Events Catering Manager, Garden Café at the Garden Museum

To apply email: [email protected]

EVENTS CATERING MANAGER

Part-time, 3 days per week

(Permanent Contract)

The Garden Museum, Lambeth, London, SE1 7LB

Responsible For: Successfully promoting, booking and co-ordinating the delivering of events at the Garden Museum, that are catered for by our own Café.

Salary: £18,000 per annum (the pro-rata of £30,000pa Full Time Equivalent)

plus paid hourly rate overtime for working events & benefits

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’.

Opened in June 2017, the Garden Café was reviewed by Jay Rayner of The Observer as ‘one of the loveliest new spaces to open in the capital in a long while and boasting food to match’. Other mentions include:

“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

https://www.instagram.com/gardenmuseumcafe/

Set within a garden designed by Dan Pearson, it is unique in London in being part of a Museum, but also a dining destination in its own right.

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 dining every lunch time and occasional evenings a week. The kitchen caters for private dinners, meetings and events. We wish to grow the number of events we cater internally and win a greater share of the venue hire events which take place at the Museum: the café is currently one of the catering choices available to venue hire clients.

The Role:

· To ensure organised and successful, collaborative working 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.

· Working to increase catering bookings, through promotion and development of the offer.

· Work to meet targets within the wider café budget.

· Reviewing costs for events, reducing where possible.

· To develop and improve the presentation of the catering offer – brochure, menus & customer journey.

· Managing catering enquiries – both in collaboration with Venue Hire Team, and independently, communicating with other departments when taking bookings.

· Develop and improve internal systems for managing bookings, communicating with café, kitchen and wider museum team to make sure that specific booking requirements are met.

· Look to make internally catered events more environmentally sustainable.

· Responding to daily enquires:

· 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 (ensuring that GP targets are met).

· Making sure that relevant spaces are booked, and that necessary information is passed onto other departments.

· Meeting with clients and other suppliers

· Planning for upcoming events:

· Passing on finalised menus and order of service to the kitchen team and relevant museum departments (numbers, timings, allergy / dietary info).

· Booking 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.

The role reports into the Director of Commercial and Operations

The Ideal Candidate:

· Will have solid Events experience, demonstrated by a strong track record of successfully delivering Events, ranging from canapé receptions to celebration dinners.

· Strong communication & Interpersonal skills – able to build & maintain effective working relationships

· Highly organized, with an eye for detail

· Impeccable presentation skills

· 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

Benefits

· c16 days paid annual leave per annum (the pro-rata of 27 days Full Time Equivalent) plus a pro-rata entitlement to statutory Bank Holidays (inclusive of the mandatory closure period between Christmas and New Year)

· Pensions Auto Enrolment and Staff Discounts in the Café, Museum Shop & Museum.

Application

· Please email a CV and covering letter outlining your skills and experience in relation to the job description to: [email protected]

· Mark the subject box: EVENTS CATERING MANAGER

· Closing date for applications: Midnight on Weds, 26th February 2025

We regret that we are unable to respond to all applicants, you will only hear from us if we wish to invite you to interview

Equal Opportunities

The Garden Museum aims to be an inclusive organisation where everyone is treated with respect and dignity, and where there is equal opportunity for all. The Garden Museum respects and values diverse characteristics. We are committed to positively engaging and celebrating the differences of our diverse staff and users, to enable us to achieve our aims within the organisation and the external community.

To apply email: [email protected]