F&B Leader: Elevate Guest Experience & Profit in Oxford

Join our team at Cricket St Thomas, part of the Warner Hotels Group. This 239-bedroom Grade II listed hotel with a theatre, spa, and restaurant is surrounded by 160 acres of parkland in the West Country. Looking to take the next step in your hospitality career? At Warner Hotels, you can discover your glow, as we believe people thrive when their unique strengths and personality are nurtured. Here, you’re free to be yourself, make an impact, and thrive in a tight-knit team that creates truly unique guest experiences.

As Head of Food and Beverage, you’ll play a crucial role in bringing that magic to life.

The Head of Food and Beverage is a hands-on leader with a passion for hospitality and operational excellence. You’ll bring strong commercial acumen, people leadership skills, and the ability to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

• Lead and optimise all food and beverage operations across the hotel to deliver outstanding guest experiences while achieving commercial targets.
• Manage multiple restaurants and bars, working closely with Food & Beverage Managers and the Executive Chef to ensure seamless daily operations, exceptional service levels and full compliance with health, safety and licensing regulations.
• Develop, coach and retain a high-performing multi-outlet team, owning labour and cost control to meet P&L targets.
• Embed our company values in everyday work by serving with heart and being poised and ready, challenging the ordinary through limitless thinking, owning measurable commercial impact, and winning as one through trusting teamwork and bringing your best.

• Operational Delivery – Oversee day-to-day operations across restaurants, bars, and outlets, ensuring smooth service, effective shift handovers, and strong front-line leadership.
• Implement Central Initiatives – Execute Head Office menus, promotions, and revenue-driving initiatives locally, maintaining consistency and commercial impact.
• Financial Performance – Take ownership of P&L delivery for Food & Beverage, controlling costs (labour, waste, stock) and achieving departmental targets through tight execution and reporting.
• Labour & Rota Management – Create efficient rotas, manage labour spend, and ensure adequate cover to meet service standards.
• Guest Experience – Champion service excellence, monitor quality, and coach teams to deliver memorable moments for every guest.
• People Leadership – Recruit, train, develop, and performance-manage the F&B team, fostering engagement, morale, and succession planning.
• Compliance & Safety – Guarantee 100% compliance with food safety, health & safety, and licensing requirements; manage audits and corrective actions.
• Collaboration & Deputising – Support Duty Management shifts, deputise for senior leaders, and work closely with Sales, Events, HR, and Procurement teams.
• Continuous Improvement – Identify efficiencies and service enhancements, piloting and scaling improvements within Head Office guidelines.
• Governance – Operate within approved financial and procurement processes, escalating issues outside delegated authority to the General Manager.

• Proven experience in multi-outlet F&B operations with strong knowledge of cost control and P&L management.
• A track record of delivering exceptional service standards and enhancing guest experiences consistently.
• Demonstrable ability to build and lead high-performing teams—setting clear expectations, coaching for success, and driving engagement through regular performance reviews.
• Commercial know-how in revenue delivery, including upselling strategies, maximising covers and spend per head, and using data to inform local decisions.
• Thorough understanding of compliance requirements across food safety, licensing, and health & safety.
• Strong operational and commercial execution skills, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Technical proficiency with EPOS, stock control, and rostering systems, plus solid skills in MS Excel and reporting.
• Outstanding organisational and problem-solving ability, with reliable delivery, attention to detail, and effective stakeholder management.

Ready to discover your glow? Be part of something more than a hotel — where your personality shines and your ideas matter.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of who we are and what we do. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our mission. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments or flexibility that you may require, including whether a role can be part-time or a job-share.

We genuinely care about every candidate's experience during the recruitment process and are here to provide support where we can. If you require any assistance or reasonable adjustments while applying, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.