Catering manager

Catering managers run the food service of organisations including restaurants, bars, schools, colleges and outside suppliers.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a catering manager, you may:

  • recruit and train staff
  • manage a team, and organise shifts and rotas
  • plan finances, manage budgets and oversee stock control
  • meet suppliers and negotiate contracts
  • monitor the quality of the service to customers
  • follow food hygiene and health and safety regulations
  • cater for special diets and meet cultural and nutritional needs

Working environment

You could work at a restaurant, at a school, in an NHS or private hospital, in a hotel or at a conference centre.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

With experience you could:

  • move into larger organisations or event catering
  • study for further qualifications to move into other hospitality roles
  • start your own contract catering business

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • leadership skills
  • the ability to motivate and manage staff
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • customer service skills
  • business management skills
  • knowledge of food production methods
  • maths knowledge
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree.

Useful subjects include:

  • business and hospitality management
  • culinary arts or culinary management
  • hotel and catering management

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

You could take professional catering qualifications at college then move into management. You could also do a qualification in hospitality management and find work as a trainee catering manager.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

More Information

You could do a Hospitality Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship, if you've got experience in catering and have also worked as a supervisor.

You could also do a Hospitality Supervisor Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship and then progress to become a hospitality and catering manager.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

You could start as a kitchen assistant or trainee 'commis' chef and work your way up while learning on the job. You could apply for work with restaurants, bars or catering companies.

Further information

You can find out more about catering careers from Caterer.com and CareerScope.

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This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.