General Manager - Bamburgh Walled Garden

The Opportunity:

Nestled in the heart of Bamburgh Village, the Walled Garden is a beautifully restored and thoughtfully designed destination that offers something for everyone. This enchanting space currently features a welcoming café with indoor and outdoor seating, a separate takeaway service, with accessible parking, a Changing Places toilet, a sensory garden and a playground, ideal for families and day visitors.

Since opening in February 2025, Bamburgh Walled Garden has quickly become a cherished local attraction, enjoying a successful first six months of operation. As a family-owned business, it complements the wider Bamburgh Castle Estate, with both venues contributing to the village’s rich heritage and visitor experience.

Nigel Wright Group is proud to continue its exclusive partnership with the Bamburgh Castle Estate in the search for a talented and experienced General Manager to lead operations at the Walled Garden

About the role:

We are seeking a passionate and commercially minded General Manager to take full responsibility for the day-to-day operational management of the Bamburgh Walled Garden. This is a senior on-site role, ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment and is excited by the opportunity to shape the future of a unique hospitality and visitor destination.

You’ll oversee the smooth running of the café and takeaway outlets, lead a dedicated team, and ensure the venue is consistently well-presented, safe, and welcoming. Beyond daily operations, you’ll play a key role in driving revenue, improving margins, and identifying opportunities for growth and innovation. The venue operates counter service only from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, with occasional evening openings, and is open 364 days a year, with peak periods during school holidays and Christmas.

As General Manager, you’ll lead both kitchen and front-of-house teams, hold the venue’s alcohol licence, and ensure full compliance with food safety, hygiene, and health & safety standards. You’ll work closely with the Head Chef to shape the food offer, plan menus, and set pricing, while analysing performance data to guide strategic decisions and improve profitability.

You’ll manage budgets, payroll, and financial reporting, maintain accurate records, and liaise with the Agent to propose and implement new initiatives. A key part of the role involves driving footfall and income through improved takeaway operations, seasonal events, private hire, and creative use of vacant spaces within the Garden.

You’ll also recruit, train, and support staff, manage rotas and time off, and ensure the team is motivated and well-prepared for busy periods.

Experience / Skills

We’re looking for someone who is:

• A strong team leader with experience in busy, food-driven environments (e.g. café, restaurant, bar, visitor attraction).
• A people person who inspires and supports staff and fosters a positive working culture.
• Commercially minded, with the ability to analyse sales data and make strategic decisions.
• Experienced in food safety, hygiene, health & safety, and able to hold an alcohol licence.
• Skilled in managing budgets, payroll, and contributing to business planning.
• Located within easy commuting distance of Bamburgh.
• Excited by the opportunity to grow and develop the venue, with ideas for future investment and expansion.
• An excellent communicator who puts customer experience at the heart of everything they do.

Other information:

Salary: Competitive

Hours: 40 hours per week, on-site, with flexibility during peak periods

Holiday: 28 days including Bank Holidays

Regular weekend working required – Saturdays are especially busy

This is a unique opportunity to lead a thriving hospitality venue in one of Northumberland’s most picturesque locations. If you’re ready to bring energy, ideas, and leadership to a growing business, we’d love to hear from you. All CVs and enquiries must be directed to Nigel Wright Group.

Please do not contact the venue directly, as Nigel Wright is the exclusive point of contact for this recruitment process. Nigel Wright Group are working exclusively on this search and as such, any direct, third party supplied or referred applicants/CVs will be forwarded to Nigel Wright for consideration as part of our process.