Catering Manager Job Description, Skills and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a catering manager. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a catering manager.
Who is a Catering Manager?
Catering managers supervise the entire catering process at resorts, hotels private clubs, events, and conferences. Catering managers develop and implement standards of service. He also coordinates the catering operations of staff members to ensure that an excellent level of service and production is maintained. The catering manager can design and oversee budgets as well as assist in marketing and sales.
The catering manager is accountable for the entire running of a catering company. This includes not just managing the catering facilities at the time of an event but managing all preparations before the event and the ones following also. The catering manager must collaborate closely with customers to ensure that each event is a success and then follow up with the client to collect feedback after the event. Catering managers do not just oversee client relations, but they manage vendor and employee relationships to ensure the smooth operation of the catering business.
A catering manager will have to take care of all catering activities in the day-to-day activities of a company. They are, however, usually employed in companies where catering is vital.
Catering managers usually collaborate with chefs and food vendors to design a variety of menus for catering occasions including business brunches and luxurious wedding dinners. They could also create a significant portion of the business plan for the catering division that includes the company’s financial goals, appearance, and mission, as well as different areas of service. As the manager, he/she is responsible for the hiring of everyone including the site chefs and transportation managers. Training staff on the proper manner and procedure, directing the safety rules, and ensuring that they are aware of the daily schedule could be the responsibilities of the catering manager.
Catering managers typically serve as the point of contact between the client and the business. For this job, they must have exceptional interpersonal skills and imaginative capabilities. Catering managers can help build a positive image for the business by working with customers to meet their budgets and requirements. In collaboration with clients’ catering managers, they can develop menus for samples or set up tastings, list of suppliers, and also handle payments and billing.
Catering is rarely done in isolation. Events that require catering usually require additional services, like the setting of tables, and decorations. A catering manager’s job could involve building or expanding the network of contacts to provide customers with an extensive range of services. A catering manager may attempt to create a list of references or create discounts with other companies. They must be cautious when adding businesses to their networks.
Catering Manager Job Description
Below are the catering manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
- Making sure that health and safety regulations are strictly adhered to
- Budgeting and setting financial goals and forecasts
- Examining how well the product or service is provided
- Maintaining catering administrative and financial records
- Overseeing the payroll and keeping track of the spending levels
- Maintaining stock levels and placing orders for new supplies when needed
- Maintaining contact with suppliers and customers
- Creating contracts with clients examine their requirements
- Negotiating contracts with them and making sure they are satisfied with the quality of service provided
- Making sure chefs comply with all regulations on fire, licensing, and employment rules and regulations.
- Increasing sales, and reaching financial and profit expectations.
Other essential tasks include:
- Event Planning
The catering manager is accountable to assist in the planning of events for customers. The planning process may include helping clients locate additional service providers, such as disc jockeys and limousine firms photographers, videographers, photographers as well as wedding coordinators. The catering manager needs to create an extensive list of professionals in these areas and offer these as recommendations to clients. The catering manager should be able the list or book these providers on behalf of the client.
- Customer Service
The catering manager should be accessible to guests at all times during events. He should be on the floor so that it is easy to see. The rear of the house which includes where the cooking area is located needs to be overseen by the catering manager or head chef at the catering establishment for the event. The catering manager must ask the client to provide one central contact throughout the event. He should be in contact with the person regularly throughout the event. If any of the staff is not serving food to the customers, the catering manager must aid the service staff at that particular moment.
- Decorating
The catering manager is responsible to ensure the cleanliness of the hall before and during events. He/she should consult with customers to determine how many guests are expected at each event, and what kind of seating arrangements the customer prefers. The catering manager should create a layout for the customer that will meet the needs of the guests as well as any entertainment requirements.
- Menu Planning
The catering manager should collaborate with his chef as well as the customer to select an appropriate menu. He/she should be able to provide a list of foods that his kitchen could prepare for the client, as well as the cost. The chef should participate in the menu planning session with the client in case the client has special requirements that are not included on the menu. If the customer desires advice from the chef about the food options, the catering manager can come up with an example of a typical menu for the client before the meeting and plan to serve samples of meals at the meeting to plan menus.
- Scheduling
The manager of catering is accountable for the day-to-day operations of her catering service. This means that they are required to train and organize staff for working events. The manager of catering should ensure that he/she can find enough staff to run an event, and be sure to match the personalities of the staff with the persona of the customer. Some waiters and waitresses are more in touch with customers effective for certain kinds of events. This must be considered when planning. Certain staff members are better at managing a buffet table, and others excel in table service. The caterer should be aware of the capabilities of their staff and make use of that when selecting the staff for every occasion.
