Head of Food

**Department/Team**: Backstage Food & Beverage

**Hours**: 45 Hours per week, on a shift basis across Monday-Sunday (Monday to Saturday initially, but we may open on Sundays as the operation develops)

**Location**: Backstage, The Old Vic, The Cut, London, SE1 8NB

**Salary**: In the region of £50K per annum

**Contract**:1 year FTC

**Direct reports**: Head Chef, Deputy Head of Food & Beverage Operations. Oversight of Kitchen, Café/Bar and Floor Service teams

**Benefits**
- Enhanced annual leave, starting at 25 days per year, increasing by one day per year up to 30 days (plus bank holidays). Opportunity to switch statutory bank holidays to mark a religious event or festival
- Complimentary tickets for you and a guest to Old Vic preview productions
- Discretionary invite to Press Night performances and parties
- Free therapy from our therapy partner SelfSpace
- Mental health support via our in-house Mental Health Champions
- Enhanced employer pension contributions with The People’s Pension
- Festive day - one discretionary additional paid day off around the festive period for a collective pause
- Time to volunteer - one day per year to support a charity or project of your choosing
- Commitment to learning, education and development
- Enhanced sick pay
- Access to interest free travel schemes including Cycle 2 work and Season Ticket loans after your probation period
- Family friendly policies and enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental pay
- All staff social events
- Staff discount in Penny and The Old Vic bars as well as discounts in local bars and
- restaurants
- Opportunities to get involved with staff clubs and working groups such as the Inclusion Working Group
- Buddy schemes including New Starter and Parental buddies to support your induction and return to work after parental leave

**Backstage**

Backstage is a project for the future - a six-storey space for creativity, education and community right next door to our historic building.

Together with award-winning architects Haworth Tompkins, we have built a low-carbon building that includes:

- A welcoming public café and workspace during the day, which evolves into a vibrant bar and restaurant at night
- A Clore Learning Centre for our award-winning outreach work
- A Writers’ Room where creatives can work
- A free to use Script Library
- A modern and flexible rehearsal room which can transform into a studio theatre
- An event space and terrace

We believe Backstage creates a stronger Old Vic for the future, providing a welcoming space for our generation and the next.

Within Backstage, the F&B offer is primarily centred around the ground floor and first-floor café and bar space - but also extends to event catering provision and a grab-and-go offer for the theatre.

With an overall capacity of 181 (61 covers) across the two floors, Backstage will be open from early until late, Monday to Saturday.

The daytime artisanal café will serve the very best coffee, coupled with delicious baked goods. A comfortable place where culture meets great coffee in a vibrant and dynamic space.

This same space then seamlessly transitions into an enticing evening bar - a destination. A socially inspired bar/dining offer; celebrating cultural diversity, vibe and buzz in a stylish and comfortable environment coupled with a strong ‘sense of place’ as an intrinsic part of The Old Vic as a whole.

The food offer will be based on conviviality and sharing - built around the concept of small plates.

**The Team**

The Backstage F&B team is responsible for all Food & Beverage related activity within Backstage and The Old Vic theatre itself. The team includes the Operations Director, Head of Food & Beverage Operations, Deputy Head of Food & Beverage, Head Chef, Sous Chef, Chef de Parties, KPs, Duty Managers, Bartenders and Waiting Staff.

**Role summary**

The role of the Head of Food and Beverage Operations is to have full responsibility for all food and beverage provision across The Old Vic - including management of the Backstage catering and bars operation and the teams that work within it, with support from a Deputy Head of F&B. The Head of F&B will ensure high standards of customer service, driving growth and managing the F&B team.

**Areas of responsibility**

**Management**
- Line managing the Head Chef and Deputy Head of F&B Operations, within Backstage.
- Leading the Food and Beverage operation, with the support of the Deputy Head of F&B, including opening and closing procedures.
- Signing off Waiting, Bar and Kitchen team rotas on the rota platform (Staff Savvy).
- Ensuring consistently high standards across the F&B operation, ensuring that the team meets all targets.
- Ensuring operational efficiency is maximised with structures and processes.
- Working closely with the Operations Director on Backstage F&B strategy, planning and forecasting.
- Undertaking appraisals and probation management as required for the F&B team.

**Food & Beverage**
- Project mana