Overview
Located at Vintners on the Brook, nestled in the picturesque village of Hathersage, at the heart of the Peak District National Park, our independently run venue has built a reputation for exceptional hospitality, carefully selected wines and outstanding wood-fired pizza. Combining a vibrant wine bar, specialist wine shop and restaurant, we welcome both local customers and visitors looking for memorable food and wine experiences.
As part of The Northern Collective, we're one of a growing family of independent hospitality, retail and leisure destinations across South Yorkshire and the Peak District. Together, we share a passion for creating exceptional guest experiences, celebrating quality food and drink, and building venues that are deeply connected to their local communities while retaining their own unique identity.
We're looking for an exceptional General Manager to take ownership of every aspect of the business. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a passionate team, shape the future of a thriving venue and work closely with the senior leadership team within The Northern Collective to drive operational excellence, commercial performance and continued growth.
Wine is at the heart of everything we do. Alongside leading the business, you'll champion our wine culture—developing the team's knowledge, delivering exceptional guest experiences and ensuring our wine programme remains one of the venue's defining strengths.
About the Role
This is a hands-on leadership position for an experienced hospitality professional who enjoys taking ownership and leading from the front.
As General Manager, you'll have overall responsibility for the restaurant, wine bar, specialist wine shop and kitchen operation, ensuring every department works together to deliver exceptional guest experiences while achieving strong commercial results.
You'll inspire and develop your team, continually improve standards, identify opportunities for growth and work collaboratively with the senior leadership team to deliver the wider vision of The Northern Collective.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
- Take full ownership of the day-to-day operation of the venue across all departments.
- Lead the restaurant, bar, retail and kitchen teams to consistently deliver exceptional guest experiences.
- Ensure seamless collaboration between front and back of house.
- Drive operational excellence, efficiency and consistency throughout the business.
- Maintain exceptional standards of cleanliness, presentation and organisation.
- Lead service from the floor during busy periods while supporting every department when required.
- Resolve customer concerns professionally and positively.
Team Leadership
- Recruit, develop and retain exceptional people across every department.
- Build a positive, accountable and high-performing team culture.
- Coach supervisors and future leaders through regular feedback and development.
- Deliver structured training and ongoing performance management.
- Produce effective rotas balancing outstanding service with labour efficiency.
- Lead by example and create a culture where people enjoy coming to work.
Commercial & Financial Performance
- Take ownership of the venue's commercial performance.
- Deliver agreed sales, labour and gross profit targets.
- Monitor performance and identify opportunities to improve profitability.
- Manage budgets and operating costs without compromising quality.
- Maximise revenue across food, beverage, retail and events.
- Support forecasting, reporting and strategic planning alongside the senior leadership team.
Wine & Retail Leadership
Wine is central to our identity, and you'll be responsible for ensuring it remains one of the venue's defining strengths.
You'll:
- Champion a wine-led culture throughout the business.
- Confidently recommend wines, food pairings and retail purchases while encouraging the team to do the same.
- Develop and evolve our wine programme alongside the senior leadership team.
- Build strong relationships with suppliers and producers.
- Introduce exciting seasonal wines, limited releases and new producers.
- Deliver wine tastings, supplier events and customer experiences.
- Coach and mentor the team to continually improve wine knowledge and confidence.
- Drive retail wine sales through exceptional merchandising and customer engagement.
- Maintain excellent cellar management, stock integrity and wine presentation.
Food & Beverage
- Work closely with the Head Chef to ensure consistently outstanding food quality.
- Deliver exceptional service standards across every guest experience.
- Encourage collaboration between kitchen and front-of-house teams.
- Support seasonal menu development and food & wine pairing initiatives.
- Continually improve standards, consistency and guest satisfaction.
Stock & Supplier Management
- Manage ordering across wine, beverages and front-of-house consumables.
- Maintain accurate stock control and minimise wastage.
- Build strong supplier relationships.
- Ensure effective cellar, storage and inventory management.
- Investigate stock variances and maintain excellent stock accuracy.
Compliance
- Ensure compliance with licensing, food hygiene and health & safety legislation.
- Maintain accurate records and company procedures.
- Oversee opening and closing procedures.
- Protect company assets through effective operational controls.
Marketing & Community Engagement
- Support marketing initiatives alongside The Northern Collective's marketing team.
- Deliver wine tastings, seasonal events and promotional campaigns.
- Build relationships within the local community and tourism partners.
- Help establish the venue as one of the Peak District's leading hospitality destinations.
- Champion The Northern Collective brand through exceptional hospitality and memorable guest experiences.
About You
You're an experienced hospitality leader who thrives on taking ownership of a business. You're commercially minded, passionate about developing people and motivated by delivering exceptional hospitality.
You understand how to balance operational excellence with commercial success while creating a positive culture for both guests and colleagues.
Most importantly, you have a genuine passion for wine. Whether recommending a bottle, discussing producers, pairing wines with food or introducing guests to something new, you're able to make wine engaging, approachable and memorable for everyone—from first-time drinkers to experienced enthusiasts.
Essential
- Minimum 3–5 years' management experience within hospitality.
- Proven experience leading multi-department hospitality operations.
- Strong commercial awareness with experience managing budgets, labour and profitability.
- Demonstrable knowledge and passion for wine.
- Confidence discussing wine styles, regions, producers and food pairing with customers.
- Experience working within a premium food and beverage environment.
- Proven ability to coach, mentor and develop teams.
- Excellent leadership and communication skills.
- Outstanding organisational ability.
- Passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences.
- Personal Licence holder.
- Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
- WSET Level 2 or Level 3 Award in Wines (or equivalent knowledge).
Desirable
- Experience curating wine lists.
- Experience working with specialist wine suppliers and importers.
- Experience delivering wine tastings and guest events.
- Knowledge of emerging wine regions and current industry trends.
- Experience managing retail operations.
Personal Attributes
We're looking for someone who is:
- Passionate about hospitality, food and wine.
- A natural leader who inspires confidence.
- Commercially minded and results driven.
- Calm under pressure.
- Hands-on and willing to lead from the front.
- Curious and committed to continual learning.
- Highly organised.
- Warm, approachable and naturally hospitable.
- Solution focused.
- Passionate about developing people and creating exceptional guest experiences.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary based on experience.
- Performance-related bonus.
- Staff discounts across The Northern Collective.
- Ongoing wine education and professional development.
- Career progression opportunities across The Northern Collective.
- Support from an experienced senior leadership team.
- The opportunity to shape the future of one of the region’s most exciting hospitality businesses.
Success in the Role
Within your first 12 months, you will have:
- Built a highly engaged, stable and high-performing team.
- Embedded a culture of exceptional hospitality across every department.
- Strengthened the venue's reputation for outstanding wine, food and service.
- Improved operational efficiency and commercial performance.
- Increased food, beverage and retail sales.
- Delivered a successful calendar of events, wine tastings and promotions.
- Established the venue as a flagship business within The Northern Collective and one of the Peak District's leading hospitality destinations.
If you're an ambitious hospitality leader who is passionate about exceptional service, great food and outstanding wine, we'd love to hear from you.
Pay: From £45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Store discount
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Hathersage S32 1DD: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- Tell us about a time you had to demonstrate your wine knowledge to help a customer make a decision. What was the situation, and what was the outcome?
Experience:
- Management: 4 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Personal Licence (required)
- WSET (required)
Work Location: In person