- Relationship with vendors
The catering manager is responsible to order the food items for the restaurant. He/she must be in constant contact with the suppliers. The catering manager is also accountable for comparing prices from various suppliers and ensuring that they are getting the best price for each product purchased. The manager should be attending events for catering from time to when to meet new suppliers and stay up-to-date with the most recent food and cooking supplies.
Qualifications
- Accredited training in catering management or something similar.
- A bachelor’s degree in cooking arts, or food management could be beneficial.
- Three to five years of work experience in catering management or something similar.
- Experience with electronic management of catering systems, like Better Cater and Caterease.
- Astonishing ability to provide catering services on the budget promptly.
- Experience in the hiring, training, and supervising of catering staff.
- The ability to manage catering needs with chefs, customers, and other suppliers.
- The ability to use industry-specific knowledge to improve catering services.
- Expertise in the latest best practices in the management of catering.
Essential Skills
- The ability to stay at bay and keep calm
Well-thought-out plans often fall through, and this is normal in the catering industry. It may sound cliché however your ability to remain calm under pressure could be a huge influence on all those you interact with every day.
You represent your business on all occasions. Your employees, customers, and guests can tell when you’re overly stressed. Be calm and your team will follow your direction.
You can keep calm by realizing that although you can’t control the circumstances that take place, however, you have the option to respond to each of them strategically.
- Multitasking capabilities
The importance of multitasking in catering management can’t be overemphasized. Site visits, client management meetings with vendors, and other administrative tasks can take a large portion of your time. Each event has its style, different number of guests and is at an entirely different phase of its production. You need to know how to handle the various events without missing out on anything.
Multitasking isn’t about making more work for you. It’s about educating the brain to use energy effectively, allowing you to get more accomplished in a shorter amount of time. There’s no need to be doing 10 things at a time You’re doing one task at a time and then shifting to the next task in a fraction of a second.
It’s possible that you’re not the most efficient multi-tasker at this present time, however, practice makes perfect. The more you practice it, the more it gets better.
- Attention to detail
There are multiple events to attend to and dealing with multiple catering companies. In the job of a catering manager, there’s no room for mistakes, no matter how minor. Each catering event is distinctive. The menu for today’s wedding reception is packed with nuts, gluten, and dairy products, while the buffet luncheon to follow tomorrow must be able to accommodate various diet restrictions.
Get it done: Simple changes from round tables to square can result in a better flow. Silk flowers may be more affordable for clients who are on a tight budget (but they look equally good). Sustainable serving ware communicates an image that will make the customers happy. Learn to view the small things from the point of view of customers and guests until it’s second nature.
Creating an extensive list of every luncheon or banquet can be a great step to take. You can also make use of different software for event planning to monitor the budget, vendors’ contracts, and to-do lists.
- Good relationship skills
Personality is a huge factor in a person’s life. If you come across someone difficult for you to get along with, you may have difficulty getting people to be willing to go the extra mile to help you.
Your communication skills can contribute to creating relationships, managing teams, and establishing a relationship with your clients.
How to Become a Catering Manager
Even though you’ll not be able to immediately change from school to a managerial job, you’ll have to progress beginning as an assistant to the kitchen. Some catering companies might provide training while working, which can help you progress quickly to become a catering manager. If this isn’t an alternative for you, it is possible to take part-time management courses as a sideline to improve your chances.
In addition to taking courses and demonstrating your commitment to getting promoted to the position of catering manager, you have to put everything you have into your job, showing initiative determination, and commitment. There could be competition, therefore work hard and prove your potential.
After you’ve become an experienced catering manager and are getting valuable experience within the company, you may begin to think about starting your own company. You’ll be more flexible in the decision-making process but it’s not an easy task and you’ll have to handle more responsibilities like management, marketing, and accounting.
If you are interested in working as a catering manager in another country, you can join a bigger catering company that is international. You may be able to travel as part of your job.
If you’re ready to make a change in the direction you are in, consider moving into different areas of management, such as hotel or restaurant management. You already have the experience of managing a group, but you might have to learn new skills in the particular area that is on your mind.
Where to Work?
You may be employed to work within the premises of an organization’s catering department or work for an agency that offers catering services to a variety of customers.
Employers that are typical include:
- The Armed Forces
- Industries and business, e.g. factories of a large size
- Cruise ships
- Hospitals
- Hotels
- Local authorities
- Prisons
- Retail outlets
- Schools, colleges, and other higher educational institutions
- Tourism attractions and organizations like the National Trust. National Trust
- Youth hostels.
Catering Manager Salary Scale
Entry-level catering managers can anticipate earning around $30,000 at the beginning of their careers. Catering managers with a minimum of 10 years experience can earn around $50,000 per annum. If they have at least 20 years of experience, they can be able to earn up to $55,000 per annum.
Salary levels vary greatly based on many different variables, such as company, market, size, and the level of experience and demographics.