Location: The Watering Place, Weavers Lane, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2EU
Pay: From £12.71 per hour, depending on experience and responsibilities
Job type: Permanent, full-time or part-time
Schedule: Rota basis, including weekdays and weekends, with occasional evenings and outside events
About The Watering Place
The Watering Place is an independent, family-run café, restaurant and retail operation situated at Gainsborough’s House in the heart of Sudbury.
Our business includes two distinct styles of hospitality: a relaxed counter-service café offering coffee, cakes, bakes and lighter food, and a table-service restaurant serving freshly prepared brunches, lunches and seasonal dishes. We also host private hire, live-music evenings and special events, as well as supporting outside catering through Stellar Catering Ltd.
We are looking for a dependable, enthusiastic and genuinely flexible hospitality all-rounder who takes pride in good service, high standards and being part of a small, hard-working team.
The Role
This is a varied, hands-on hospitality position. You will be trained across different areas of the business, including café counter service, restaurant service, coffee and drinks, retail sales, food presentation, cleaning and kitchen support.
The role suits someone who enjoys variety, notices what needs doing and is prepared to take responsibility for their station while also supporting the wider team.
You may spend one shift providing restaurant table service and another working on the café counter or coffee machine. During events, you may help with setup, guest service, drinks, food service and clearing down.
There may also be a small amount of food preparation duties.
Key ResponsibilitiesCustomer Service
- Welcome customers warmly and provide friendly, professional service.
- Help guests understand the difference between our café counter service and restaurant table service.
- Take food and drink orders accurately using a hand held device.
- Develop good knowledge of our menus, specials, cakes, drinks, retail products, events and promotions.
- Respond confidently to customer questions and refer allergen enquiries to the appropriate trained person rather than guessing.
- Handle feedback and minor customer concerns calmly and professionally, escalating matters when required.
- Serve food and drinks efficiently while maintaining good presentation standards.
Café and Restaurant Service
- Provide attentive table service within the restaurant.
- Work efficiently on the café counter during busy periods.
- Prepare and serve barista-style coffee, teas, cold drinks and other beverages.
- Serve alcoholic drinks where appropriately trained and authorised.
- Clear, clean and reset tables promptly.
- Maintain clean, tidy and welcoming café, restaurant and garden service areas.
- Work closely with the kitchen and other front-of-house team members to keep service organised.
Till and Payment Handling
- Use the till system accurately and select the correct products.
- Process eat-in and takeaway orders correctly.
- Handle card and cash payments responsibly.
- Report till, pricing or payment issues promptly.
Shop and Retail
- Serve customers purchasing retail products and gifts.
- Keep shop displays clean, well stocked and attractively presented.
- Learn enough about our products to provide helpful information to customers.
- Restock products, monitor stock levels and report low or damaged stock.
- Assist with receiving, checking and storing deliveries.
Food and Kitchen Support
- Assist with straightforward food preparation, portioning, plating and presentation when trained to do so.
- Help maintain attractive and well-stocked cake and food displays.
- Follow food-safety, hygiene and allergen procedures at all times.
- Complete accurate date labelling and follow stock-rotation procedures.
- Store food correctly and report anything that may be unsafe, incorrectly labelled or out of date.
- Never guess about food safety or allergens—ask a manager or trained colleague when unsure.
- Assist with washing up and keep kitchen-support areas clean and organised.
Cleaning and Equipment Care
- Follow opening, closing and daily cleaning procedures.
- Clean and maintain the coffee machine, counters, fridges, drip trays and other equipment as trained.
- Use dishwasher and glasswasher chemicals correctly.
- Leave each station clean, dry, stocked and ready for the next service.
- Complete scheduled deep-cleaning tasks.
- Report equipment faults, breakages, shortages or safety concerns promptly.
Stock and Organisation
- Replenish service stations before stock runs out.
- Rotate stock correctly and reduce avoidable waste.
- Assist with stock counts, deliveries and storage.
- Keep storage, service and preparation areas organised.
- Use quieter periods productively for cleaning, restocking, preparation, rotation and organising.
Events and Outside Catering
- Help prepare for private hire, music evenings and other special events.
- Assist with event setup, food and drink service, clearing and breakdown.
- Occasionally support off-site catering events where required.
- Represent The Watering Place and Stellar Catering professionally when working away from the venue.
What We Expect
We are looking for someone who:
- Is friendly, confident and comfortable speaking with customers.
- Is reliable, punctual and ready to work at the agreed start time.
- Takes pride in cleanliness, presentation and attention to detail.
- Can remain calm and organised during busy services.
- Is willing to learn different stations rather than working in only one area.
- Takes ownership of their responsibilities and completes tasks promptly.
- Notices what needs doing and uses quieter periods constructively.
- Communicates clearly with colleagues, managers and kitchen staff.
- Is willing to ask when unsure.
- Understands that flexibility and teamwork are essential within a small independent business.
- Can respond positively to training and constructive feedback.
- Is available to work weekends and occasional evenings.
Experience and Skills
Previous experience in a café, restaurant, bar, hotel, retail-food business or catering environment is preferred, but the right attitude, reliability and willingness to learn are equally important.
Barista, table-service, till, food-handling or drinks-service experience would be beneficial. Training will be provided in our menus, systems, equipment and operating procedures.
A driving licence and access to transport would be helpful for occasional outside-catering work but are not essential for every applicant.
Working Pattern
Hours are arranged on a rota and will vary according to business needs. The role may include weekdays, weekends, bank holidays, early starts and occasional evening events.
Applicants should clearly state their usual availability and the approximate number of hours they are seeking when applying.
How to Apply
Please apply with your CV and a short covering message explaining:
- Your relevant hospitality or customer-service experience.
- The number of hours you are seeking.
- Your usual weekday and weekend availability.
- Whether you have barista, table-service, food-preparation or event experience.
- Why you would be a good fit for a varied all-rounder role at The Watering Place.
Work location: In person at The Watering Place, with occasional off-site catering work where agreed.
Pay: £10.85-£13.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company events
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
