Dining Manager in Hampshire

Near Basingstoke Full/part-time Base salary Service Charge Estimated earnings potential of £30k-£39k per annum

Are you ready to lead an exquisite dining experience within the Hampshire countryside, offering exceptional standards without formality or stuffiness? Do you feel passionate about providing a warm, professional, catering service to every guest walking through the door?

About The Candover: The Candover is a relaxed country pub with rooms set in the heart of the Hampshire countryside. With timber and stone floors, limewashed walls, antique furnishings and a cosy bar with open fires, it is the kind of place you wander into after a walk and feel instantly at home. While contemporary, attentive hospitality underpins everything we do, our approach remains simple, traditional and welcoming, offering great beer, fantastic wine and exceptional food cooked over fire and wood. Warmth, professionalism and personality sit at the heart of everything we do. We take inspiration from modern British dining and pair it with the warmth and generosity of Mediterranean hospitality, creating dishes and drinks that feel relaxed, vibrant and full of flavour. Celebrating quality produce and natural flavours, our food is confident but never fussy. Expect flame-grilled meats, seasonal vegetables and lighter plates that bring balance and freshness. Each dish is prepared to be both comforting and contemporary, offering the kind of food you want to eat every day but made with the care and attention that makes it feel special.

About The Role: We are looking for an experienced Dining Manager to offer a unique opportunity to develop or refine their skills outside of London but equating in standards. As Dining Manager, you will be responsible for ensuring this vision is delivered consistently across all guest touchpoints — from the main dining areas and pub service to private dining and hotel rooms.

Why Work with Us? The beating heart of The Candover is its staff, which is why we have embedded a fantastic working environment and supportive culture into our foundations. In addition to working amongst beautiful surroundings, we passionately offer clear career development pathways to invest in the development of our team. Alongside, other benefits of working with us can include occasional unique supplier trips, meaningful role‑specific benefits, and a positive and collaborative culture. The Candover is a workplace where growth, wellbeing, and great experiences go hand in hand.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and uphold a service style that is relaxed, confident, and highly professional
• Actively manage guest feedback, ensuring issues are resolved and expectations exceeded
• Recruit, onboard, train, and develop front-of-house team members
• Build a positive, inclusive team culture that encourages engagement and retention
• Oversee day-to-day front-of-house operations across dining, pub, and room service
• Ensure portion control, waste management, and stock usage are effectively monitored
• Ensure compliance with health & safety, licensing, and company policies
• Take ownership of the guest journey and continuously seek opportunities to improve
• Drive a culture of pride, accountability, and hospitality excellence
• Act as a key operational link between kitchen, front-of-house, and senior management

What We’re Looking For:

• Confident, polished, and professional service leadership
• Strong guest‑relations skills with proactive problem‑solving
• Recruitment, onboarding, and people‑development capability
• Ability to build an inclusive, positive, high‑performing team culture
• Excellent operational oversight across multiple service areas
• Strong understanding of portion control, waste reduction, and stock usage
• Solid knowledge of health & safety, licensing, and compliance standards
• Ownership mindset with a focus on continuous improvement
• Ability to drive accountability, standards, and pride across the team
• Effective communication and coordination skills

Tips are pooled and distributed fairly and transparently by our appointed troncmaster in line with the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023. Apply now for the opportunity of progression within a professional, supportive environment and build a long-term career in hospitality.