Catering Manager – Staff & Artist Dining 

Company of Cooks | Royal Opera House, 

Covent Garden £45,000 per annum | 

Full-time, permanent 45 hours per week | One weekend per month expected

Bring your contract catering experience behind the scenes at the Royal Opera House.

Company of Cooks is looking for an experienced Catering Manager to lead our Staff & Artists dining operation, serving the people who make every rehearsal, production and performance possible.

You’ll understand how to run a busy workplace restaurant: delivering food people look forward to, keeping service moving, building a capable team and maintaining control of the numbers. You’ll know how to balance the needs of your customers, your client and your business.

Previous management experience within contract catering or workplace dining is essential.

Your operation

You’ll oversee a substantial staff restaurant and terrace, a busy coffee bar and an additional café, with an offer spanning hot meals, salads, sandwiches and grab-and-go.

With approximately 20 kitchen and front-of-house colleagues and annual revenue of around £800,000–£1 million, this is an opportunity to take ownership of an established operation and shape its next stage.

What you’ll lead

• Service and standards: Be visible during service, organise the team around peak demand and deliver consistently good food, coffee and hospitality.
• Financial performance: Manage budgets, labour deployment, gross profit, stock and waste. Understand variances and turn them into practical action.
• People: Set clear expectations, coach your team and address performance issues promptly and fairly.
• Client relationships: Build trust with Royal Opera House stakeholders through reliable delivery, clear communication and effective follow-through.
• Food and retail development: Work with the culinary team to keep menus varied, improve presentation and introduce promotions that encourage repeat visits.
• Operational controls: Maintain accurate records and strong food safety, allergen, health and safety and cash-handling standards.

What you’ll bring

You’ll already have managed a contract catering or workplace dining operation, with direct responsibility for people, service and financial results.

• We’re particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
• Ownership of catering budgets, labour planning and food margins.
• Experience managing busy staff dining, counter service, coffee or food retail.
• Confident working relationships with clients and regular customers.
• Practical improvements to sales, waste, service or team performance.
• A hands-on leadership style, with the organisation to keep administration and compliance under control.

Why join us?

You’ll help shape the everyday dining experience of a distinctive creative community at one of London’s best-known cultural venues. Reporting to the senior operations team, you’ll have scope to develop the offer, strengthen your team and see the impact of your decisions.

The role offers £45,000 per annum for a 45-hour working week, with one weekend per month expected. Benefits include employee discounts and discounted or free food.

To apply, send your CV and a short summary of the contract catering operation you have managed, including team size, typical daily covers and your financial responsibilities.