Hospitality and Catering

Scottish Canals are the custodians of the nation’s canal network and surrounding estates. Our vision is to invest in the canal network to generate lasting benefit for people and communities; celebrating their industrial heritage, ensuring they offer quality green and blue spaces for people and communities and contribute to Scotland’s resilience in tackling climate change.

Our success is rooted in valuing the contributions of our entire team – we care, we create, and we collaborate to continue to deliver a whole range of activities from boating, paddling, walking and wheeling to living and playing and improving what the canals have to offer to our visitors and communities. We also work collaboratively with our partners and stakeholders to contribute to a wealthier, fairer, greener and more resilient Scotland.

As an employer we offer a truly unique opportunity to be part of our team, help us realise our vision and contribute to safeguarding our heritage and ensuring our canals flourish now and in the future.

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a Junior Sous Chef to join our Caledonian Canal Centre team in Fort Augustus. You will be a passionate and supportive team player who is both an effective leader and follower. Ideally an experienced Sous Chef who has had similar roles in a fresh food premises but this position could also be suitable for a strong commis chef looking to progress with their career.

The role is offered on a permanent basis, and with a starting salary of £26,110 (Band B). Working hours 37 hours per week on a shift pattern of 4 days on, 2 days off.

Scottish Canals offer a generous annual leave entitlement of 28 days, plus 10 public holidays, along with enhanced sick pay, discounted shopping vouchers, health cash plan and a contributory pension scheme with up to 10% employer contribution.

Primary responsibilities of the role:

Daily running of the kitchen
Food preparation as required
Working alongside Sous Chef and the front of house team to ensure the smooth running of the Caledonian Canal Centre F&B offer
Ensuring health and safety records are kept up to date.
Managing food purchase and storage
Menu planning and managing COS in line with budgets
Maintaining a safe and hygienic kitchen environment.
Be aware of the food preparation level during busy and quiet times

Qualifications and knowledge required:

NVQ Level 2 or above in Catering

Skills and experience required:

Previous experience working in a similar role
A full driving licence

Qualities & abilities required:

Good communication and team working
Highly organised with excellent planning
Able to work under pressure in a high-paced environment

Scottish Canals reserve the right to close this vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Dalkeith Country Park is a truly special place. On the outskirts of Edinburgh, this beautiful 1,000-acre estate is home to Restoration Yard where you will discover our gorgeous courtyard, home to The Kitchen, providing a stylish, relaxed and contemporary dining experience. To cater for our wide range of visitors, we also have The Larder, Cabin and many other pop up food and beverage outlets throughout the year.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our management team as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager to help create memorable moments for our guests, whether they are with us for a cup of tea, a spot of lunch or celebrating a special event.

Reporting to our Head of Food & Beverage, you will find that no two days are the same with responsibilities that include the day to day running of food outlets, stock control, managing our floor and bar team, running events and planning for our ever-changing seasonal calendar.

There are lots of reasons why it is great to work with us; it’s a fun & supportive team, stunning location, and unusually for hospitality, we work mostly in the daytime!

What skills are required? Teamwork, an excellent eye for detail, great with people, creativity, being a natural motivator with an eagerness to go the extra mile.

If this sounds like the step-up you’ve been waiting for, then we’d love to hear from you! Candidates should be passionate about customer service, enjoy a fast-paced environment and have some experience of supervising a front of house team (either in a manager or supervisor role).

Interested? Please email a copy of your CV and covering letter to recruitment@buccleuch.com. You can also find more about working for us at www.dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk/contact-us/work-for-us/.

The closing date for applications is 20 May.

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OVERVIEW OF THE POST

As a Cook at Almond Valley Heritage Centre, you will play a vital role within our catering team, contributing to the creation of delicious and memorable food for our visitors. From preparing fresh ingredients to crafting mouth-watering dishes, you’ll showcase your skills and passion for food in every plate served. Working closely with the Catering Manager, you’ll help maintain the high standards of quality, consistency, and creativity that define our café’s menu offerings. With a focus on culinary excellence and customer satisfaction, you’ll ensure that every meal served reflects the unique charm and flavour of our visitor attraction.

