Hospitality and Catering

Contract: Part time (30 hours per week, any 4 days of 7)

We’re looking for a passionate Visitor Experience Lead to join our team!

The role is a blend of leadership, operational oversight, and active visitor engagement, requiring a proactive and hands-on approach to managing events, customer service, and operational tasks.

In this role, you will:

Lead front-of-house, Café Create, events, exhibitions & retail

Champion exceptional customer service

Support and motivate our brilliant team

Help deliver our vision, values & inclusive, collaborative culture

If you’re passionate about people, science, and creating engaging experiences, we’d love to hear from you!

For further information and details of how to apply, please refer to the Recruitment Pack.

About Us
Lost Shore Surf Resort is a destination for people who love great waves, good food, and shared experiences. Our food offering is growing fast, with Lost Kitchen and Lost Taco already delivering high energy and high quality for guests. We are now looking to expand our kitchen team with a chef who wants to be part of a positive, forward-thinking environment.

The Role
As a Chef at Lost Shore, you will work closely with our Culinary Manager to deliver fresh, consistent, and well-executed dishes across our food outlets. You will take pride in quality, care about detail, and support a smooth-running kitchen where people work well together. This is a chance to help shape a young and exciting food culture at a one-of-a-kind venue.

Key Responsibilities
• Prepare, cook, and present dishes to a high standard
• Maintain excellent food hygiene and kitchen safety practices
• Work efficiently during busy service periods
• Support menu preparation and development across Lost Kitchen and Lost Taco
• Take responsibility for stock rotation, labelling, and minimising waste
• Communicate clearly with colleagues to ensure efficient service
• Contribute to a positive, respectful, and supportive kitchen culture

About You
• Experience in a professional kitchen environment
• Consistent cooking standards and strong attention to detail
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced service environment
• Team-focused, reliable, and willing to learn and improve
• Calm under pressure and organised
• Positive attitude and pride in your craft

What We Offer
• Permanent full-time role with competitive pay
• Opportunity to learn, grow, and develop under an experienced Culinary Manager
• A great working environment in a unique setting
• Staff benefits and access to resort activities
• Being part of a team that values creativity, respect, and progression

**We’ll be interviewing throughout the advertising period, so apply as soon as possible to secure your chance to be considered.**

JOB PURPOSE

This is an exciting and varied role in the Food & Beverage team at Culloden Visitor Centre. Based in our Café, you’ll prepare food for a high-quality, sit-in café and grab-and-go takeaway menu, helping to generate the income that enables our charity to care for this world-renowned historical site.
You will ensure that visitors from across the globe have an enjoyable experience here through excellent service standards and menu availability. You will be responsible for assisting in the daily operation of the kitchen, whilst adhering to efficient, safe food production practices.

Benefits include
• Cycle to Work Scheme – offering excellent discounts on bicycle costs •
• Up to £50 towards the cost of your glasses or contact lenses if you need them for work •
• Staff discounts through Reward Gateway, our online employee discount scheme – offering a variety of discounts on a wide range of high street retail brands •
• 10% discount from the rental price (excluding the booking fee and any other ancillary charges) on all self-catering holiday accommodation managed by our partner Sykes Holiday Cottages
• Your employee card gives free entry to you, any of your children under the age of 18 and one other adult to National Trust for Scotland and National Trust properties, as well as a 20% discount on most purchases in National Trust for Scotland retail outlets.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver a high-quality food offer for our high and low season, relevant to our Culloden customers (visitors, events and functions) and Visit Scotland’s Taste our Best principles.

• Ensure high standards of kitchen hygiene, cleanliness and tidiness, keeping up-to-date compliance
documentation (HACCP, COSHH checklists and temperature sheets).

• Ensure food production adheres to allergen guidelines, in particular Natasha’s Law, and support the implementation of upcoming laws, e.g. displaying nutritional value & calorie counts.

• Ensure the upkeep and safety of equipment and utensils used within the catering outlets.

• Share in the common responsibility of implementing the Trust’s “Health & Safety Policy”, being mindful at all times of the health and safety of self, staff, volunteers, and visitors.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• Experience and passion in preparing and producing food to a consistently high standard

• Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate qualification, preferred.

• Highly developed organisational skills, deployable in a multi-tasking environment.

