Assistant Manager

About the role:

We are seeking a confident and committed Assistant Manager to support the effective day-to-day running of the catering service at St Margarets. Working closely with the General Manager, you’ll play a key role in operational delivery, team leadership, and ensuring high standards in food quality and service. This is a hands-on, customer-focused position ideal for someone passionate about food, hospitality, and team development.

You will be joining Holroyd Howe, one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

The safety and wellbeing of the people we serve is at the heart of everything we do. A key element is effective allergen management; achieved through training, communication, and care, we create mealtimes where every pupil has a safe experience. Our mission is simple: to provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their job and our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients

Job DescriptionKey Responsibilities:

• Support the General Manager & Deputy General Manager in overseeing day-to-day catering operations, ensuring a high-quality and consistent service.
• Lead by example in delivering excellent food standards and customer experience.
• Supervise and motivate catering teams to perform efficiently and with pride.
• Help manage stock, ordering, and supplier relationships in line with budgetary targets.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, hygiene and compliance with all relevant policies.
• Assist in planning and executing hospitality events and term-time functions to a high standard.
• Deputise in the absence of the General Manager, taking ownership of operations and client communications.
• Accountability for following and championing allergen controls

Candidate Profile:

• Previous supervisory or assistant management experience in a catering or hospitality environment.
• A food-led individual with a good understanding of kitchen operations and customer service.
• Experience managing a team and supporting staff training and development.
• Knowledge of health & safety, food safety, and compliance procedures.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a proactive, can-do attitude.
• Experience in an education or contract catering setting is desirable but not essential.

Additional InformationWe pride ourselves on:People first

We’re a company of individuals, united in doing our best for our clients.

Great food, always

Using only the best ingredients, our food is fresh, authentic and tailored to each school, age group, and specific needs and preferences.

Food education

We educate pupils through food, encouraging them to understand and develop their own personal tastes and make informed food choices.

Respect in everything we do

Our respectful codes of conduct inform how we behave towards our clients and customers, suppliers and business partners, and each other.

Fresh thinking

New ideas for food, service and ways of working help us maintain our position as creative leaders in school catering.

In order to be considered for this role you must be able to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK.

Holroyd Howe is one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

We pride ourselves on:Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals.

Nutrition

We take nutrition seriously and understand the impact a healthy diet has on the fundamental years of development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients.

Food Innovation

We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation to our team.

From tasting tables, theme days and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students. We work together to make mealtimes exploratory, quirky, and fun for our pupils, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.

“Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe are regarded as regulated activity and therefore we require an Enhanced DBS which includes a Barred List Check for all successful applicants. We will also require shortlisted applicants to provide appropriate information regarding their criminal offences.”

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.