Jobs

WHAT ARE YOU HERE TO DO?

As Head of Catering & Events, you are the face, voice, and operational backbone of all dining and events experience at The Boathouse Restaurant. You are responsible for everything the customer sees, hears, tastes and smells from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave — in a venue that is open 365 days of the year, adjusting its offering with the seasons.

You are tasked with designing menus, leading your team, and delivering excellent service and profitability across:

• A core offering of a breakfast and lunch café that transitions into evening table service, operating year-round but accommodating a midweek school group canteen service for breakfast and dinner for seven months of the year.
• Catering for groups, from family gatherings to corporate and academic retreats, where healthy and active lifestyles demand nutritious, filling menus to match.
• Statement events such as weddings, where your culinary background and operational experience combine to deliver a flawless guest experience.

The exceptional guest experience is built around the four pillars of the Loch Insh vision: Inspire, Nurture, Master, Sustain. Your role is pivotal in shaping a positive culture in the Catering and Events team that is legally compliant, commercially profitable, and consistently excellent.

You report directly to the Managing Director and attend Head of Department meetings as the senior Catering & Events representative. You line-manage the Head Chef directly; they carry day-to-day kitchen leadership and are accountable to you for food production, kitchen compliance, and food cost performance.

WHAT WILL YOU SPEND YOUR TIME DOING?

1. COMPLIANCE & SAFETY | Compliance & Licensing
• Ensuring all Catering operations comply with all relevant legislation including the Licencing (Scotland) Act 2005, HSE requirements, HACCP recording and food storage, and COSHH training.
• Maintaining the Personal Licence Holder rota to ensure a qualified licence holder is on shift whenever the bar is open and serving alcohol.
• Overseeing allergen management across kitchen and front-of-house: ensuring staff are trained and confident in allergen separation, communication, and response, and that allergen information is always current, accurate, and visible to guests.
• Maintaining all compliance documentation to EHO and HSE standards, audit-ready at all times.
• Ensuring the Head Chef maintains HACCP records, temperature logs, cleaning schedules, and CookSafe certification to the standard required for EHO inspection without prompting.

2. PROFITABILITY | Financial Management
• Owning all Catering & Events revenue lines and contributing to annual budget-setting for the department.
• Monitoring and managing labour costs against Pay-to-Sales targets (32.5% benchmark) through effective rota planning across both kitchen and front-of-house.
• Overseeing food cost of sales, working with the Head Chef to maintain a minimum 68% gross profit across food operations.
• Reviewing sales performance data and identifying opportunities to drive covers, average spend, and ancillary revenue.
• Ensuring all cash handling, EPOS reconciliation, and end-of-day reporting is completed accurately and on time.
• Participating in monthly financial performance reviews with the MD or Finance Manager.

3. INSPIRE | Service Operations & Standards
• Taking ultimate responsibility for the customer’s first impression and full experience of The Boathouse: visual appearance of the venue and staff, audible ambiance, and the presentation of every dish served.
• Leading and managing all FOH operations across multiple service models: café, à la carte, buffet, school group service, and private events.
• Setting and upholding service standards, ensuring every guest interaction reflects the Loch Insh brand and values.
• Managing table reservations, floor layouts, and service logistics to maximise covers and guest experience.
• Owning the cleanliness and presentation of all public-facing restaurant spaces, bar areas, and associated toilets.
• Acting as Premises Manager or nominated Licence Holder representative on shift, ensuring compliance with Licencing (Scotland) Act 2005 requirements at all times.
• Serving as the primary Catering & Events contact for wedding clients: managing pre-event meetings, communicating F&B arrangements, and ensuring flawless delivery on the day.
• Collaborating daily with the Sales and Marketing team to ensure bookings, events, and special requirements are communicated accurately and delivered seamlessly.

4. NURTURE | People Leadership & Team Development
• Recruiting, inducting, and developing your full team: from seasonal floor staff, bar team, and kitchen porters through FOH supervisors, CDPs and Sous Chefs, to your Head Chef.
• Preparing and publishing rotas at least a fortnight in advance, matching staffing to covers and events across both kitchen and front-of-house.
• Setting clear performance expectations for all direct reports, conducting regular reviews, and managing performance where standards are not met.
• Creating a positive team culture where staff are engaged, competent, and proud of the service they deliver.
• Ensuring regular shift briefings take place prior to each service and any change of service format.
• Coordinating cross-departmental staff deployment where required, in consultation with other Heads of Department.
• Developing the Head Chef’s management and financial capability alongside their culinary skills, with a view to building succession depth in the kitchen.

5. MASTER | Product Delivery & Client/ Stakeholder Communication
• Ensuring all food and beverage served to the customer has been prepared to the high standards Loch Insh aspires to be known for, with the Head Chef accountable for kitchen execution.
• Coordinating with school group representatives and group booking contacts to confirm dietary requirements, service logistics, and any specific needs well in advance of arrival.
• Managing guest complaints with professionalism and authority, resolving issues without escalating unnecessarily to the MD.
• Building relationships with clients and proactively identifying opportunities for upselling and loyalty.
• Developing and maintaining a suite of event and wedding menus that can be communicated and sold by the Sales team independently, without requiring your direct involvement in every client conversation.

6. SUSTAIN | Preserving Worthwhile Heritage & Leaving a Legacy
• Taking time to observe and understand existing systems, culture, and processes before implementing change.
• Consulting with your senior team, your peers in Sales and Marketing, and other Heads of Department before enforcing significant operational changes.
• Regularly updating Standard Operating Procedures for key activities conducted within your department.
• Ensuring all paperwork, SOPs, and licences are current, and building capacity within your team so that compliance does not depend solely on you.
• Reducing food and consumable waste week-on-week, sourcing thoughtfully, and running a department that is financially and environmentally sustainable.

Application Deadline: Friday 24/04/2026