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Food & Beverage Manager
Reports to: Chief Executive
Location: Cairngorm Mountain
Role Overview
Purpose of job
The F&B Manager is responsible for leading the food and beverage department with a focus on high service standards, cost control, and operational efficiency. Reporting to the Chief Executive, the role involves managing team resources, overseeing expenditure, and identifying opportunities to improve services and grow revenue.
The F&B Manager oversees the day-to-day operations and commercial performance of Cairngorm Mountain’s three outlets: Cas Bar, the Café, and the Ptarmigan Restaurant. They are responsible for maintaining service quality, managing budgets, and leading a team that includes both permanent and seasonal staff.
Working closely with the CEO, the role supports wider business development by introducing improvements, new products, and cost efficiencies. This is a hands-on management role requiring strong leadership, communication, and organisational skills, with regular weekend working as part of a seven-day operation.
Roles and Responsibilities
The F&B Manager is responsible for the following areas of activity:
- Day Lodge café and Cas Bar
- Ptarmigan restaurant & Gin bar
- Staffing and people management for the F&B department
- Hosting corporate events and group bookings
- Stock management and control
- Budgeting and merchandising of F&B products
Key Duties
F&B Operations
- Maintain high standards of customer service across all F&B outlets.
- Coordinate daily operations with kitchen and front-of-house teams to ensure smooth service.
- Work with the wider management team to plan staffing and catering for events and group bookings.
- Manage departmental budgets, monitor performance, and control costs.
- Oversee stock management and ensure all outlets are well-presented and efficiently run.
- Identify and implement improvements to boost sales, reduce costs, and enhance the customer experience.
- Collaborate with the CEO to deliver commercial growth and meet performance targets.
People Management
- Lead and manage the F&B team structure in front-of-house.
- Maintain staff motivation, resolve attendance and performance issues, and ensure high presentation standards.
- Train, support, and coach team leaders and staff to meet service and performance goals.
- Identify skills gaps and coordinate relevant training and development.
- Work with HR on recruitment, onboarding, rotas, uniforms, and performance management.
Other
- Ensuring compliance with Health and Safety procedures, risk assessments and policies
- Holding Duty Manager responsibility for the site at least one day per week, on a rota basis.
Person Specification
Experience
We’re looking for a driven and experienced Food & Beverage professional to lead our team at Cairngorm Mountain. The ideal candidate will bring a solid background in managing F&B operations, preferably within a tourism, leisure, or events environment where high volumes and seasonal fluctuations are the normal.
You’ll be someone who combines strong commercial acumen with a passion for delivering excellent customer experiences. A confident team leader, you’ll be able to motivate and manage a diverse workforce, including seasonal staff, while maintaining high standards of service, presentation, and efficiency across all outlets.
This role calls for someone who is hands-on, adaptable, and solutions-focused – able to thrive in a fast-paced, customer-facing environment. You’ll have a proactive approach to continuous improvement, be confident in managing budgets and stock, and bring fresh ideas to grow the F&B offering and maximise revenue.
- Proven track record managing F&B operations, ideally in tourism or events.
- Personal Licence Holder with experience acting as a Premises Manager.
- Strong commercial awareness with a focus on service quality and profitability.
- Solid understanding of budgeting, cost control, and stock management.
- Hospitality or business qualification, or equivalent experience.
Skills
- Clear and confident communicator, both written and verbal.
- Financially literate with good IT skills (MS Office, stock/rota systems, till management).
- Organised, proactive, and adaptable to seasonal business needs.
- Strong leadership and team development skills.
- Experience in event catering or managing group bookings is a plus.
Personal Attributes/Behaviours
- A hands-on leader with a positive, can-do approach.
- Calm under pressure, solutions-focused, and approachable.
- Committed to high standards, with a focus on team morale and guest experience.
- Flexible and willing to work weekends and holiday periods.
- Access to own transport due to location (free onsite parking provided).
Given the nature of the leisure and tourism industry in which we operate, the role will require a degree of flexible-working including regular weekend work and cover during school-holidays as a requirement. Attendance at occasional networking events to represent the company, with overnight stays away from the place of work, may be required on an ‘as needed’ basis only.
Given our site location, having access to your own transport would be advantageous.
Company Background and Culture / Location Overview
Cairngorm Mountain is a popular snowsports destination in Scotland, located within the Cairngorms National Park. In winter, the resort, managed by Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd, is a commercial ski operation attracting over 120,000 skiing and snowboarding visitors in the busy winter period. In summer, the mountain resort serves as a summer tourist destination attracting circa 200,000 annual visitors.
The Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd estate covers 1,418 hectares and is an internationally renowned area of scientific interest, with the area containing unique natural habitats and wildlife protected by EU legislation requiring conservation and careful land management.
After significant investment from the Scottish Government, Scotland’s only funicular railway has now been reinstated, providing easy access to the top of the mountain and the Ptarmigan building. Sitting within the UK’s highest mountain range, visitors can enjoy spectacular views across the National Park, whilst enjoying a walk, eating lunch, having a coffee and cake, visiting our exhibition space, or watching the kids engage in our adventure sports activities.