The Mackintosh Tearooms is the home of the original Willow Tea Rooms Building at 217 Sauchiehall Street. It was first opened by Miss Cranston in 1903 and designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in collaboration with his wife, Margaret Macdonald. Following a detailed restoration project in 2018, the building is now back to its former glory as a unique tearoom over three floors. It now includes additional events spaces, an exhibition and a gift shop. In January 2024, The Mackintosh Tearooms was acquired by the National Trust for Scotland and the Property is now under their care.
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The role of the VSM – Food & Beverage is responsible for the operational delivery of the visitor experience in the food & beverage department, comprising of historic tea rooms, private dining and event spaces at The Mackintosh Tearooms. Delivering performance standards and targets to ensure enjoyment of the property by visitors and members is maximised, and key commercial, financial and development objectives are achieved, making the property fully sustainable. The role is a key member of a broader management team responsible for delivering an overall visitor service strategy, promoting effective communication across the site and a joined-up service provision. The VSM – Food & Beverage reports to the Operations Manager at The Mackintosh Tearooms.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES
• Overall responsibility for the management and delivery of the day-to-day food & beverage operation at MAW.
• Leading, managing and motivating a team of staff and volunteers; (recruitment, induction, development, and performance management, ensuring they are fully equipped and motivated to carry out their duties to the required Trust standards.
• Driving the catering department at the property to achieve its financial targets, maximising income, and profitability. This role will strive to be efficient and ensure cost effectiveness in all the work you do with particular attention to cost of sales and profit margins.
• Budgets –monitoring the department budgets together with the Operations Manager, to ensure that the catering department finances and staffing budgets are in line with the wider property budgets and to manage, deliver and report on the KPI’s performance.
• Ensuring high standards of food quality, presentation and consistency across the property.
• Creating a culture of a ‘warm welcome’ to visitors and ‘exceptional service, every time.
• To be responsible for and instil a Health & Safety and Environmental culture throughout the catering operation, ensuring that the team works within the property’s ‘Safe System of Work’ to reduce risk of incidents and accidents to volunteers, employees, and visitors.
• To line manage and support the VSS – Booking & Events to deliver an excellent food & beverage service, maximizing opportunities to increase commercial revenue by promoting the venue locally and on a wider scale in collaboration with the NTS Commercial & Marketing Teams.
• To work proactively with the VSM – Creative Learning & Education to facilitate schools and community groups visits and workshops and in collaboration with other partners provide training and development placements.
• To be responsible for key holder management. To manage the people and processes involved with the security of the building and emergency procedure implementation.
• To undertake training in all departments to ensure you have an understanding of all aspects of the operation.
• To be responsible for the duty management rota to ensure continuous cover as required
• Taking responsibility to ensure the daily cash reconciliations, vouchers and billing information are recorded according to the Trust’s processes and policies. To ensure that all the staff are fully trained in cash handling according to the Trust’s processes, policies and systems.
• To actively support and promote the National Trust for Scotland as a memberships organization and the benefits of becoming a member to all visitors to achieve memberships KPIs.
• Undertake any other tasks that may be reasonable requested
