The Newt in Somerset
Head Bartender
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Department Description
Located within the elegant Hadspen House hotel, the bar operates in close synergy with The Botanical Rooms – our refined 70-cover restaurant celebrated for its high-end dining experience. More than just an accompaniment to the restaurant, the bar stands as a destination in its own right, renowned for its inventive, estate-inspired cocktails and thoughtfully curated beverage list. The team works hand-in-hand with our gardeners, cider makers, distillers, and chefs to craft drinks that reflect the landscape and heritage of the estate. With a strong focus on service excellence, sustainability, and innovation, the bar team plays a vital role in creating a truly immersive and memorable guest experience.
Role Description
The Head Bartender is a full-time position leading the Hadspen Hotel Bar, delivering an exceptional guest experience through outstanding service, technical expertise and innovative beverage creation. The Head Bartender is responsible for leading the bar team, managing daily operations and developing a seasonal, estate-inspired beverage programme that reflects The Newt's commitment to craftsmanship, sustainability and provenance.
As the face of the bar, the Head Bartender will bring energy, creativity and personality to every service, creating memorable guest experiences while inspiring and developing those around them. Working closely with the Hotel Beverage Manager and collaborating with teams across the estate, they will champion the use of estate-grown and estate-produced ingredients, drive a zero-waste approach and continually evolve the beverage offering through curiosity, experimentation and technical expertise.
Responsibilities
- Lead the daily operation of the Hadspen Hotel Bar, ensuring consistently high standards of service and presentation.
- Recruit, train, coach and develop the bar team, creating a positive, high-performing culture.
- Provide day-to-day leadership, performance management and ongoing development for direct reports.
- Schedule shifts and allocate resources to meet operational demands.
- Create, develop and maintain a seasonal cocktail and beverage menu that showcases estate-grown, estate-produced and locally sourced ingredients.
- Lead beverage innovation through research, experimentation and a strong understanding of flavour, ingredient interactions and drink-making techniques.
- Champion The Newt's sustainability and zero-waste ethos by continually identifying opportunities to reduce waste, maximise ingredient utilisation and improve operational practices.
- Work closely with gardeners, chefs, cider makers, and other estate teams to develop beverages that celebrate seasonality, provenance and the estate's unique produce.
- Collaborate with the Hotel Beverage Manager to ensure the beverage programme aligns with operational objectives, guest experience and commercial performance.
- Deliver an engaging and informative guest experience, confidently sharing knowledge of spirits, wines, cocktails and estate products.
- Train and mentor team members to continually improve product knowledge, technical skills and service standards.
- Manage stock ordering, rotation, inventory and cost control to minimise waste and maximise profitability.
- Monitor beverage quality and consistency, ensuring all drinks are prepared to agreed standards.
- Ensure compliance with licensing legislation, food safety, health and safety and company policies.
- Maintain a clean, safe and well-presented bar environment at all times.
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Characteristics needed for this role
- A confident, charismatic leader with a strong presence and the ability to create memorable guest experiences.
- Naturally inspires, motivates and develops others through enthusiasm, passion and high standards.
- Passionate about hospitality, seasonality, sustainability and craftsmanship.
- Curious and creative, with an experimental mindset and a desire to continually innovate.
- Highly personable, building genuine connections with guests and colleagues alike.
- Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to consistency and quality.
- Organised, proactive and able to perform calmly in a fast-paced environment.
- Committed to continuous improvement and raising standards across the bar operation.
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Skills required for this role
- Proven experience in a supervisory bar team role in a premium or high-end/luxury hospitality setting.
- Proven experience managing a premium or luxury bar operation.
- Previous experience leading, developing and motivating a bar team.
- Excellent knowledge of spirits, cocktail creation and classic bartending techniques.
- Good understanding of wines and their role within a premium food and beverage offering.
- Strong technical understanding of flavour profiles, spirit production and beverage ingredients.
- Experience developing innovative seasonal cocktail menus.
- Demonstrable commitment to sustainability and reducing waste within bar operations.
- Experience of stock management, ordering, inventory control and cost management.
- Excellent organisational and communication skills.
Skills desired for this role
- Experience working with estate-grown, locally sourced or foraged ingredients.
- Previous experience within a luxury hotel environment.
- Experience collaborating with chefs or food development teams.
- Experience delivering structured training and mentoring programmes.
- Knowledge of fermentation, infusions, preservation techniques or other beverage development processes.
- WSET knowledge beyond Level 2 or equivalent spirit qualifications.
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