Job Ref: BES6988
Branch: Lumley Castle
Location: Lumley Castle, Durham
Salary/Benefits: Competitive Salary
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Shift pattern: 5 out of 7
Hours per week: 45
Posted date: 13/02/2026
Closing date: 02/05/2026
We currently have an amazing opportunity to join the team as Food Beverage Manager at Lumley Castle Hotel.
Lumley Castle is a busy 71-bedroom 4 Star Hotel which is both a popular wedding venue as well as hosting a range of meeting and conference facilities. We also focus on special events ranging from Elizabethan Banquets, Nights with the Spirits, and Murder Mysteries.
Bespoke Benefits… What's in it for you?
At Bespoke Hotels, our people are our biggest asset. We focus on engagement and individual development, working with natural strengths and supporting education from a commercial perspective. We create pathways so our people know the direction their careers will head.
We believe that great hospitality can only be delivered by a happy, motivated and engaged team; so this is at the heart of our culture and of our 'Be-Attitude' values.
We are proud to provide equal opportunities for our team members, encouraging inclusive and creative culture, providing long-term careers, supporting community and assisting in environmental matters.
At Bespoke, we ensure meaningful relationships with our colleagues, guests and third-party suppliers, positively celebrating diversity and inclusion within our teams, encouraging collaboration and creativity.
We offer competitive salaries, incentives, ample scope for personal development and discounted hotel stays for you, your family, and friends.
Requirements:
The ideal person will have at least strong experience, ideally 1-2 years in a similar position and will have the ability to deliver great service to our guests.
We are looking for someone who is passionate about hospitality, that is reliable and willing to learn as part of this growing team.
About the role:
You will assist the General Manager with the operational activities in relation to the FB Department and deliver excellence across all FB activities, maximising profits and exploiting opportunities for improved efficiencies and to effectively lead and develop a highly-motivated team to exceed customer expectations.
In addition to the FB job role you will be required to be a Duty Manager within your working shift.
To be considered you will be experienced in Food and Beverage management and worked within a busy upscale business.
Job Purpose:
* To be a strong, dynamic manager who can motivate and lead a team.
* Ensure a safe, secure and hygienic environment for customers, staff and visitors to be maintained
* Opportunities to be taken to promote products to our customers at every opportunity
* Prompt response to be given to the service needs of customers.
* Customer satisfaction to be checked during customer's visit to departments
* Accurate payments to be dealt with in accordance with the Hotel's standards and the company's cash handling procedures
* All visitors to be warmly received and their needs anticipated in an appropriate manner.
* To chair departmental meetings and participate fully in reviews and meetings
* Full compliance and commitment to Brand standards to be demonstrated
* To comply with any other reasonable request made by the company.
* To develop, motivate and support your team so as to ensure that all company and department objectives and standards are met
* To achieve food and beverage revenue targets and profit conversions
* To plan and manage staffing levels effectively in accordance with the hotel's occupancy, events, forecasts and budget.
* To achieve budgeted margins for food and liquor and ensure that all security and accounting procedures are implemented, monitored, maintained and shortages acted upon.
* To monitor and evaluate purchase requests and pass relevant purchase orders for approval.
* To ensure that all food and beverage staff are trained on product knowledge and wine specifications.
* To professionally address any queries or complaints from guests.
* To ensure that all Food and Beverage activities exceed service standards and achieve budget.
* To monitor the quality of set up for different service levels and ensure that the correct service standards are adhered to.
* To participate in all menu changes including assisting and managing with costs management.
* To maintain and update the Food Beverage point of sales and deal with any operational changes.
* To drive team performance to achieve revenue targets and budget productivity targets.
* To provide and effectively communicate clear direction to the team especially during peak business.
* To effectively recruit, select and manage team members who meet the current and future needs of your department and the hotel.
* To ensure daily briefings are carried out in all departments under your control to ensure effective communication.
* To keep continually updated of Health and Safety and Food Hygiene legislation. Implement required policy adjustments.
* Complete annual and bi-annual reviews with direct reports and take action where performance does not meet expectation.
* Reinforce Lumley Castle Hotel values at all times.
* Demonstrate good computer skills (MS Office).
* Impeccably presented and socially confident in all situations.
About you:
We're looking for someone with exceptional customer service and communication skills. Someone who can support the General Manager to deliver a memorable experience, no matter how big or small the occasion may be, ensuring we are meeting the customers agreed details using the function sheets and pre-event meetings via teams, phone or in person meetings. You will need good leadership skills to motivate and support the management team, the confidence to liaise with other departments to ensure the client's needs are met, the ability to think on your feet to meet any last-minute requests or changes, and a can-do attitude.
Flexibility is important as this role will likely include weekends, early starts, and late finishes.
The package:
* 28 Days Holiday
* All overtime is given as time in Lieu.
* Uniform (Suits/Dresses provides)
* Access to Free "employee assistance program" provided by Hospitality Action. Provide employees with free and anonymous access to support services, from mental health and family to finance and health
Types: Full-time, Permanent - 45 hours per week
Benefits:
* Discounted or free food
* On-site parking
* Share of the monthly gratuities
Schedule:
* 10 hour shift
* 12 hour shift
* 9 hour shift
Being Bespoke:
Bespoke Hotels was founded in 2000 and has consistently grown to the point where we now manage over 9,500 hotel rooms, 8,000 employees and £815 million of assets.
We stand today as the UK's Largest Independent Hotel Group, owning a number of hotels and partnering with an ever-increasing portfolio alongside this. Every agreement we have is Bespoke by name, and bespoke by nature. Our properties range from specialist golfing hotels, to award-winning spa resorts and chic city centre properties.
We pride ourselves on a diverse roster and a unique, individualised management style, with over 90 management agreements across the UK, alongside a further 30 management consultancy services, and 100 hotels with sales marketing services only.
The magnificent spectacle of Lumley Castle dominates the County Durham landscape. Surrounded by beautiful parklands, overlooking the River Wear and Durham County Cricket Ground, Lumley Castle Hotel is a superb monument to a proud history.