Food and Beverage Assistant

🌿Escape to the heart of the Forest of Dean, where your work makes every guest’s woodland stay unforgettable🌿

• Location: Forest of Dean (Coleford, Gloucestershire)
• Salary: £12.21 per hour
• Working Hours: Part-time, 24 hours.
• Days of Work: 4 days out of 7.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Food and Beverage Assistant to join our Forest of Dean team! Work in one of the UK’s most stunning forest locations, developing your skills while providing outstanding service to our guests. Sheltered beneath the protective canopy of ancient oak woodland or situated in the open meadow at the forest edge, our cabins at Forest of Dean offer an escape from everyday life in one of Britain’s most amazing forests.

About the Food and Beverage Assistant Role:

As our Food and Beverage Assistant, you’ll play a key role in the smooth running of our Forest Retreat, the welcoming hub of Forest Holidays. The Forest Retreat serves as a reception, shop, and café—a place for guests to relax, refuel, and plan their woodland adventures.

Unlike many hospitality roles, we offer a better work/life balance, with shifts starting no earlier than 8 am and finishing by 9 pm. This is your chance to work in a calm, natural setting while still delivering top‑quality service to our guests.

You’ll provide friendly, efficient service across retail and café operations, ensuring every guest enjoys the perfect Forest Feeling from start to finish.

Responsibilities:

• Welcome guests warmly and provide exceptional customer service throughout their stay.
• Prepare and serve food and drinks in our café.
• Maintain cleanliness and hygiene standards in all areas.
• Support stock control, restock shelves, and assist with deliveries.
• Operate tills, handle payments, and follow cash handling procedures.
• Work as part of a close‑knit team to ensure smooth daily operations.
• Ensure compliance with all health & safety and food hygiene regulations.
• Assist with the set‑up and running of events and activities where required.

What Are We Looking For?

Our ideal Food and Beverage Assistant is friendly, professional, and guest‑focused. You bring positivity and passion to everything you do and enjoy working in a team that values nature, service, and community.

Qualifications:

• ✅ Experience in a customer‑facing role (hospitality or retail preferred)
• ✅ Great communication and interpersonal skills
• ✅ A friendly and approachable attitude
• ✅ Attention to detail and pride in maintaining high standards
• ✅ A flexible approach to working across different tasks and shifts
• ✅ A passion for delivering an excellent guest experience
• ✅ A love for working in beautiful outdoor settings, come rain or shine!

Who Are Forest Holidays?

We’re a Certified B Corp. Our business has been recognised as a force for good. It\’s what we’ve always known: our holidays are good for people and the planet. We’ve never done business as usual. Our holidays are unique, and so are we. We’re a team of 800 people. We’re stewards of 244.5 hectares of forest. We manage the land for conservation and create spaces in nature for people to stay. Our tucked‑away cabin locations are always thoughtfully placed. They’re places to discover the wonders of nature and realise the part we all play in protecting it.

Why Join Us?

As a valued member of our team, you’ll enjoy a range of fantastic benefits, including:

Benefits:

• ✈️ Generous holiday allowance – Take the time you need to recharge
• 💰 Performance‑based bonuses – Earn a 5% bonus (paid quarterly) when customer service targets are met
• 🍼 Enhanced parental leave – (24 weeks maternity, 3 weeks paternity at full pay).
• 🎉 Long service awards and company events – Celebrate success with your team
• 🔒 Pension scheme – Secure your future with our company pension
• 💛 One full paid day to volunteer – Give back to a cause you care about
• 🍴 Subsidised meals – Discounted food when working on location
• ❤️🩹 Health cash plan & life assurance – Covered by the company to keep you protected
• 💛 Wellbeing events & activities – Focus on your mental and physical wellness
• 🏠 Save on breaks – Discounted and last‑minute stays at Forest Holidays and Sykes Cottages for you, your friends & family.
• 🛍️ Hundreds of discounts – Save on top brands across the UK

Please note: If successful in the role, any job offer will be subject to pre‑employment checks, including a basic criminal record check.

Pay Rates for Aged 16 and 17:

16 years: £7.55 per hour

17 years: £10.00 per hour

Reasonable Adjustments:

We’re all about diversity, inclusion, and bringing your authentic self to work. Need adjustments for the recruitment process? Just ask – our team is happy to help.

👉 Click ‘Apply’ now to start your journey with us in the Forest of Dean! Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity.