Food & Beverage Manager in Ormskirk

Farmer Ted’s is looking for an experienced, hands-on Food & Beverage Manager to lead our busy food and beverage operation. This is very much an operational role, and we are particularly looking for someone with strong kitchen experience who is confident managing food preparation, service, standards, stock and a team in a fast-paced environment.

As a busy outdoor visitor attraction, our trading levels can change significantly depending on the season, school holidays, events and weather. You’ll need to be comfortable working at pace, planning ahead for busy periods and getting stuck in alongside the team when required.

The Role

• You will take responsibility for the day-to-day running of Farmer Ted’s food and beverage operation, with a particular focus on the kitchen, food quality, efficiency and team leadership.
• You’ll lead a predominantly young workforce, helping to create a positive, organised and professional working environment while ensuring our guests receive great food and great service.
• This isn’t a Monday-to-Friday management position. Farmer Ted’s is busiest when our customers are here, so the role will include regular weekend working, school holidays and peak trading periods.
• During Farmaggedon, there will also be a requirement to work evenings and late trading periods as part of the management team.

Key Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day food and beverage operation.
• Lead from the front within the kitchen and food preparation areas.
• Ensure food is prepared and served consistently, efficiently and to a high standard.
• Manage kitchen organisation, prep levels and service during high-volume trading.
• Plan effectively for weekends, school holidays, events and other peak periods.
• Lead, motivate and develop a predominantly young team.
• Set clear expectations around performance, presentation, customer service and professionalism.
• Create rotas and ensure staffing levels match expected visitor numbers and trading requirements.
• Maintain excellent standards of food hygiene, cleanliness, health and safety.
• Manage ordering, stock levels, stock rotation and waste.
• Monitor food costs and identify opportunities to improve margins and operational efficiency.
• Help develop menus and food offers that work well within a busy visitor-attraction environment.
• Deal confidently with customer queries and resolve issues when required.
• Work closely with the wider Farmer Ted’s and Escapade Group management teams.
• Be visible, practical and willing to step into any area of the operation during exceptionally busy periods.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong previous kitchen experience is essential for this position.
• We’re looking for someone who understands what it takes to run an effective kitchen and can confidently manage both people and service when things get busy.
• You should have:
• Significant experience working within a commercial kitchen or high-volume food operation.
• Previous supervisory or management experience within food and beverage, hospitality, catering or a similar environment.
• Strong knowledge of kitchen operations, food preparation and service.
• Good knowledge of food hygiene and health and safety requirements.
• Experience managing stock, ordering, waste and food costs.
• The ability to organise and motivate a young and developing workforce.
• A calm, practical approach when working under pressure.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• The flexibility to work weekends, school holidays and other peak periods.
• Availability to work evenings during Farmaggedon.
• Experience within a visitor attraction, leisure venue, events business, holiday park or other seasonal/high-footfall environment would be an advantage, but the most important thing for us is finding somebody with the right kitchen experience, operational ability and leadership skills.

What You Can Expect

This is a varied, hands-on management role in a unique outdoor attraction where no two days are quite the same. At quieter times, you’ll be planning, organising and improving the operation. During our busiest periods, you’ll be right in the middle of the action, leading your team and making sure the kitchen and food outlets continue to operate efficiently.

If you’re an experienced kitchen operator who enjoys leading people, thrives in a busy environment and wants to take ownership of a substantial food and beverage operation, we’d love to hear from you.

About Us

Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm is part of Escapade Group, a growing group of visitor attractions and entertainment experiences focused on creating memorable days out for our guests. Across the Group, our attractions bring together family entertainment, leisure, hospitality and seasonal events, with a strong focus on delivering great experiences and continually developing what we offer.

Farmer Ted’s is an exciting addition to the Escapade Group, bringing one of the North West’s best-known family attractions into the wider portfolio. From busy family days at the farm to the high-energy evening operation of Farmaggedon, Farmer Ted’s offers a unique mix of outdoor attractions, hospitality and entertainment.

Joining Farmer Ted’s means becoming part of both an established attraction and a wider Group with ambitions to grow, invest and develop its venues and people. We’re looking for people who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, take pride in what they do and want to play an active part in the next chapter for Farmer Ted’s and Escapade Group.