YHA England & Wales
Catering Manager

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Kitchen Manager
YHA York, 42 Water End, Clifton, York, North Yorkshire, YO30 6LP
Permanent, flexible contract
Minimum 25 hours per week
£13.63 per hour
YHA York is looking for an energetic and dynamic Kitchen Manager with a passion for developing people and driving growth. Working closely with the Hostel Manager, you’ll ensure high standards of food quality, hygiene, and food safety, while leading, training, and supporting a busy catering team.
As a visible, hands-on leader, you'll lead by example, whether that's supporting team members, preparing meals for our café and groups, managing orders, setting goals, or maintaining excellent standards. No two days are the same, and that's exactly what makes this role exciting.
You’ll play a key role in balancing the day-to-day running of the kitchen with strong administrative oversight, while building relationships with groups and delivering an excellent customer experience. As both a leader and role model, you'll continually look for opportunities to enhance the guest experience and support your team's success.
Situated on the leafy banks of the River Ouse, YHA York is just a short walk from York’s historic city centre and within easy reach of the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside. Welcoming families, independent travellers, and groups of all ages, we also run a local café and host a variety of events. We’re proud of our creative, hardworking team and the warm welcome we offer every guest.
Why Work for YHA?
Join our team and enjoy a range of exclusive staff benefits that support your well-being and career growth:
- 10 nights free hostel stays per year for you and up to 3 friends or family
- Access to YHA’s staff discount and cash back portal
- Free YHA Membership each year
- Access to support via our Employee Assistance Program
There are many more benefits to working for YHA, so please visit our YHA Jobs website for more information.
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What Will You Be Doing as a Kitchen Manager?
We are a friendly team and will provide the training required for you to undertake the role. However, there is plenty for you to get stuck into from day one, including:
- Managing the food and beverage operation within your hostel
- Leading the preparation and delivery of food to agreed YHA standards
- Carrying out cleaning duties predominantly within our kitchen and food and beverage service areas
- Minimising food and beverage waste
- Maximising food and beverage profits
What Skills and Experience Do You Need to Be a Kitchen Manager?
Our Kitchen Managers are responsible for supporting the management of an operational budget and delivery of KPIs.
To provide this service, we are looking for candidates who have:
- Experience in hospitality, including the management and delivery of a quality service
- Experience of food and beverage best practice
- City & Guilds 706/ 1&2, NVQ4 or equivalent level of experience, Food Safety Level 2 Certificate qualifications
- Working knowledge of allergens and health and safety compliance requirements
- Excellent numeracy skills, experience of stock control and waste principles to maximise profit
- Experience of managing a team – experience of leading others, providing guidance to members of your team
- Ability to manage varying pressures, include peaks in workload demands – can prioritise, able to deal with conflicting duties
- Basic IT skills (ideally Microsoft Office) – able to use Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel
- Knowledge and understanding of the core purpose of YHA – what YHA does and how we do it
- Demonstration of our HEART values – they’re part of everything we do, and we look for people who bring them to life in their everyday work


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For more information about the role and the skills and experience required, please refer to the job description.
At YHA, we understand the richness of life experiences, and we place just as much importance on lived experiences as we do on skills and knowledge. We provide a robust induction, ongoing training, and opportunities for personal growth. While certain roles may require specific skills, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. For more information about how we are creating an inclusive workplace, please visit our jobs website.
Who Are YHA?
YHA is a social enterprise with a mission to enrich the lives of all, especially young people. YHA does this by providing brilliant hostel stays and experiences that improve physical health, mental wellbeing, and life skills.
If you would like to find out more about YHA the charity, the culture, the heritage, and so much more, please visit our jobs website.
How Do You Apply?
Submit your CV and complete the application form. For more information about our recruitment process, visit the job website. If you need any assistance, please email jobs@yha.org.uk.
Once the hiring manager has reviewed your application, we will contact shortlisted candidates. We aim to get in touch within a reasonable amount of time after the closing date. You can also check on the progress of your application if you have signed up to Connect - our online candidate portal.
If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please get in touch by emailing jobs@yha.org.uk.
PLEASE NOTE: All relevant checks are in place to ensure safeguarding and legal requirements of safer recruitment are adhered to. We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
YHA Job Title: Kitchen Manager
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