Business Development Executive

Varanasi Chefs is one of Battersea's established Indian dine-in and takeaway restaurants, known for authentic flavours, a wide range of regional Indian dishes, and friendly, attentive service. The restaurant offers both sit-down dining and a strong takeaway/delivery operation, serving local residents, office workers and visitors with high-quality food prepared to rigorous hygiene standards.

We are now looking for a proactive, commercially minded Business Development Executive to help us grow our customer base, expand our local partnerships and maximise revenue across dine-in, takeaway, delivery and catering.

Role Overview:

The Business Development Executive will be responsible for identifying, developing and managing new business opportunities for Varanasi Chefs. This includes building relationships with local businesses and organisations, driving group bookings and events, strengthening our online ordering and delivery channels, and supporting marketing campaigns that promote our authentic Indian cuisine.

The ideal candidate will combine strong sales skills with an understanding of hospitality, excellent communication, and the ability to turn ideas into practical actions that increase revenue and repeat business.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Revenue Growth & New Business

• Develop and deliver a clear business development plan to increase revenue from dine-in, takeaway, delivery and catering.
• Identify and approach potential corporate clients, local offices, gyms, schools, event organisers, community groups and residential developments in the Battersea/Clapham area to secure:
• Regular team lunches and staff meals
• Meeting and event catering
• Discount partnerships and loyalty schemes
• Group bookings and private celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, community events).
• Follow up leads promptly, prepare tailored proposals and menus with the management team, negotiate prices within agreed margins and close deals.

2. Account Management & Relationship Building

• Act as the main point of contact for all B2B and group booking clients, ensuring clear communication before, during and after each event or order.
• Build long-term relationships by checking in regularly, seeking feedback and proposing new offers or menu ideas to suit their needs.
• Maintain an organised pipeline and client database (CRM or spreadsheet) to track activity, quotations, conversions and repeat business.

3. Online Ordering & Delivery Channel Development

• Work with management to grow sales through the restaurant's own online ordering system and delivery platforms by:
• Ensuring menus, prices and descriptions are up to date and accurate. (Varanasi Chefs)
• Monitoring performance across platforms (order volume, average basket, reviews) and suggesting improvements.
• Supporting initiatives that encourage customers to order directly from Varanasi Chefs' website or phone line where appropriate.
• Analyse order patterns to identify popular dishes, peak times and upselling opportunities, and feed this information back to the kitchen and front-of-house teams.

4. Local Marketing & Brand Promotion

• Work closely with the management team to plan and implement local marketing activities that promote Varanasi Chefs as a go-to destination for authentic Indian food, including:
• Flyer drops, posters and menus in local offices and residential buildings.
• Partnerships with local gyms, clubs, charities and schools for events or fundraising nights.
• Promotions for key occasions such as Diwali, Eid, Christmas, New Year's Eve and sporting events.
• Support the maintenance of social media pages and online listings (Google, Facebook, restaurant guides, delivery platforms) by providing content ideas, capturing photos where appropriate, and highlighting special dishes, chef features and offers. (OpenTable)

5. Reservations, Events & Capacity Management

• Work with the Restaurant Manager to drive table reservations and increase covers on typically quieter days and times through targeted campaigns and local outreach.
• Help design and sell set menus and packages for parties and events (e.g. per-head pricing for sharing menus, drinks packages, festive menus).
• Coordinate with front-of-house and kitchen teams to ensure that group bookings and events are planned accurately, including timings, menu choices, dietary requirements, table layouts and payment details.

6. Market & Competitor Awareness

• Monitor local competition and trends in Indian and broader dining-out and takeaway markets, identifying opportunities for Varanasi Chefs to differentiate and innovate (e.g. new street-food style dishes, healthier options, vegan/vegetarian offerings, lunch deals). (Tripadvisor)
• Gather and analyse customer feedback from reviews, emails and direct comments to understand what guests value and where improvements could be made.

7. Reporting & Administration

• Produce regular reports for the management team summarising:
• New leads and opportunities opened/closed
• Revenue from corporate and group clients
• Effectiveness of marketing campaigns and promotions
• Key metrics in online ordering and delivery sales.
• Keep accurate records of contracts, agreed terms, discounts and commission structures where applicable.
• Ensure all activities follow company policies and comply with UK regulations, including fair advertising, data protection and responsible promotions.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Previous experience in a sales, business development, reservations, or account-management role, ideally within hospitality, restaurants, catering, events or a related customer-facing sector.
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding sales or revenue targets.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – confident speaking to business owners, office managers and event organisers in person, by phone and in writing.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple leads, proposals and events at different stages.
• Comfortable using email, spreadsheets and basic CRM or contact-management tools.
• Good numerical skills for pricing, margin awareness and basic forecasting.

Desirable

• Experience working in or with restaurants, particularly Indian cuisine or takeaway/delivery-focused operations.
• Understanding of digital channels (online ordering, delivery platforms, social media reviews) and how they influence customer choice.
• Local knowledge of Battersea/Clapham and surrounding areas, including business estates, co-working spaces and community organisations.
• Full driving licence (if regular off-site client visits are required).

Personal Attributes

• Self-motivated, proactive and results-driven – you enjoy seeking out opportunities rather than waiting for them to arrive.
• Friendly, professional and able to build rapport quickly with diverse customers.
• Resilient and persistent, with the confidence to follow up leads and learn from setbacks.
• Highly organised, with strong attention to detail when planning events or large orders.
• Collaborative team player who works closely with the kitchen and front-of-house staff and respects the pace and realities of a busy restaurant environment.
• Passionate about food, service and creating great experiences for guests.

What We Offer

• The chance to play a key role in the growth of a respected local restaurant known for its authentic Indian cuisine and strong reputation for quality and hygiene. (Tripadvisor)
• A supportive, family-style team culture where your ideas are welcome and success is recognised.
• Competitive salary with performance-related incentives or commission based on agreed targets.
• Staff meals on duty and staff discounts on food.
• Opportunities for career development as the business continues to grow, including potential progression into senior sales, marketing or operations roles.
• Flexible working patterns to balance proactive field activity (meeting clients locally) with time in the restaurant for planning and coordination.

This description can be adjusted with specific salary, working hours and benefits according to your final offer, but it should be suitable for use on job boards, recruitment platforms and sponsorship/CoS documentation.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £41,500.00-£45,500.00 per year

Work Location: In person