At a Glance
- Tasks: Support the café's daily operations and cater for exciting events.
- Company: Join Wildwood, a charity dedicated to wildlife conservation and rewilding.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, 30 days annual leave, and staff discounts.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while working in a vibrant, nature-focused environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in fast-paced kitchens and a passion for quality food.
- Other info: Limited evening work and great career development opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 24232 - 27000 ÂŁ per year.
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Wildwood Devon, Escot Park, Ottery St Mary, EX11 1LU
Reports to: Catering Manager
Responsible for: This role has no direct reports
Grade: 4
Job Purpose
This role will support the everyday smooth running of our Devon café, catering for organisational events, and ensuring an excellent visitor experience.
Key Responsibilities
- Maintain the organisation’s high food safety standards to ensure a 5-star food hygiene rating, with meticulous hygiene practices and accurate record keeping.
- Prepare and cook an exciting seasonal menu in keeping with the organisation’s values.
- Guide and motivate the team to deliver excellent customer service, supporting with training where appropriate.
- Support with managing waste & stock levels, banking, rotas, ordering, and monthly stock counts.
- Cater an exciting, varied, and profitable menu for organisational events.
- Work closely with the Catering Manager and the wider team to ensure the success of organisational events.
The Working Week
Your working week will be varied and busy, with peak season working during the school holidays. You will be responsible for supporting the Catering Manager with all Devon café operations. You will work collaboratively with the Retail, Education, Volunteer, Keeper and Marketing teams to provide a consistently excellent visitor experience. This role is unique in hospitality in that there is limited evening working, and only one weekend day per week is usually required (excepting annual leave cover). Core working hours are between 08:00 and 17:00 with an unpaid half an hour for lunch. This post is 37.5 hours per week over 5 days, Monday to Sunday. The job will involve overtime, including some evenings and bank holiday working as part of your normal duties. You may be required to occasionally travel between parks.
This job involves undertaking duties which include the following health, safety and wellbeing considerations:
- Regular use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
- Use of machinery / tools
- Lone working
Mandatory Training for this role includes
- Manual Handling
- Equality & Diversity
- Safeguarding Awareness
- GDPR / Data Protection Awareness
- Fire Safety Awareness
- Ladder Safety
- First Aid
- Fire Warden & Extinguishers
- Food Allergen Awareness
- Food Hygiene Level 2
Skills, Knowledge, Qualifications & Experience
- All Wildwood staff are passionate, committed, and resourceful.
- To succeed in this specific role, you will be self‑motivated, hardworking, and a great team player.
- A confident cook with a passion for serving great quality food & taking pride in its presentation.
- A comprehensive understanding of food safety.
- A positive leader, able to support, direct, and train up a seasonally fluctuating team.
- Previous experience working in a fast paced kitchen.
- Food Hygiene Certification Level 2 or above.
- Demonstrate a genuine love of British wildlife and belief in Wildwood’s Mission; to protect, conserve, and rewild British wildlife.
- Previous experience providing a variety of styles of catering.
- Previous experience of supporting events.
- A basic understanding of costings, wastage, stock levels and profit.
Why work for Wildwood
Wildwood is a native species conservation charity established in 2002 to push the boundaries of innovative conservation and rewilding. We work with nature to fight the biodiversity crisis, to halt the extinction of species and to create resilient habitats in which nature thrives. We focus on nature‑based solutions to return native species and recreating truly wild spaces. Wildwood has a proud culture of respecting and valuing all colleagues. Our people are integral to our success; their expertise enables us to achieve our ambitions, their professionalism creates strong collaborations, and their integrity upholds our organisational values.
Employment Package
- Annual salary of ÂŁ24,232.00
- Annual leave allowance of 30 days a year, including statutory holidays
- Workplace pension (auto enrolled after three months)
- Inclusive and family‑friendly working policies
- Training & development opportunities
- Selection of staff benefits including discounts
- Free or reduced price entry to BIAZA accredited zoos and aquariums
Catering Supervisor - Devon in Ottery St Mary employer: Wildwoodescot
Contact Detail:
Wildwoodescot Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Catering Supervisor - Devon in Ottery St Mary
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company! Before your interview, do a bit of research on Wildwood and its mission. Understanding their values and conservation efforts will help you connect with the team and show that you're genuinely interested in the role.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice makes perfect! Run through common interview questions related to catering and customer service. Think about your past experiences and how they align with the responsibilities of the Catering Supervisor role. This will help you feel more confident when it’s your turn to shine.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your passion! When discussing your cooking skills and experience, let your enthusiasm for food and wildlife come through. Share specific examples of how you've created exciting menus or led a team to success in previous roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After your interview, send a quick thank-you email to express your appreciation for the opportunity. It’s a nice touch that can set you apart from other candidates and keep you fresh in their minds.
We think you need these skills to ace Catering Supervisor - Devon in Ottery St Mary
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your love for food and wildlife shine through! We want to see your enthusiasm for creating great dishes and supporting conservation efforts.
Be Specific About Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your previous kitchen experience and any relevant certifications. We’re looking for someone who knows their way around a busy kitchen, so share those details with us!
Tailor Your Application: Don’t just send a generic application. Take the time to align your skills and experiences with the key responsibilities listed in the job description. Show us why you’re the perfect fit for our team!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Wildwoodescot
✨Know Your Menu
Familiarise yourself with the seasonal menu and the types of dishes you might be preparing. Be ready to discuss your cooking style and how it aligns with the organisation’s values. This shows your passion for food and commitment to quality.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've motivated and trained a team in previous roles. Highlight your ability to lead in a fast-paced kitchen environment, as this will demonstrate your readiness to support the Catering Manager effectively.
✨Understand Food Safety Standards
Brush up on food safety regulations and hygiene practices, especially since maintaining a 5-star rating is crucial. Be prepared to discuss your experience with food hygiene certifications and how you ensure compliance in the kitchen.
✨Emphasise Team Collaboration
Since this role involves working closely with various teams, think of examples where you've successfully collaborated with others. Show that you can work well with different departments to enhance the visitor experience and support organisational events.