Head of Food & Beverage Backstage The Old Vic Backstage

Department/Team: Backstage Food & Beverage

Hours: 45 Hours per week on a shift basis across Monday Sunday (Monday to Saturday initially, but we may open on Sundays as the operation develops)

Location: Backstage, The Old Vic, The Cut, London, SE1 8NB

Salary: In the region of £50k per annum

Contract: Permanent

Direct reports: Head Chef, Backstage F&B Manager

Oversight of Kitchen, Café/Bar and Floor Service teams

Benefits

• Enhanced annual leave, starting at 25 days per year, increasing by one day per year up to 30 days (plus bank holidays) with the option to switch statutory bank holidays for a religious event or festival
• Complimentary tickets for you and a guest to Old Vic preview productions
• Discretionary invite to Press Night performances and parties
• Free therapy from our therapy partner SelfSpace
• Mental health support via our in house Mental Health Champions
• Enhanced employer pension contributions with The People's Pension
• Festive day - one discretionary additional paid day off around the festive period for a collective pause
• Time to volunteer - one day per year to support a charity or project of your choosing
• Commitment to learning, education and development
• Enhanced sick pay
• Access to interest free travel schemes including Cycle 2 work and Season Ticket loans after your probation period
• Family friendly policies and enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental pay
• All staff social events
• Staff discount in Penny and The Old Vic bars as well as discounts in local bars and restaurants
• Opportunities to get involved with staff clubs and working groups such as the Inclusion Working Group
• Buddy schemes including New Starter and Parental buddies to support your induction and return to work after parental leave

Role Summary

The Head of Food and Beverage has full responsibility for all food and beverage provision across The Old Vic - including management of the Backstage catering and bars operation and the teams that work within it, with key on ground support from the Backstage F&B Manager. The Head of F&B will ensure high standards of menu/food presentation and customer service, whilst closely monitoring the weekly P&L and implementing operational changes to drive growth.

Areas of Responsibility Management

• Line managing the Head Chef and Backstage F&B Manager
• Leading the Food and Beverage operation with support from the Backstage F&B Manager, including opening and closing procedures
• Signing off Waiting, Bar and Kitchen team rotas on the rota platform (Staff Savvy)
• Ensuring consistently high standards across the F&B operation, and that the team meets all targets
• Ensuring operational efficiency is maximised with structures and processes
• Working closely with the Operations Director on Backstage F&B strategy, planning and forecasting
• Undertaking appraisals and probation management as required for the F&B team

Food & Beverage

• Project manage all menu changes, ensuring adherence to brand concepts of accessibility and sustainability
• Manage food menu development in line with budget and brand vision
• Ensure the menu reflects the aims of a community hub and has broad appeal
• Maintain high standards of food and beverage quality
• Manage relationships with suppliers, ensuring sustained partnerships
• Ensure the highest quality and consistency with all Food and Beverage processes, proactively solving issues and accurately reporting ongoing ones

EPOS

• Oversee the Backstage F&B Manager and the Theatre F&B Manager in the management of the EPOS system (Point One)

Customer Experience

• Understand and oversee the customer journey in relation to the F&B offer, promptly dealing with any issues
• Work closely with the Head of Customer Experience to ensure exceptional customer service, and a friendly, safe and secure environment for customers
• Handle any customer complaints and feedback professionally and efficiently

Training

• Identify all training needs and oversee the Backstage F&B Manager and Theatre F&B Manager in ensuring teams receive necessary training and tools
• Ensure professional development and training opportunities to upskill direct reports continuously

Licensing

• Uphold the theatre's Premises Licence as set out by Lambeth Council
• Ensure compliance with licence conditions at all times
• Ensure the Theatre complies with all statutory licensing requirements
• Ensure all team members take part in licensing training and associated initiatives
• Ensure every staff member of supervisor level or above completes a personal licence qualification and obtains a personal licence
• Report any potential licensing breaches to the Operations Director immediately
• Document visits from licensing or statutory bodies promptly and communicate to the Operations Director
• Attend all local licensing forums and communicate relevant information to the F&B team

Finance and Stock Management

• Monitor the P&L of the Bars operation as a whole and regularly report to the Operations Director and Finance team
• Liaise with Finance to manage cost control points including wastage and GP
• Keep updated and detailed reports of sales, evaluating improvements and implementing corrective action
• Carry out robust stocktakes and ensure stock control measures are in place

Health & Safety Management

• Write and review F&B related risk assessments and ensure staff training on safe systems of work
• Ensure the Food and Beverage team delivers on legal responsibilities in relation to food safety
• Remain up to date with changes to food safety legislation
• Ensure all relevant paperwork is completed on time and correctly
• Liaise with the Head Chef for final sign off on all food safety paperwork, including menus and allergens
• Liaise with the H&S management team for emergency evacuation and invacuation scenarios

Events

• Work closely with the Head of Commercial Event Sales to devise event package options and create corporate and private event packages
• Support catering requirements for donors or external events within the theatre with the Head Chef
• Liaise with third party caterers for larger scale events, ensuring seamless delivery alongside Backstage
• Work with the Events team to confirm menus and details for event sheets, ensuring a smooth and successful event

Development

• Continuously work to improve our offering, suggesting ways to enhance customer experience through F&B
• Identify commercial opportunities to maximise income

This is not an exhaustive list of duties, and the management may, at any time, allocate other tasks which are of a similar nature or level.

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven experience of working as a Head of Food and Beverage (or equivalent) at a similar sized venue
• Strong commercial financial acumen and proven experience maximizing income
• Experience of managing food and beverage partnerships and supply relationships
• Personal Licence Holder
• Strong leadership and team management
• Proven understanding and application of food safety, hygiene and health and safety principles
• Highly motivated with a positive and flexible approach to work and ability to adapt quickly to new information and procedures
• IT literacy, with good experience of the Microsoft Office suite and Excel in particular
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proven budgetary management and stock control
• A proven ability to work as both part of a team and independently
• Highly organised and good timekeeping

The closing date for this role is 19 April 2026. First conversations are likely to take place 23 April 2026.

Equal Opportunities

We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of the global majority, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse and disabled candidates.

We may take positive action, in cases where candidates are equally qualified, to increase employment of under represented groups at The Old Vic.

In the event that we ask you to attend the theatre for a conversation and you are struggling financially, we may be able to reimburse you for any reasonable travel costs.

We partner with a range of inclusive organisations; to find out more please read our FAQs.

Read our recruitment and selection and equal opportunities FAQs here.