Smoke is a contemporary café and wine bar situated on Princess Street in the heart of Knutsford. Part of The Cheshire Smokehouse, Smoke continues our ethos of offering great “real food” while supporting high-quality local food and drink producers.
We’re open 7 days a week, serving breakfast, brunch and lunch from 8am, followed by an evening menu from 4pm. Alongside our food, we offer a carefully selected range of wines, beers, spirits and cocktails, with a particular focus on quality independent and small-batch producers.
The Role
We’re looking for a friendly, confident and enthusiastic member of our front of house team to join us at Smoke Knutsford.
Previous hospitality experience is preferred, but we’re much more interested in finding someone with the right attitude, personality and work ethic. You should enjoy working with people, take pride in what you do and be comfortable working in a busy environment.
We’re looking for someone who is switched-on and naturally takes responsibility — someone who notices what needs doing, is happy to help others and doesn't always need to be told what to do.
You’ll be an important part of the day-to-day running of the restaurant, working closely with our kitchen, bar and front of house teams to make sure every service runs smoothly.
As Smoke continues to grow, we want to develop people within the business who show initiative and want to take on more responsibility. For the right person, there will be plenty of opportunity to develop their skills and progress as the business grows.
What We’re Looking For
- Previous experience in hospitality, restaurants, cafés or bars is desirable
- A friendly, confident and approachable personality
- Excellent customer service skills
- Someone who is organised and able to stay calm during busy services
- Good communication skills and the ability to work well as part of a team
- Someone who naturally takes initiative and responsibility
- Reliable, punctual and professional
- A genuine interest in good food and drink
- Someone who is keen to learn and develop
- Comfortable working across breakfast, brunch, lunch and evening services
- Flexible availability, including weekends
Knowledge of wine, beer, spirits or coffee would be a bonus, but training will be provided. We care much more about your attitude and willingness to learn than knowing everything on day one.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Welcoming guests and providing friendly, attentive service
- Taking orders accurately and serving food and drinks professionally
- Looking after your section and making sure customers have a great experience
- Working closely with the kitchen and bar teams to ensure smooth service
- Maintaining high standards of cleanliness and presentation
- Supporting the wider team during busy periods
- Handling customer enquiries and resolving issues professionally
- Helping with opening and closing procedures
- Restocking and preparing the restaurant and bar for service
- Learning about our food, wines, beers and spirits
- Helping with events and special services
- Taking increasing responsibility for areas of the shift as you develop
Why Smoke?
We’re an independent, growing business and we want our team to grow with us.
We encourage our staff to learn about our food and drink, contribute ideas and develop their skills. If you’re someone who wants to progress, enjoys taking responsibility and wants to build a career in hospitality, we’ll give you the opportunity to do that.
We’re not necessarily looking for someone who already knows everything. We’re looking for someone with the potential to become one of the key members of our team.
If you’re enthusiastic, hardworking, confident with people and think you could be a great fit for Smoke, we’d love to hear from you.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £8.00-£15.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
Experience:
- Hospitality: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
