Deputy Front of House Manager

Location: Knepp Wilding Kitchen, Dial Post, Horsham, RH13 8NQ

Salary: £30,000 – £35,000 pa plus tips (approx. £8-10,000 pa)

Payment dependent on experience

Job Type: Permanent/Full Time – 45 hours across five working days.

Knepp is a 3,500 acre estate devoted to nature conservation based pioneering rewilding principles. Using grazing animals as the drivers of habitat creation, and with the restoration of dynamic, natural water courses, the project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife.

The estate attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and is the subject of a best-selling book, many newspaper articles and a major film, released in cinemas and now on major streaming platforms.

The new, £4m Wilding Kitchen & Shop combines a Michelin -listed restaurant, courtyard with airstream coffee trailer; market garden (growing our own organic produce) and our shop.

The site is primarily daytime only (breakfast and lunch, seven days a week), with occasional evening events.

Knepp has created a butchery, producing award-winning beef, venison and pork. As part of this new venture, the restaurant is able to showcase the best quality, wild range, organic meat, as well as produce from our new 3-acre organic market garden. Our aim is to create one of the most exciting and sustainable culinary locations in Britain, with a dedicated local and national following.

The Role

This is a fantastic opportunity for a dynamic, enthusiastic, talented and passionate manager looking for a new challenge and to make a difference to the planet. Working alongside a team of expert chefs, growers, butchers, stockmen and ecologists they will lead the creation of a unique restaurant at the heart of one of the UK’s pioneering rewilding projects, establishing it as a trusted and revered food destination. Following our latest green Michelin star, we are always striving to improve our customer experience and teams table service etiquette. The ideal candidate will be an integral part of the team, being energetic and engaging with our team, spreading this to our guest’s experience, day and night.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing & managing day to day operations of our 160 cover the site in absence of manager
• Maintaining high quality service across two private dining spaces, main restaurant and our courtyard airstream
• Maintaining consistent customer experience
• Resolving complaints promptly and professionally
• Clear and precise daily communication to the front and back of house team.
• Monthly stock takes & weekly stock ordering
• Communicating with suppliers as and when needed
• Completion of daily administrative tasks; emails, etc
• Managing team; rota’s, daily skills, sickness
• Ensuring health & safety protocols are kept in place

• Minimum 2 years in a respectable hospitality establishment
• Minimum of 2 years managing a team, rotas and day to day running of shifts
• Door host and Sevenrooms booking system (or equivalent)
• Complaint handling
• Bar trained (hot and cold drinks; cocktails etc)
• Ordering and stock taking
• Back office operations of till systems

Driving licence essential

Weekends 1 day (flexibility to cover holidays)

Desirable

• To act as a role model to your team
• To work with higher management to build the team into the best people for the right roles
• To develop, train and coach your team
• To bring fun and positive energy to the workplace and ensure a happy, motivated, and focused team
• To offer guidance to your team

Customer experience

• To ensure high customer experience and promote our ethos
• To champion swift, efficient, knowledgeable and engaging restaurant service
• To ensure compliance by the team of standard operating procedures
• To engage with the wider Estate team in the delivery of events

P&L

• To manage the rota effectively to deliver target wage costs
• To assist in engaging the team in the weekly targets

Operation

• To maintain a safe workplace
• To ensure the restaurant environment is well maintained and meets internal brand standards
• To continuously manage FOH stock
• Working during service hours to ensure high levels of organisation and standards

Employee perks benefits

• Wine training/tastings
• Fixed days off
• Team trips, safaris of the rewilding project, and annual parties
• Share of tips
• Primarily day time hours (9am-5pm)
• Staff discounts across Knepp Estate

Please click APPLY to submit your CV for this role.

Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of Food Services Supervisor, Catering Supervisor, Catering Manager, Front of House Manager, Front of House, Food and Beverage Supervisor, Food & Beverage Manager, Restaurant Manager, Senior Waiter, Senior Waitress, Bar Tender, Serving Assistant, Catering Assistant, General Assistant, Food and Beverage Staff, Hotel, Bar, Restaurant may also be considered for this role.