Marie’s Tearoom, High Street, Gravesend
With occasional support for off-site catering and events
Hours
Part-time or full-time hours are available, including weekends and school holiday periods. Exact hours will be discussed depending on availability and business needs.
About the Role
We are looking for a practical, reliable and hands-on Tea Room Supervisor / Senior Cook to help manage the day-to-day running of Marie’s Tearoom.
This is a combined kitchen, front-of-house and supervisory role. It would suit someone who enjoys preparing and serving food but is equally confident welcoming customers, using the till, serving drinks, keeping customer areas presentable and taking responsibility for the overall running of a shift.
We operate with a small team. Depending on the rota, the successful person may sometimes be the most senior person on site and may need to open or close the tearoom independently. They must therefore be comfortable following opening and closing procedures, making decisions, dealing with customers and ensuring the premises are left safe, secure and ready for the next shift.
The role will involve preparing and serving food, running front of house, supervising staff, maintaining high standards and making sure the tearoom operates properly when the owner is not present.
There may also be opportunities to support outside catering and events, including seasonal catering work. This makes the role more varied and gives the right person the opportunity to be involved in both the tearoom and our wider events work.
Main ResponsibilitiesFood Preparation and Kitchen Standards
- Prepare and present food to a consistent standard.
- Support with light meals, cakes, sandwiches, afternoon teas, platters and event catering.
- Make sure all food leaving the kitchen is well presented and suitable for customers.
- Follow food hygiene procedures, including date labelling, fridge checks, cleaning and safe storage.
- Help manage stock levels and report anything that needs ordering.
- Reduce waste where possible by planning carefully and using stock sensibly.
- Make sure the kitchen is clean, organised and ready for service.
Opening, Closing and Shift Responsibility
- Open or close the tearoom independently when required.
- Act as the responsible person on site during allocated shifts.
- Complete the required opening and closing checks.
- Make sure the tearoom is safe, clean, secure and properly prepared for customers.
- Ensure end-of-day tasks are completed and the premises are left ready for the next shift.
- Take responsibility for resolving routine issues rather than waiting for the owner to be present.
- Contact the owner or appropriate person when a serious or unusual issue requires escalation.
Front of House and Customer Service
- Welcome customers and provide friendly, helpful and professional service.
- Take orders and serve food and drinks.
- Prepare and serve hot and cold drinks.
- Use the till and follow the correct payment procedures.
- Clear and reset tables promptly.
- Keep counters, customer areas, toilets and entrances clean and presentable.
- Help customers with menu questions, dietary requirements and basic enquiries.
- Support group bookings, afternoon teas, private hire and community groups.
- Deal with customer concerns calmly and professionally.
- Help create a welcoming atmosphere that encourages customers to return.
Tea Room Supervision
- Help organise and run the tearoom during each shift.
- Allocate tasks and make sure jobs are completed properly.
- Keep the kitchen, counter, toilets and customer areas clean, tidy and presentable.
- Make sure daily checks and cleaning tasks are completed.
- Monitor food presentation, customer service and cleanliness throughout the shift.
- Report maintenance issues, equipment problems, stock shortages or staffing concerns.
- Help create a calm, organised and welcoming environment for both customers and staff.
Staff Support and Training
- Support newer or less experienced staff during shifts.
- Give clear instructions and check that tasks have been completed.
- Help staff understand food presentation, cleaning standards, customer service and tearoom routines.
- Lead by example and maintain a high standard of work.
- Be confident addressing issues when something has not been completed correctly.
- Give helpful, respectful feedback and support staff to improve.
- Help build a stronger, more reliable and consistent team.
Off-Site Catering and Events
- Support occasional external catering, events or seasonal contracts when required.
- Help prepare food, pack orders, set up, serve customers and clear down.
- Maintain the same food hygiene, presentation and customer-service standards off site.
- Work with the owner and wider team to help events run smoothly.
- Be flexible during busier periods, particularly school holidays and pre-booked catering work.
What We Are Looking For
The right person will be:
- Reliable, practical and organised.
- Confident preparing food in a busy environment.
- Comfortable working in both the kitchen and front of house.
- Friendly, welcoming and professional with customers.
- Confident using a till and handling routine customer transactions.
- Able to work independently and take responsibility for a shift.
- Comfortable opening or closing the tearoom without the owner being present.
- Able to remain calm and make sensible decisions under pressure.
- Confident supervising staff and giving clear instructions.
- Able to identify problems and take appropriate action without needing to be told everything.
- Proud of cleanliness, food presentation and good customer service.
- Flexible and willing to support events and busier periods.
Essential Requirements
- Experience preparing food in a café, tearoom, kitchen, catering business or similar environment.
- Front-of-house or customer-service experience within hospitality.
- Good understanding of food hygiene and cleanliness.
- Confidence taking orders, serving customers and working with a till.
- Ability to work independently and take responsibility during shifts.
- Willingness and ability to open or close the premises when required.
- Strong communication skills.
- Reliable attendance and good timekeeping.
- Willingness to work some weekends and school holiday periods.
Desirable but Not Essential
- Food Hygiene Level 2 or above.
- Experience supervising or training staff.
- Experience opening or closing a café, tearoom or similar venue.
- Experience with afternoon teas, cakes, buffets, platters or event catering.
- Barista or hot-drinks experience.
- Experience with cashing up or end-of-day procedures.
- Driving licence.
- First-aid training.
What This Role Would Suit
This role would suit someone who has worked as a:
- Cook
- Café supervisor
- Tearoom assistant manager
- Senior catering assistant
- Kitchen supervisor
- Hospitality supervisor
- Experienced café or tearoom team member
It may also suit someone with strong cooking, customer-service and organisational skills who is ready to step into a more responsible position.
This would not suit someone looking for a kitchen-only role, as the successful person must be willing and able to work confidently across food preparation, customer service, front of house and shift supervision.
What We Offer
- A varied role across a tearoom, events and catering.
- The opportunity to help improve and shape the day-to-day running of Marie’s Tearoom.
- A supportive working environment.
- Opportunities to develop additional responsibility within the business.
- Regular work rather than a short-term, catering-only position.
- Staff discount and other benefits to be discussed.
We are particularly interested in hearing from people who are practical, reliable, confident with food and customers, and able to take responsibility for maintaining high standards across the whole tearoom.
Pay: £13.25-£13.75 per hour
Experience:
- Catering: 1 year (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
