Catering Manager

Job Description

Are you a passionate and experienced catering professional looking for an opportunity to lead a dynamic food service operation? Aramark UK is seeking a Catering Manager to oversee all catering and hospitality services at Brockenhurst College. This is an exciting role where you will be responsible for delivering high-quality, nutritious, and innovative food experiences for students, staff, visitors, and event guests, while driving commercial performance and maintaining exceptional service standards.

As the Catering Manager, you will lead and develop a dedicated team, manage budgets and supplier relationships, ensure full compliance with food safety and health and safety regulations, and help shape a welcoming and vibrant campus dining experience. Working closely with college stakeholders, you will play a key role in enhancing customer satisfaction, supporting wellbeing initiatives, championing sustainability, and contributing to Aramark UK's commitment to delivering exceptional service and operational excellence.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all employees and workers to share this commitment. All roles are subject to safer recruitment checks, including references and an enhanced DBS check, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

What's in it for you:

• Compeitive salary and benefits package- £40,000
• You will have access to PerkBox - which includes 100's of discounts, including savings on your weekly supermarket shop and weekend treats!
• We also offer a company package including life assurance, pension contributions, generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy more, and many more perks.
• You will also be joining a great team, with fabulous career prospects and could lead to all sorts of opportunities – we LOVE to promote from within!
• As we are passionate about developing our people from within, great training is provided. We also offer apprenticeship schemes, so your learning journey can continue!

Job Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the day-to-day catering and hospitality operations across all college food service outlets, ensuring high standards of quality, service, and customer satisfaction.
• Drive financial performance by managing budgets, controlling costs, monitoring sales, reducing waste, and delivering agreed revenue and profit targets.
• Develop and inspire teams through effective recruitment, training, coaching, performance management, and succession planning, creating a positive and inclusive working environment.
• Ensure full compliance with all food safety, allergen, health & safety, and company policies, maintaining audit-ready standards at all times.
• Plan and deliver hospitality services for college events, conferences, open days, meetings, and special functions, ensuring seamless execution and exceptional customer experiences.
• Build strong client relationships with college stakeholders, responding proactively to feedback and identifying opportunities to enhance services and customer engagement.
• Manage supplier and procurement activities, ensuring products and services are sourced cost-effectively while maintaining quality, sustainability, and compliance standards.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation by developing menus, introducing new concepts, promoting wellbeing and sustainability initiatives, and identifying opportunities for service growth and operational efficiency.

Key Requirements:

• Proven catering management experience within a high-volume hospitality, education, healthcare, or food service environment.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate, develop, and engage diverse teams to deliver excellent service.
• Commercial and financial acumen, including experience managing budgets, controlling costs, driving sales, and achieving financial targets.
• Comprehensive knowledge of food safety, allergen management, and health & safety legislation, with a recognised Food Safety Level 3 qualification or equivalent.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with clients, customers, suppliers, and colleagues.
• Highly organised and customer-focused approach, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, problem-solve effectively, and drive continuous improvement within a fast-paced environment.

About Aramark

If you are applying for this role and you already work for Aramark, you must notify your line manager before submitting your application.

About Aramark UK

At Aramark UK, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone is valued and empowered to thrive. As a proud Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from individuals of all abilities and are dedicated to supporting employees with disabilities throughout their career journey.
We ensure our recruitment process is accessible, and reasonable adjustments are available at every stage, from application to interview and employment. If you require any accommodations or have any questions, please reach out to our recruitment team – careers@aramark.co.uk
Join us in fostering a workplace where everyone can achieve their full potential.