act as the line manager to Prep School Chef Manager as well
- Ensure smooth operations, meeting the needs of both students and staff
- Maintain operational excellence in a challenging logistics environment, focusing on efficiency and cost-effectiveness
- Implement and uphold food safety and quality standards (HACCP) across all catering operations
- Oversee the hospitality and lettings segments, ensuring a seamless experience for external events and high-profile functions
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives, adapting operations to meet changing demands and enhance service delivery
Qualifications Requirements:
- Proven experience as a General Manager in a high-volume, quality-focused environment
- You can demonstrate that managing, training, and supporting a team has been an important part of your career to date
- Financially astute, you are very analytical and know how to create and maintain budgets and drive commercial performance
- Excellent coaching, delegation and influencing skills
- Ability to prioritise multiple projects in a fast-paced, multi-faceted, creative environment and able to thrive under pressure
- Ability to multitask, prioritise responsibilities, and adapt to changing circumstances in a fast-paced environment
- Meticulous organisational abilities and a high attention to detail
- Empathetic, clear and highly effective verbal and written communication
- Ability to adapt to challenges and opportunities with a solution-oriented perspective
- Excellent strategic thinking and critical reasoning skills
Additional Information:
Holroyd Howe is one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.
To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.
We pride ourselves on:
- Sustainability: Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals.
- Nutrition: We take nutrition seriously and understand the impact a healthy diet has on the fundamental years of development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients.
- Food Innovation: We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation to our team.
“Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe are regarded as regulated activity, it is an offence to apply for a role in regulated activity if you are barred from working with children, therefore we will require an Enhanced DBS which includes a Barred List check for all successful applicants. We will also require shortlisted applicants to provide appropriate information regarding any criminal offences and shortlisted applicants will be subject to an online search of public available information on suitability to work with children.”
This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.
General Manager employer: Holroyd Howe
Contact Detail:
Holroyd Howe Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land General Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific catering needs of educational institutions. Research how catering services can enhance student experiences and align with the school's values, as this will help you demonstrate your understanding during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the education and catering sectors. Attend industry events or join relevant online forums to connect with others who can provide insights or even referrals for the General Manager position.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your leadership style and how you've successfully managed teams in high-pressure environments. Be ready to share specific examples that highlight your ability to foster a positive team culture and drive service excellence.
✨Tip Number 4
Stay updated on current trends in nutrition and sustainability within the catering industry. Being knowledgeable about these topics will not only impress your interviewers but also show your commitment to the values of the school.
We think you need these skills to ace General Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in managing high-quality catering services, especially in educational settings. Use specific examples to demonstrate your leadership skills and operational excellence.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that reflects your passion for food and service excellence. Mention how your values align with those of the school and express your enthusiasm for making a meaningful impact in their catering services.
Highlight Key Skills: In your application, emphasise your financial acumen, team management experience, and ability to thrive in fast-paced environments. Use bullet points to make these skills stand out clearly.
Showcase Continuous Improvement Initiatives: Include examples of how you've driven continuous improvement in previous roles. This could be through implementing new processes or enhancing service delivery, which is crucial for this position.
How to prepare for a job interview at Holroyd Howe
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a General Manager, you'll be leading a team. Be prepared to discuss your previous experiences in managing teams, highlighting how you motivated and developed your staff to achieve high-quality results.
✨Demonstrate Financial Acumen
Since the role requires financial oversight, come ready to talk about your experience with budgeting and driving commercial performance. Use specific examples to illustrate how you've successfully managed finances in past roles.
✨Emphasise Your Passion for Food and Service
This position is all about delivering exceptional catering services. Share your enthusiasm for food innovation and service excellence, and be prepared to discuss how you can bring that passion to the school environment.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving abilities in a fast-paced environment. Think of examples where you've had to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and how you ensured operational excellence under pressure.
