Head of Food and Beverage - Dorset

Head of Food & Beverage
Luxury Country Hotel & Retreat | Dorset
JWR is delighted to be working with an exceptional luxury countryside hotel and retreat, seeking an experienced and commercially driven Head of Food & Beverage to lead its hospitality operation.
This is a rare opportunity to join a unique destination focused on delivering outstanding guest experiences through exceptional food, beverage and immersive hospitality.
Combining luxury accommodation, farm-to-fork dining, bespoke events and curated experiences, the business is entering an exciting phase of growth and development.
We are looking for a passionate and inspiring hospitality leader with a strong background in premium food and beverage operations, capable of driving both service excellence and commercial performance.

Package

• Salary £45,000 - £55,000 DOE
• Career-defining opportunity within a growing luxury hospitality business
• Beautiful countryside working environment
• Opportunity to shape and influence the guest experience
• Ongoing development and progression opportunities
• Supportive and collaborative senior leadership team

The Role
As Head of Food & Beverage, you will take full responsibility for all food and beverage operations across the property, ensuring exceptional guest experiences while maximising revenue, profitability and operational efficiency.
Working closely with the General Manager, Head Chef and wider leadership team, you will lead service standards, staff development, events delivery and strategic growth initiatives across the business.
Key responsibilities include:

• Leading all food and beverage operations across restaurant, bar, events and guest experiences
• Driving service excellence and ensuring consistently high hospitality standards
• Developing, implementing and maintaining SOPs and operational procedures
• Managing departmental budgets, forecasting and financial performance
• Identifying opportunities to increase revenue and profitability through upselling and enhanced guest experiences
• Working closely with the kitchen team on menu launches, service delivery and guest satisfaction
• Overseeing stock control, procurement, supplier relationships and cost management
• Ensuring compliance with all food safety, licensing and health & safety requirements
• Supporting the planning and delivery of bespoke events, private dining and experiential offerings
• Managing CRM and POS systems to optimise guest engagement and operational efficiency
• Recruiting, training, mentoring and developing a high-performing service team
• Producing regular operational reports and performance analysis
• Supporting marketing initiatives designed to drive awareness, bookings and guest spend

Requirements
The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Proven experience as a senior Food & Beverage Manager, Head of F&B or equivalent leadership role within a luxury hotel, resort or premium hospitality environment
• Strong commercial awareness with experience managing budgets, stock and financial performance
• Exceptional leadership and people development skills
• Experience implementing SOPs and driving operational consistency
• Strong understanding of guest journey and luxury service delivery
• Excellent communication, organisational and problem-solving abilities
• Knowledge of CRM and POS systems
• Personal Alcohol Licence
• Level 3 Food Hygiene qualification
• HACCP knowledge and compliance experience
• WSET Level 2 or equivalent beverage knowledge desirable
• First Aid, Fire Marshal and Health & Safety certifications advantageous

If you are a passionate hospitality professional looking for an opportunity to lead a unique food and beverage operation within a luxury countryside setting, we would love to hear from you. Contact JWR today for a confidential discussion.