Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead catering operations for a prestigious college, managing a large team and ensuring exceptional dining experiences.
- Company: Join Holroyd Howe, a top UK contract caterer focused on innovative food services for independent schools.
- Benefits: Enjoy 28 days holiday, free meals, training opportunities, and discounts through Perkbox.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team that values sustainability, nutrition, and culinary innovation in an educational setting.
- Qualifications: Experience as a General Manager in a high-volume environment with strong leadership and financial skills required.
- Other info: This role involves safeguarding children; an Enhanced DBS check is mandatory.
The predicted salary is between 44000 - 62000 £ per year.
Location: Lingfield College, Lingfield, Surrey, RH7 6PN
Salary: £52,000 per annum
Benefits:
- 52-week contract, with limited out-of-term operations
- Extra hours worked during term time will be compensated with lieu time out of term
- 28 days holiday, including bank holidays
- 3 volunteering days
- 3 days grandparent leave
- 24 weeks enhanced maternity leave
- Bespoke training and development opportunities
- Pension and life insurance
- Discounts available through Perkbox benefits app (high street shops, holidays, cinema)
- Wellbeing hub & access to employee assistance programme
- Free meals while at work
- Career development opportunities and HIT Apprenticeships for all experience levels
Lingfield College is a prestigious day school catering for pupils aged 11-18 years. We are currently seeking a General Manager to oversee our catering operations, which include a 6th Form café and coffee shop. In this role, you will oversee the catering services for 800 pupils plus staff. You will also act as the line manager for the Chef Manager at Lingfield Prep School. The role involves leading a large team at the College and overseeing a smaller team at the Prep School. If you're passionate about delivering exceptional dining experiences and leading a team in a prestigious educational setting, this is a fantastic opportunity to join Lingfield College!
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage a large team to ensure efficient and high-quality catering services
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of the 6th Form café and coffee shop
- Act as the line manager to the Lingfield Prep School Chef Manager
- 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
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.
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. From tasting tables, theme days and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.
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.
Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
Employment type: Full-time
Job function: Customer Service
Industries: Hospitality
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 operations at Lingfield College. Understanding their current offerings and any recent changes can help you demonstrate your knowledge during interviews and show that you're genuinely interested in the role.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the education and catering sectors. Attend relevant events or join online forums to connect with others who may have insights into the role or the institution, which could give you an edge in your application.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your experience in managing teams and driving operational excellence. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've improved service delivery or implemented successful initiatives in previous roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Research Holroyd Howe's values and commitment to sustainability and nutrition. Being able to align your personal values with theirs will not only strengthen your application but also show that you're a good cultural fit for the organisation.
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 catering operations, especially in educational settings. Emphasise your leadership skills and any achievements in improving service delivery or team performance.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for delivering exceptional dining experiences. Mention specific examples of how you've successfully managed teams and improved operational efficiency in previous roles.
Highlight Relevant Qualifications: Include any qualifications related to food safety, management, or hospitality. If you have experience with HACCP standards or budget management, make sure to mention these as they are crucial for the role.
Showcase Your Communication Skills: Since effective communication is key for this position, provide examples in your application of how you've successfully communicated with teams, students, and stakeholders in past roles. This could be through leading meetings, training sessions, or resolving conflicts.
How to prepare for a job interview at Holroyd Howe
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a General Manager, you'll be leading a large team. Be prepared to discuss your previous leadership experiences, how you've managed teams, and any specific challenges you've overcome. Use examples that highlight your coaching and delegation skills.
✨Demonstrate Financial Acumen
Since the role requires financial management, come ready to talk about your experience with budgeting and driving commercial performance. You might want to prepare some examples of how you've successfully managed costs while maintaining quality.
✨Emphasise Your Adaptability
The job involves multitasking in a fast-paced environment. Share instances where you've had to adapt quickly to changing circumstances or priorities. This will show your potential employer that you can thrive under pressure.
✨Understand Food Safety Standards
Familiarise yourself with food safety and quality standards, particularly HACCP. Be ready to discuss how you've implemented these standards in past roles, as this is crucial for maintaining operational excellence in catering services.
