Café Manager

Salary: up to £34,320 per annum
Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week, normally worked over five days, including weekends
Working pattern: Predominantly daytime hours, with no regular evening service
A great opportunity for an experienced hospitality manager who loves good food, great service and working somewhere that makes a difference.
Application Deadline: Friday 27 November. The right candidate may be invited to interview before the application deadline.

We are looking for an experienced, confident and hands-on Café Manager to lead our busy vegetarian café in rural Worcestershire.

The Fold is much more than a café. We are an organic farm, community hub, events venue and artisan village, all rooted in sustainability and social purpose. Our café sits at the heart of this community, serving delicious vegetarian and plant-based food, much of it grown organically right here on our farm. We’re proud of our genuine farm-to-fork ethos, our friendly atmosphere and the strong connections we have with our customers and wider community.

Our café seats 45 indoors, with additional outdoor seating, and is open daily from 9am–4pm.
This is very much a hands-on management role. You’ll spend most of your working day alongside the team, taking orders, making coffee, serving customers and helping wherever needed to keep things running smoothly. Alongside this, you’ll take responsibility for managing the café, supporting and developing the team, overseeing day-to-day operations and ensuring the business runs efficiently and sustainably.

We’re looking for someone who combines practical hospitality experience with sound business judgement, who can take ownership of the café without needing a corporate rulebook, and who genuinely enjoys being part of a small, friendly and hardworking team.

The Role
You’ll take overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the café, including:

• Leading front-of-house service and creating a warm, welcoming environment for our customers.
• Managing, supporting and developing the front-of-house team, setting clear expectations and maintaining high standards.
• Line managing the Head Chef, who leads the kitchen team, and working together to ensure great food, smooth service and effective teamwork.
• Managing staff rotas, wage costs and staffing levels.
• Monitoring financial performance, controlling costs and helping ensure the café remains commercially sustainable.
• Overseeing stock control, cash handling and daily reporting.
• Ensuring food safety, hygiene and health and safety standards are maintained across the café.
• Maintaining efficient systems and organisation so that the café runs smoothly.
• Building strong relationships with our customers and helping the café remain an integral part of The Fold community.
• You’ll spend much of your time working alongside the team on the café floor, with dedicated time during the week for management tasks, planning and administration.
• This is a small café with a close-knit team, so we’re looking for someone who is equally comfortable rolling up their sleeves during a busy lunch service and taking responsibility for the decisions that keep the business running well.

We’re looking for someone who has:

• Proven management experience of 2-3 years in a busy, food-led café or restaurant, with a substantial freshly prepared food offering.
• Experience taking responsibility for both daily service and the wider operation of a hospitality business.
• A good understanding of food costs, margins, wage percentages and the importance of running a financially sustainable café.
• Experience leading, motivating and developing a team, with the confidence to make decisions and address problems constructively.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• A genuine love of hospitality, good food and excellent customer service.
• A calm, practical and positive approach, especially when things get busy.
• A leadership style that combines clear expectations with kindness, fairness and respect.
• An affinity with our values of community, sustainability and care for people and planet.

Above all, we’re looking for someone who takes pride in running a great café, enjoys being part of the daily service and has the confidence and experience to take responsibility for making things work.

What We Offer:

• Daytime working hours, with no regular evening service.
• A friendly, supportive and purpose-driven workplace.
• The opportunity to take real ownership of a café and help shape its systems, standards and culture.
• A beautiful rural working environment, surrounded by an organic farm, nature trails and a vibrant community.
• The chance to be part of an organisation that genuinely cares about people, community and the planet.

If you’re an experienced hospitality manager who still loves being on the floor, enjoys building strong teams and wants to bring your skills to a café with a real sense of purpose, we’d love to hear from you.

Come and be part of The Fold!

To apply:

Please send your CV to cafe@thefold.org.uk and a covering note outlining why this role appeals to you, clearly highlighting your relevant experience.