Contract Type: Full Time, Permanent: 40hrs per week, inc lunchbreaks
(5 out 7 days shift patterns inc. weekends with some evenings)
Time off in lieu will apply for any additional worked hours.
Part-time contract options may be possible (eg. 4 day or 3 days per week)
Salary: £35,000 per annum plus Benefits
(or the pro rata there-of for part-time working)
Responsible For: This exciting role is responsible for ensuring the success and co-ordinated end-end delivery of Venue Hire events at the Museum, catered for by our fantastic in-house restaurant, The Garden Café:
“A leafy enclave to treasure in Lambeth… brilliant” – Evening Standard
“I’ve found a hidden oasis in the centre of London” – The Times
“A green-fingered treat… and truly seasonal food” – The Week
“A bit of everyday magic”– Londonist
The Events Catering Manager will showcase the Garden Museum to external clients, as a unique destination venue for private hire, with provision of a superior dining experience by the Garden Cafe;
Private Events such as Weddings, Corporate Business meetings, Supper Clubs and other Private Dining occasions will be successfully managed, to the delight of the client and their attendees.
Past Corporate Clients have included: Pandora, Google, Gucci, Warner Music.
This role is both 50% Sales/Business Development and 50% Event Planning/Delivery, so applicants should be confident and skilled in Sales Achievement (we developed the business to a turnover of 237k in FY 24 – 25); Marketing (using Social Media); and meeting and reporting on progress of Financial and other Targets
The following experience and skills are essential for successful role delivery:
- Events Management with Catering
- Events Sales Achievement
- Restaurant floor experience
- Superior Planning & Organization, Communication & Liaison
This role will also support the success of internal events by catering for Private Views, Fundraising dinners and other Museum and Cafe events.
Team: Commercial Venue Hire (reporting to the Events Manager)
Key Internal relationships: The Head Chef, the Café General Manager and other Café colleagues. Head of Venue Hire, Director of Commercial & Operations.
Location: The Garden Museum, Lambeth, London, SE1 7LB
About us:
Opened in June 2017, the Garden Café was reviewed by Jay Rayner as ‘one of the loveliest new spaces to open in the capital in a long while and boasting food to match’. In 2018 it was judged the best Museum restaurant in the world by Leading Cultural Venues. Set within a garden designed by Dan Pearson, it is unique in London in being part of a museum, but also a dining destination.
The menu at the Garden Café changes daily based on the seasons and what our fantastic suppliers have to offer. The best quality ingredients are treated with care and attention by the kitchen team with flavour and freshness at the heart of what ends up on the plate. It reflects the ethos of the Museum, whose design is contemporary, authentic, and original with an emphasis upon the honesty of materials.
The café is open for daily lunchtime dining and occasional evenings of the week. The kitchen caters for private dinners, meetings, and events. The culinary and dining reputation of the Garden Café is appreciated by many of the Museums visitors, but we wish to promote and further increase this experience to more of our Venue Hire clients. (The café being one of the catering choices available to venue hire clients)
In summary, the core purpose of the role is to generate income, by successfully fusing the offerings of our amazing café with our venue hire clientele, often including high profile business or VIP’s.
The Role:
Business Development & Sales
- To build the events catering business (in FY 24 – 25, we developed the business to a turnover of 237k)
- Work to increase the events catering income each year, ensuring that Gross Profit targets are met.
- To lead on developing & delivering a marketing plan and content (including print & digital) that will increase catering, event & cafe bookings.
- Regularly review events food & drinks packages to move with trends and audiences, with competitively pricing to appeal to and maximise catering bookings
- Working with the Head Chef create an offer is exciting, food focused and aligns with the ethos of the Garden Museum Café.
- Responding swifty to daily enquires to win business by;
- Presenting our offer in a way that reflects the ethos and style of the Garden Café and directing clients towards options that show the offer at its best
- Providing quotes for potential bookings
- Meeting with clients and other suppliers and regularly review figures to ensure best values for money.
- Collect and analyse and feedback & data, that enables recommendations to change the catering offer to become more profitable and entice more business.
- Look for continuous improvement by creatively reviewing the brochure, menus & customer journey.
Planning, Reporting & Finance
- Successfully manage catering enquiries & bookings end to end, ensuring effective communicate with the Café & other departments
- Enhance internal processes for effective communication with café, kitchen and wider museum team to make ensure smooth events management & delivery specific booking requirements are met.
