Catering Manager
Job Description:Catering managers run the food service of organisations including restaurants, bars, schools, colleges and outside suppliers.
Job Category:What you will do:
Day-to-day tasks
In your day-to-day tasks you may:
- plan and develop menus to increase sales
- recruit and train staff
- manage a team of cooks and kitchen assistants
- organise shifts and rotas
- plan finances, manage budgets and stock control
- meet suppliers and negotiate contracts
- monitor the quality of the service to customers
- make sure all staff follow health and safety and food hygiene regulations
- cater for special diets and to meet cultural and nutritional needs
Working environment
You could work at a restaurant, at a school, in a government or private hospital, in an office or at a conference center.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills:
You’ll need:
- knowledge of food production methods
- maths knowledge
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
- business management skills
As well as:
- leadership skills
- the ability to motivate and manage staff (teamwork skills)
- excellent verbal communication skills
- customer service skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
Entry Requirements:
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
University
You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree. Useful subjects include:
- business and hospitality management
- culinary arts or culinary management
- hotel and catering management
College
You could take professional catering qualifications at college then move into management. You could also do a Diploma in Hospitality Management and find work as a trainee catering manager. Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could take a higher apprenticeship as a hospitality manager if you’ve got experience in catering and have also worked as a supervisor.
Work
You could start as a kitchen assistant or trainee ‘commis’ chef and work your way up while learning on the job. You could apply for work with restaurants, bars or catering companies.
Working Hours and Environment:
A typical week consists of 37-41 hours of work. You could be required to work evenings/weekends/bank holidays on shifts.
Career Path & Progression:
With experience you could move into larger organisations or those offering more specialised work like event catering.
You could also study for further qualifications to move into other hospitality roles.
Another option is to start your own contract catering business.