Knepp Wilding Kitchen – Deputy Front of House Manager in Horsham

Job Type: Permanent/Full Time – 45 hours across five working days. Knepp is a 3,500 acre estate devoted to nature conservation based on pioneering rewilding principles. The estate attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and is the subject of a best-selling book, many newspaper articles and a major film. The new, £4m Wilding Kitchen & Shop combines a Michelin‑listed restaurant, courtyard with airstream coffee trailer, market garden (growing our own organic produce) and our shop. The site is primarily daytime only (breakfast and lunch, seven days a week), with occasional evening events.

The Role: This is a fantastic opportunity for a dynamic, enthusiastic, talented and passionate manager looking for a new challenge and to make a difference to the planet. Working alongside a team of expert chefs, growers, butchers, stockmen and ecologists, they will lead the creation of a unique restaurant at the heart of one of the UK’s pioneering rewilding projects, establishing it as a trusted and revered food destination.

Responsibilities:

• Overseeing & managing day to day operations of our 160 cover site in absence of manager
• Maintaining high quality service across two private dining spaces, main restaurant and our courtyard airstream
• Resolving complaints promptly and professionally
• Clear and precise daily communication to the front and back of house team
• Monthly stock takes & weekly stock ordering
• Communicating with suppliers as and when needed
• Completion of daily administrative tasks; emails, etc
• Managing team; rotas, daily skills, sickness
• Ensuring health & safety protocols are kept in place

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years in a respectable hospitality establishment
• Minimum of 2 years managing a team, rotas and day to day running of shifts
• Door host and Sevenrooms booking system (or equivalent)
• Bar trained (hot and cold drinks; cocktails etc)
• Ordering and stock taking
• Back office operations of till systems
• Driving licence essential

To act as a role model to your team, work with higher management to build the team into the best people for the right roles, develop, train and coach your team, bring fun and positive energy to the workplace and ensure a happy, motivated, and focused team, offer guidance to your team, ensure high customer experience and promote our ethos, champion swift, efficient, knowledgeable and engaging restaurant service, ensure compliance by the team of standard operating procedures, and engage with the wider Estate team in the delivery of events.

P&L: To manage the rota effectively to deliver target wage costs and assist in engaging the team in the weekly targets.

Operation: To maintain a safe workplace, ensure the restaurant environment is well maintained and meets internal brand standards, continuously manage FOH stock, and work during service hours to ensure high levels of organisation and standards.

Additional Information: Wine training/tastings, fixed days off, team trips, safaris of the rewilding project, and annual parties. Share of tips. Primarily daytime hours (9am-5pm). Staff discounts across Knepp Estate.

Knepp is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity in our team as much as we do in our landscape. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles at Knepp.