- Carefully plan the delivery of each event in collaboration with Café and Venue Hire teams including:
- Making sure that relevant spaces are booked, and that necessary information is passed onto other departments.
- Agreeing menus with the Head Chef & client and ensuring all information included finalised numbers, menus and order of service to the kitchen team and relevant museum departments (numbers, timings, allergy / dietary info).
- Booking of staff (both from café team and through agencies).
- Providing briefing notes for the team working the specific events.
- Arrange any deliveries and extra requirements of the client, such as floristry, decoration etc.
- Hiring linen, furniture, equipment and tableware when required, organising the drop off and collection times.
- Report on and meet Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) as agreed with your line manager & the Director of Commercial and Operations
- Flag & devise solutions to resolve any target progress issues, in a timely manner
- Undertake financial admin as required for the role & liaise with our external management accounts on spend & income. Attend monthly financial review meetings.
- Undertake an annual review of suppliers and logistics with support from the Head Chef & Café General Manager to ensure catered events are environmentally sustainable and best value for money.
Event Operations
- Be comfortable with leading Events, with regular late nights and weekend working
- Deliver all events to the highest possible standard, ensuring profitability & other targets are met, leading Suppliers and Front of House teams to execute immaculate event delivery for every client
- Take lead responsibility for set-up and decant of the catering element for each event ensuring this runs smoothly and on time.
- Reviewing costs for events, reducing where possible and increasing prices annually in line with the market & CPI.
- Act as qualified First Aider (training will be provided) and manage for first aid requirements for public areas.
- Manage all risks and compliance related to the events includes updating risk assessments, insuring food hygiene & safety process are followed during event, writing and updating annually event security, health and safety procedures.
- Ensure consistent and regular communication of all events catering-related information, sharing across wider organisation, including team briefings, visitor end-of-day report.
- From time to time support with other café & venue hire events as needed; support the wider team in their income generation targets.
- Be a Key holder for the Garden Museum, ensure the safe opening and closing and security of whole building for events purposes.
- Act as Duty Manager as part of a rota, keeping all onsite informed; making key health, safety and security decision and escalating to Senior Management as appropriate.
People & Relationships
- Collaborate with the Head Chef, Venue Hire Team and Café Management/staff to deliver a catering offer, which reflects the quality, ethos and style of the Garden Cafe – in tone, feel and service.
- Work closely with the café to understand the operations and build a good repour with team so events can be delivered to the highest standard.
Personal:
- Prioritise time and resources to ensure essential targets are met within agreed deadlines with your line manager.
- Clearly Communicate with all staff, the volunteers and stakeholders in positively and timely manner.
- Demonstrate a can-do attitude in the development of new ideas for success and approaches challenges as opportunities.
- Enjoy making a successful sale – and get personal satisfaction from giving a client a memorable event
General:
- Undertake any administration needed to fulfil the role.
- Represent the Garden Museum in a positive and professional manner.
- Supporting the work of other departments of the Museum when appropriate.
- Attend Garden Museum meetings such as the weekly diary meeting as required.
- Undertake other reasonable duties as and when they arise.
The Ideal Candidate will possess the following:
- Solid Events Sales and Events Operations experience
- Marketing and business development skills.
- A demonstrable track record of successfully delivering Events, ranging from canapé receptions to celebration dinners.
- Financially literate, able to manage budgets and confidently deliver sales and other commercial targets.
- Strong communication & Interpersonal skills – able to build & maintain effective working relationships.
- Highly organized, with an eye for detail.
- Impeccable presentation skills.
- Confident using social media
- Experience of working on the floor in a restaurant or catering environment is a must.
- Proven ability to manage change and continual improvement strategies with passion for driving creative solutions.
- A good understanding of food, ingredients, menus and the workings of a commercial kitchen.
- An understanding of working in a cultural venue, and a creative response to the Museum’s cultural programme.
- Adaptable to the needs of the museum and willing take a hands-on approach.
- Confidence in Microsoft Office-based software.
- A proven commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Benefits
- 27 days paid annual leave per annum plus statutory Bank Holidays (inclusive of the mandatory closure period between Christmas and New Year). A pro-rata entitlement will apply for part-time working
- Pensions Auto Enrolment and Staff Discounts in the Café, Museum Shop & Museum.
enquiries@uniquevenuesoflondon.co.uk
07808 646657
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