General Manager (Taproom and Bar) - Salcombe
Salcombe Brewery is looking for an experienced and commercially minded General Manager to lead the day-to-day operation of our flagship Tap House in Salcombe.
This is a unique hospitality operation, combining a vibrant, beer-focused Tap House with a fully functioning brewery producing a range of bespoke Salcombe beers. The venue is also a popular coffee destination in the mornings and serves freshly made pizzas throughout the day and into the evening.
As General Manager, you will take overall responsibility for the successful operation of the venue, leading the team, delivering an exceptional customer experience and driving sales and profitability. You will be responsible for ensuring the Tap House operates to the highest standards across hospitality, service, food, drink and brewery-related experiences.
We are looking for someone with proven experience managing a busy hospitality venue who is confident leading a team, managing costs and delivering strong commercial results. You will be highly organised, hands-on and customer-focused, with the energy and personality to create a welcoming environment for both local customers and visitors to Salcombe.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing brewery business and take ownership of one of our most important customer-facing venues.
Job Title: General Manager
Start date: September 2026
Location: Salcombe, Devon
Hours: Full-Time which will include working weekends. Hours are likely to seasonally adjusted based on opening times.
Your main duties include:
- Key Responsibilities
- Create a warm, welcoming and memorable experience for every guest, ensuring the Tap House is recognised for outstanding hospitality, service and attention to detail.
- Lead from the front, setting high standards for customer service and creating a positive, energetic and engaging atmosphere for both locals and visitors to Salcombe.
- Ensure the team has excellent knowledge of our beers, coffee, pizza and wider Salcombe Brewery offering, enabling them to confidently engage with customers and make recommendations.
- Build strong relationships with customers and develop a loyal community around the Tap House, encouraging repeat visits and creating a venue that people are proud to recommend.
- Take ownership of the customer journey from arrival through to departure, continually looking for ways to improve service, atmosphere, food and drink quality.
- Create and deliver engaging events, promotions and experiences that give customers a reason to visit regularly and enhance the Tap House's position as a destination in Salcombe.
- Maintain exceptional cellar and beer-quality standards, ensuring every beer is served in perfect condition and reflects the quality of Salcombe Brewery.
- Ensure consistently high standards across the bar, coffee operation, pizza kitchen, brewery and customer areas.
- Lead, coach and develop the team to deliver exceptional hospitality, ensuring everyone understands the importance of putting the customer first.
- Take responsibility for the financial and administrative performance of the Tap House, including payroll, stock control, purchasing and budgets, while ensuring commercial decisions never compromise the customer experience.
- Work closely with the wider Salcombe Brewery team, providing regular updates on customer feedback, trading performance, opportunities and progress against the strategic business plan.
- Ensure the Tap House operates safely and responsibly, maintaining full compliance with all relevant licensing, health and safety and food safety requirements.
- Bring an entrepreneurial and creative approach to the role, continually seeking new ideas and opportunities to make the Tap House an exciting, distinctive and best-in-class hospitality destination.
Must have:
- Proven experience managing a busy hospitality venue, ideally a bar, restaurant, pub, tap house or similar customer-focused operation.
- Exceptional customer service skills with a genuine passion for creating memorable guest experiences.
- Strong leadership and people-management skills, with the ability to recruit, motivate, coach and develop a high-performing team.
- Commercially astute, with a strong understanding of sales, gross margins, labour costs, stock control and profitability.
- Excellent communication skills, with the confidence to engage with customers, suppliers, team members and senior management.
- Strong operational organisation, able to manage multiple areas of the business while maintaining high standards and attention to detail.
- Passion for food and drink, with a genuine interest in beer and the ability to develop strong product knowledge.
- High standards of beer and cellar management, or the willingness and ability to quickly develop this knowledge.
- Creative and entrepreneurial mindset, constantly looking for ways to improve the customer experience, increase sales and create reasons for customers to return.
- Calm and decisive under pressure, particularly during busy trading periods.
- Strong financial and administrative awareness, including experience with budgets, payroll, stock management and reporting.
- Knowledge of licensing, health & safety and food safety requirements within a hospitality environment.
- Hands-on approach — someone who is comfortable being visible on the floor, supporting the team and leading by example.
- Passion for the Salcombe brand and its values, with the personality and enthusiasm to become an ambassador for the brewery and Tap House.
Desirable Qualifications:
- WSET
- Beer Sommelier or Beer Cicerone
- A hospitality related degree/qualification
The Package:
In return you will receive:
- 28 days holiday per annum (including public holidays)
- Option for government auto-enrolment pension scheme
- Salary of £35,000 - £40,000 depending on experience
Please email your CV to [email protected].
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
Work Location: In person