• Excellent communication skills

• Ability to work as part of a busy team, fostering a positive and motivated team atmosphere.

• Recognised formal qualification in the culinary arts – desirable

DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB

Scale:
⦁ Primarily based in the Visitor Centre café working a variety of shift patterns including weekends and occasional early evenings.

Health and Safety
• To complete various online learning modules covering all aspects of on-site Health and Safety
• To use personal protective equipment as provided and directed by your line manager.
• Will be a frequent user of catering equipment and cleaning chemicals.
• Expected to work within and ensure compliance with the property’s ‘Safe Systems of Work’ (the system for managing health and safety and to ensure site meets with Health and Safety legislation).
• This role will involve manual handling

JOB PURPOSE

Working alongside the Mackintosh at the Willow kitchen team preparing high quality dishes according to established recipes and standards. To oversee a designated section of the kitchen, ensuring smooth operations during service.

Overseeing daily kitchen activities including supervising kitchen staff, aiding with menu preparation, ensuring food quality and freshness and monitoring and ordering stock levels. To assist in the daily running of the kitchen, following Head Chef’s specific guidelines and maintaining hight standards and quality in both co-operative teamwork and dishes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
• Provide excellent food Preparation and presentation:
o Execute culinary techniques to prepare and present high-quality dishes according to established recipes and standards.
o Ensure consistency and excellence in the taste, presentation, and portioning of all dishes. Ensure the team delivers consistently and to a high standard in the absence of the Head Chef
• Maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and compliance.
• Section Management:
o Oversee a designated section of the kitchen, delegating tasks effectively and ensuring smooth operations during service. On occasion over see running of kitchen in Head chef or Sous Chef Absence.
o Help train, mentor, and supervise junior kitchen staff, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Ensure that the required standards are adhered to in the production and preparation of food.
• Monitor and maintain inventory levels for ingredients and supplies, complete ordering in line with the instructions of the Head Chef.
• Maintain a lean and orderly cooking station and adhere to health and safety standards.
• Collaborate with the head chef and senior team to contribute ideas for menu development, seasonal specials, and creative presentations.
• Contribute to controlling costs, improving gross profit margins, and other departmental and financial targets.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications

Essential
• A degree or diploma in culinary arts or equivalent experience

Desirable
• Advanced Food Hygiene and Safety Level 3 certification
• Level 3 HACCP Certification
• First Aid Certification

Experience

Essential
 Have 1+ year experience at Senior Chef de Partie level or 3+ years’ experience at Chef de Partie level.
 Track record of working effectively alongside Head Chef in the running of the kitchen.
 Experience in working in a high-volume restaurant or food-outlet.
 A track record of high levels of cleanliness and compliance (knowledge of HACCP).
 Effective communication skills.
Desirable
 Previous experience of cheffing within the tourism industry.

DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB

People Management
• To supervise the kitchen team, and various seasonal kitchen roles
• To support the Head Chef in ensuring training is completed in line with the Trust training policy to meet the needs and requirements of the individual and legislation
• To work closely with the VSM F&B and VSS Events to ensure the smooth organisation and delivery of weddings, travel trade groups and private events
• To work closely with the Mackintosh at the Willow Management team to ensure that we provide an excellent visitor experience
• To ensure that all team members are knowledgeable and motivated within their roles and support the business through effective induction, accurate job descriptions and on the job training
• Develop & manage relationships with customers, key suppliers, staff and management within the property

Finance Management
• Support the Head Chef to achieve and maximise budget gross profit and labour costs
• To ensure that all standards of food preparation and service are established and achieved in line with budget.
• To support the Head Chef maintain budgetary records and ensure that all budgets are adhered to, unless exceptional circumstances arise.
• To order all necessary food, dry goods and equipment, obtaining best buys in line with budget objectives

Tools / equipment / systems
• Have a working knowledge of Word and excel
• A sound knowledge of stock control systems
• Knowledge of epos or similar
• Catering equipment including cooking equipment and dishwashers. 

Workplace context
• This role is primarily based at Mackintosh at the Willow but is required to travel occasionally to other locations on Trust business. Note that as the Trust’s properties are often in remote or rural locations where public transport may be limited, the ability and confidence to drive in the UK is desirable.