Party Ingredients, event caterer is seeking a creative, "Person Friday" to assist with event preparation and service for the Christmas season. This role will encompass all aspects of administrative and practical support to the MD in managing the way our events look as well as some other administrative support (data in sales) and a role in service at our events.
This is a great role for someone who has hospitality experience, wants to develop their involvement beyond the floor and has a busy, creative mind. We have high expectations of ourselves and each other and development here is swift.
Job Description
You should expect the following key activities to feature on a daily basis – the role will offer variety and creative opportunity and it is up to the individual to balance these aspects with the more repetitive “housekeeping” tasks that are crucial to consistent brand management:
• Research, curation and visual presentation of our key seasonal “looks”
• Development of bespoke “looks” for specific events and venues
• Practical management of event accessories (packing, loading, unloading, cleaning)
• Planning, budgeting and purchase of event accessories and props
• Promotional events – creative input, organisation, targeted invites, hosting and follow up
• Management of venue looks – communication with on site teams and practical set up and maintenance
• Management of sales data on a weekly basis
• Weekly planning of event looks and action schedule.
This role can also include project work with the MD and administrative assistance across a broad range of disciplines.
The role is office based, but will involve kit management - working with our Logistics team to ensure that the right equipment is clean and ready for use, and dispatched to the correct events.
Events
All of our staff contribute at events. Your HQ role is easier and develops quicker if you understand our catering operation, and have seen some of the venues that we work in. This role will suit someone with a hospitality background and / or a keen interest in food and drink. You will have opportunities to work at events each week – we will try and vary the type, style and size of events that you see. If you enjoy them we will try to develop your role at events – so that you can begin to contribute more towards management of the event. You will be encouraged to participate in our Operational Management Training programme, with a view to developing your operational skills alongside your administrative skills. Finally, marshalling our “look” on the frontline is very useful role for us at events. We want to document our work at its best, and tweaking cloths, food display and overall look is sometimes a valuable contribution to make.
About You
We will be looking for the following attributes in our candidates:
• Immaculate personal presentation
• Perfect spoken and written English
• Strong IT skills, with a good eye for layout and presentation
• Good food and drinks knowledge, with hospitality experience
• Creative flair and style
"Can do" approach
• Art and crafts interest and skill
• A passion for presentation and visual impact
• Personal drive and ambition
This role will suit a candidate with event hospitality experience and an enjoyment of service at outside events. An art / photography / interiors / design interest would be a great asset and this role is deliberately tailored at 32 hours to allow a candidate time to pursue their own art / design endeavours alongside a challenging, fulfilling and creative role. There are opportunities for more hours on the service side at events for the right candidate.
About Us
Party Ingredients is a longstanding London caterer with a reputation for fine food and drink, a 21st Century approach to sustainability, including paying a Living Wage to all employees, the ability to deliver to a consistently high standard and an eye for creative detail.
We are different from many of our competitors in that we run a largely in house operation – all food is made by us in our prep kitchens, from Petit fours, to ice creams to specialist breads; we own our own equipment rather than using hire companies and we have our own team of staff, rather than using agencies. We are active in the private and corporate markets, as well as having a reputation for large scale, set piece formal events (State banquets and receptions etc). We are disciplined and hard working, flexible and profitable catering between 20 and 30 events each week.
We are accredited at many of London’s best events venues, we have a portfolio of contracted venues across the City, central and west London, and our sister company is at the forefront of the English wine renaissance. We invest in the development of our team with in house and outsourced accreditations, stage placements and tailored training programs.
We have a hands on team of directors who cater on a daily basis with their teams – we are looking for a highly skilled, highly motivated practical and creative events professional to join our very successful operation.
Progression
This is a short term contract to begin with. The contract will run from now to the end of December, with opportunities to continue on further contract from the New Year.
Within the department, the scope for progression lies with more responsibility for brand management, promotional activity, in tendering for new work and in brand development – potentially into creative marketing. We have a marketing department and there would be opportunities to develop skills on the admin side for the right candidate.
Salary
This role will begin at £10.00 per hour for a minimum 40 hour week – 5 days (5 days 08.00 to 5.00, with an hour at lunch), predominantly Monday to Friday but with an occasional weekend day with an alternative day off during the week. There is scope to pick up additional hours at events as outlined – these shifts will be paid additionally at the hourly rate. Within the 40 hours you should expect to be in service at events when the creative schedule allows it. We offer a fixed term contract initially, with a completion bonus payable on successful completion of the contract. We provide meals when you are working. We also run an Employee Profit Share scheme, which pays up to 3 additional weeks salary each year, paid bi annually if we achieve our profit targets. Following a probation review (3 months), new employment is reviewed 6 monthly against task and behavioural performance. A successive contract will be offered if the position has been a success and there is evident progression in the role for the employee.
If this role sounds like it might suit you, please send your cv and a brief explanation of why you are right for the job.