Based at our contemporary head office and distribution centre on the outskirts of Preston, James Hall & Co. Ltd. have been established for over 150 years proudly serving communities across the north of England as supplier and distributor to over 450 SPAR stores.
We are proud to be one of the biggest employers in Lancashire with over 4000 colleagues who represent our core values of passion, enterprise, and family every single day.
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours of work: 38 hours per week
Location: North West
About the Role
At James Hall & Co. Ltd., we are passionate about delivering exceptional food to go experiences across our company owned SPAR stores. We are now looking for a driven and commercially focused Food Services Area Manager to support and develop our stores across the region.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a strong background in food retail, hospitality, or multi-site management who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys developing high-performing teams.
Here’s What You Can Expect to be Doing
As a Food Services Area Manager, you will work closely with Store Managers, Retail Area Managers, and Food Service teams to drive sales, improve standards, and deliver an outstanding customer experience across multiple locations.
Key responsibilities include:
- Delivering store-specific action plans to improve sales, profitability, and overall performance across your area.
- Conducting regular sales and performance reviews, using data and insight to identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement.
- Identifying and implementing cost-saving opportunities without compromising product quality, customer service, or operational standards.
- Maximising the effectiveness of promotions, seasonal launches, and product initiatives to drive sales growth and customer engagement.
- Driving customer satisfaction through exceptional service standards, product quality, and speed of service.
- Ensuring all products are consistently presented in line with company merchandising and brand standards.
- Maintaining excellent food quality, availability, and operational standards across all stores.
- Ensuring product availability throughout trading hours through effective planning, forecasting, and stock management.
- Delivering consistency and operational excellence across all locations within your area.
- Coaching, motivating, and developing store teams to create a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
- Identifying succession opportunities and supporting the development of internal talent pipelines.
- Leading from the front with a visible, hands-on approach in stores.
- Building strong working relationships with Store Managers, Retail Area Managers, and wider support teams.
- Using reporting tools and operational data to track performance and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensuring full compliance with company policies, legal requirements, food safety standards, and operational procedures.
- Conducting regular audits and compliance reviews, implementing corrective actions where required.
- Supporting the training and development of both new and existing colleagues across the region.
A Few Things About You
We’re looking for someone who is:
- A strong and inspiring leader who can motivate, engage, and develop high-performing teams across multiple locations.
- Commercially aware with strong analytical skills and confident in interpreting data to turn insight into action.
- Passionate about delivering excellent customer service and maintaining high operational standards.
- An excellent communicator who can build strong relationships, influence others, and create a collaborative, accountable working culture.
- Passionate about continuous improvement and always looking for ways to enhance performance, efficiency, and the customer experience.
- Highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Proactive with a hands-on, “see it and fix it” approach.
- Comfortable working across multiple sites and travelling regularly.
- Experienced in retail, food service, hospitality, or multi-site operations.
- Someone who thrives in a fast-paced and constantly evolving environment.
Why Join Us?
James Hall & Co. Ltd. have one simple vison: to still be in business in another 50 years!
To make this vision possible we need the best talent to join us on our journey. We are a family company and believe that if we look after our people, they will look after us.
Loyalty Pay - Celebrate your work anniversary with a little extra! You’ll earn an additional £0.25 per hour over the financial year, with the hourly amount increasing the longer you stay with us. Your total is paid as a lump sum in the month following your anniversary.
20% Staff Discount - Enjoy 20% off your shopping in our company-owned SPAR stores — perfect for those everyday essentials and treats.
Annual Leave- Start with a generous 30 days of annual leave, inclusive of Bank Holidays. Entitlement increases with length of service, rewarding your continued commitment.
Health & Wellbeing - All colleagues can access our on-site registered nurses and physiotherapist at Bowland View for confidential support. We also run a year-round programme of health and wellbeing initiatives covering physical, mental, and lifestyle topics.
Company Sick Pay - We offer a Company Sick Pay scheme to support you during periods of ill health, providing peace of mind when you need it most.
Pension & Life Insurance - You will be enrolled into the Nest pension scheme. After two years of service, you will also receive life insurance cover, offering added security for you and your loved ones.
Free Onsite Parking - All colleagues have access to free onsite parking, making your commute more convenient and cost-effective.
Learning & Development - Whether you're looking to build your career or gain new skills, our in-house team will support you with fully funded, accredited training and industry-recognised qualifications.
Grocery Aid Support - Access free, confidential, 24/7 support through Grocery Aid — offering expert advice and help on everything from mental health and financial concerns to legal issues and family support.
For more information about us and the benefits we offer, please head over to our careers page.
Please note if we receive a high number of applicants, we may close the advert early. We advise interested candidates to submit their applications promptly to avoid disappointment.
