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- Tasks: Manage client relationships and enhance school dining experiences across the South West.
- Company: Join apetito UK, a family-owned business dedicated to quality meals and sustainability.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous holiday, bonus scheme, and perks like retail discounts.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in schools while working independently and collaboratively.
- Qualifications: B2B sales experience, strong communication skills, and a passion for food and education.
- Other info: Remote role with travel; be part of a team that values inclusion and growth.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
We’re looking for a hands‑on, driven individual with a passion for food, service, and people. This role would suit someone from a catering, contract catering, or events background—whether that’s a Chef, Area Support Manager, or an experienced operator ready to step into a more commercial, client‑facing role.
If you’re someone who thrives in a fast‑paced environment, takes pride in delivering great service, and is motivated by making a real difference to customers and teams, this could be the perfect next step for you.
As a Catering Account Manager, you’ll play a key role in strengthening client relationships, supporting both existing and new business, and bringing our \”Passion for Service\” to life. The focus is on driving retention, supporting growth, and ensuring our offer remains relevant, engaging, and consistently delivered to a high standard.
The ideal candidate will be based in or around Northampton, with the ability to cover a territory spanning Northamptonshire and the M1 corridor across the Midlands and South of England, enabling effective customer engagement and regular on‑site presence.
4 days per week will be spent in the field with customers, 1 day working from home. Some overnight travel will be required.
Due to the nature of this role an Enhanced DBS will be required.
Responsibilities
- Meeting sales targets
- Growing business with existing customers
- Maintaining relationships with customers to ensure their continued satisfaction
- Being a genuine partner to your customers
- Launching new customers
- Training staff
- Improving the dining experience for pupils
- Sharing our expertise in food and nutrition
- Helping the nursery/school manage its food budget
- Working on business development opportunities
- Contributing to a positive team environment
- Working effectively alone and in a team
Retention
- Retention is the key challenge of the CDM role. The target is to achieve 97% Account & Value retention on existing accounts.
Mobilisations
- A key element of this role is to ensure that we mobilise our service excellently. This involves introducing our system, training staff and ensuring that they are appropriately skilled to continue the service.
Business Development
- Work closely with and support KAMs to develop group opportunities for further business development.
Relationships
- External relationships are obviously key to the success of this role, but CDMs must work closely and collaborate with other divisions, including Marketing, CS&D and Product development, Healthcare, LA and WFF.
The CDM would typically manage a portfolio of around 40 customers with a key focus on budget control, delivering training needs, product presentations and dispute resolution.
The role will also be expected to promote apetito throughout the Education marketplace through extensive networking.
Essential Skills & Experience
- Field‑based account management experience
- Highly organised approach to time management
- Good commercial and analytical acumen
- Able to identify operational issues quickly and plan an effective solution
- A consultative approach to influence people and outcomes
- First‑rate communication, both written and verbal
- Confidence in leading meetings and presenting information
- Adaptable to relate and engage with staff at all levels, including C‑suite
- Proven background in training
Desirable
- Experience of food/nutritional standards
- Experience in Catering industry
- Experience of the Education sector
- Good Networking experience
- Degree qualification
- Food Hygiene training
- Nutritional training (Dietician, Nutritionist, SALT etc.)
Personal Qualities
- Able to demonstrate gravitas and credibility with senior level stakeholders
- Resilient, tenacious and determined – persistent in pursuit of achievement
- Strong influencing, negotiating, listening and communicating skills
- Strong team‑working skills at all levels within an organisation, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence in delivery
- Must display a passion for this role and the business that we operate
Due to the geography of this role and the nature of working with customers in school and nursery settings, flexibility with working hours will be needed.
Travel to customers across the region and to national events, including overnight stays, will be a regular requirement – typically 1 night per week.
A company car is provided to facilitate this and a clean (or virtually clean) driving licence is essential.
As this role involves working in settings with children it will require an Enhanced DBS.
Benefits
- Competitive salary – accredited Living Wage employer
- Company car
- 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
- Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year
- Generous annual bonus scheme
- Pension scheme – employer matched contributions up to 5%
- Life assurance scheme worth 2x annual salary
- Free turkey or voucher at Christmas
- apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts
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Catering Account Manager employer: apetito UK
Contact Detail:
apetito UK Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Catering Account Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research apetito UK, their values, and their approach to catering in the education sector. This will help you tailor your conversations and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their mission.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees on LinkedIn to get the inside scoop on the company culture and what they look for in a Catering Account Manager. Plus, it’s a great way to make connections that could help you land the job!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews by practising common questions related to B2B sales and customer satisfaction. Think about specific examples from your past experiences that demonstrate your skills in managing accounts and improving client relationships.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Catering Account Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Catering Account Manager role. Highlight your B2B sales experience, especially in the food or education sectors, and show us how you can be a true partner to our customers.
Showcase Your Skills: We want to see your organisational skills and commercial acumen shine through. Use specific examples from your past experiences to demonstrate how you've successfully managed customer relationships and achieved sales targets.
Be Authentic: Let your personality come through in your application. We value passion and authenticity, so don’t hesitate to share why you’re excited about this role and how you align with our mission at apetito.
Apply Through Our Website: For the best chance of success, make sure to apply directly through our website. This way, we can easily track your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves!
How to prepare for a job interview at apetito UK
✨Know Your Customers
Before the interview, research apetito UK and their approach to catering in the education sector. Understand their customer base and think about how you can contribute to their mission of providing exceptional quality meals. This will show your genuine interest and help you connect with the interviewers.
✨Showcase Your Sales Skills
Prepare specific examples from your past experiences where you've successfully grown business with existing customers or launched new ones. Highlight your consultative approach and how you've influenced outcomes positively. This is crucial for a B2B sales role like the Catering Account Manager.
✨Demonstrate Team Spirit
Even though this is a remote role, emphasise your ability to work collaboratively. Share instances where you've contributed to a positive team environment or worked effectively alone. This aligns with apetito's focus on a cohesive team culture, which is important to them.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Nutrition
Since the role involves sharing expertise in children's nutrition, brush up on relevant food and nutritional standards. Be prepared to discuss how you can improve the dining experience for pupils and manage food budgets effectively. This will demonstrate your commitment to the role and its responsibilities.