Assistant Catering Manager in Maidstone

Full Time (Part time hours will be considered). Every memorable day out involves great food and drink. At The Bishops Palace, a medieval visitor attraction located in the centre of the City of Wells in Somerset, we believe great hospitality is essential. Our Café, The Bishops Table, nestles next to the rampart walls with a fantastic view of the Palace. It is enjoyed by day visitors and locals and we are excited to be expanding our staffing team.

At the heart of our offer is the delivery of freshly made, great tasting and locally sourced food and drink. We believe this should be accompanied with exceptional customer service with options to cater for all visitors' expectations - from a quick coffee to go to enjoy while exploring the gardens to a celebratory breakfast for the whole family. As an independent charity (The Palace Trust), we aim to be part of the local community while sharing this wonderful heritage gem with all. It is a thriving working environment with a great team across the whole site.

The Role: We are looking for an experienced Assistant Catering Manager to join the team to deliver exceptional customer service and fantastic coffee! The Bishops Table offers breakfast and lunch in the busy café plus there are several seasonal outlets in the grounds. This new role will work closely with both the Head of Catering and the Shift leads adding additional experience and support to the team, building on the catering success and continuing to develop and improve the catering offering. The team work day shifts, generally hours between 8.30am until 6.30pm on a rota basis. The café is open daily from 9.30am until 5.30pm. There will be some occasional evenings if a special event is taking place such as Supper Club, Private Hire/bars or site wide events such as Outdoor Theatre, Party at the Palace or Sparkle Illuminations.

Who are we looking for: We are looking for someone with at least 3 years catering experience, where you have provided excellent customer service. Experience of supervising or leading a team in a busy café along with barista skills and an understanding of EPOS systems and financial procedures are key for this role. We want to ensure that every customer has a great visit, aiming to serve exceptional coffee, cake and fresh cooked food while offering a warm welcome and excellent customer service. Bar experience would be an advantage. This could be a great environment to develop your career. Or perhaps you are looking to change your work/life balance and come to an exciting catering environment which is mostly daytime shifts. We are looking for an Assistant Catering Manager who can be flexible in their working days. You must be a capable team leader, able to use your initiative, anticipating and resolving issues. You should be enthusiastic about customer care, be willing to learn and share learning. It is key time in the café's development to join and to help influence the future catering offering. As a small team, this role can be very hands-on.

Experience & Qualifications: Ideally our Assistant Catering Manager would have:

• At least 3 years experience working in a busy café/restaurant
• Experience of managing/leading a team
• Barista Experience (essential)
• Excellent communication, customer service and leadership skills along with ability to work well under pressure
• Budgeting, stock, till management skills and bar experience would be advantageous
• A-level or equivalent
• Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety (willing to complete Level 3)

What you will get for the role (including benefits): You will be working for an independent charity whose main aim is to share, preserve and protect the 800-year Bishops Palace, with its medieval buildings, moat and spectacular gardens. We reinvest in the team and the site and work with local community groups and organisations as part of our community engagement. We are a living wage employer. We provide an induction and training plan for each employee from day one.

• 25-day annual leave (increasing with length of service) plus additional day off for your birthday
• Wellbeing support and access to the organisational Employee Assistance Programme
• Positive working environment
• Staff Social events
• Free admission for yourself and a guest ticket
• Opportunity to join the Palace Trust Pension scheme (min of 12% basic pay contribution)
• Opportunity to support the local community through volunteer days
• Opportunity for further learning and to develop your career

How to Apply: To apply send your CV along with a cover letter highlighting your skills. Applications will only be considered with a cover letter. Applications should be submitted by 5pm on Wednesday 27 May 2026. Applications will be considered upon receipt, and we may contact applicants before the closing date. Interviews will take place at The Bishops Palace on Tuesday 2 June 2026. Anticipated start date from July 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.