INFORMATION ABOUT TEAM

You will form part of the Catering Team, lead by the Catering Manager. You will be responsible to the tearoom supervisor according to work location.

SCOPE OF DUTIES

Key Responsibilities, Duties and Objectives

• Oversee all aspects of food preparation and presentation in the kitchen
• Supervise kitchen staff to ensure high-quality dishes are produced
• Advise on creating and updating menus to meet customers’ preferences and
seasonal availability
• Maintain inventory levels and order supplies as needed
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations in the kitchen
• Train new kitchen staff members
• Collaborate with management to plan and execute special events or menus
Skills

• Proven experience in a culinary role
• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Excellent knowledge of culinary techniques and best practices
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment
• Exceptional communication skills

ABOUT YOU

Qualifications:

Essential

• REHIS elementary food handling certificate

Desirable:

• Cook 1 Year
• Previous experience in commercial catering
• Experience of working unsupervised
• Experience in the use of combination ovens
• Good customer care skills
• A head for numbers
• The ability to work in a busy and sometimes hectic working environment
• Be a team player

Personal Qualities

• Maintain excellent time-keeping and attendance.
• Be professional at all times.
• Good interpersonal skills, able to work as part of a team, able to work
independently

Setting the Scene…

Born in 2010, and distilled in the heart of our namesake city, Edinburgh Gin has established itself as a pioneer in craft and wonder-filled flavour. Having been consistently rated on Tripadvisor as one of Scotland’s top tourist attractions through an offering of innovative and engaging experiences, but not one for ‘resting on our laurels’, in January 2024 we closed the doors to our Edinburgh Gin West End Distillery and Hanover Street retail shop in preparation for our extraordinary next chapter…

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, excitement is distilling as we look forward to opening our brand-new, state-of-the-art distillery at the Arches on East Market Street, where traditional craft meets innovation and we celebrate the art of gin-making amidst breath-taking views of Edinburgh’s skyline. This ongoing investment is a true testament to the pride we have in our product and our commitment to sharing this with our visitors, ensuring everyone who comes to see us has the most exceptional Edinburgh Gin experience.

With plans to welcome visitors from Autumn 2024, our new Brand Home is more than just a distillery; it’s a place where stories are told, where discoveries are made, where life-long connections are made with our brand, and where the spirit of Edinburgh comes alive.

As we embark on this next evolution of our Edinburgh Gin journey, fuelled by our passion for gin and dedication to excellence, we are now looking for kindred spirits to join us at this truly exciting time…

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Our opportunity…

At the heart of our brand, product and experience are the people that make it all happen. A critical element to our success is ensuring we have the right team in place, advocating for our brand, approaching their work creatively and innovatively and ensuring that everyone who engages with us has an exceptional experience.

In this first wave of our recruitment activities, we are delighted to now welcome interest in our exciting new role of Brand Homes Bar Manager (Edinburgh Gin).

This is a rare and unique opportunity for someone with extensive bartending and mixology experience to work on an opening project, years in the making. Completing our on-site management team, we’re looking for the right person to draw on their expertise and creativity to put their own stamp on how our brand is enjoyed and experienced. As Brand Homes Bar Manager (Edinburgh Gin), you will lead the bar team and its daily operation, supporting the delivery of tours, experiences, events and trade visits. You will be a key brand advocate, enthusiastically showcasing our products with in-depth product knowledge. Your skill, experience, curiosity, and ongoing research will be required to design our serve and cocktail menu, deepening brand engagement with all who come to see us. You will support the Brand Homes Manager and Central Brand to build and deliver a new strategic vision for the Brand Home bar, with profitability and commercial viability at the core and in line with the brand plan. As a key member of the Edinburgh Gin team, you will act as an ambassador for the Brand, engaging with our key trade customers by designing and hosting on site events and delivering training on our serve strategy. You will proudly use your industry network and social media presence to advocate for our craft and products, actively being a face for our brand, building strong relationships with our on-trade customers, partners and stakeholders.

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Who We Are Looking For …

This role is integral to the success of our new Brand Home, and we’re looking for candidates who are industry experts, with a strong, demonstrable background in the art of mixology and drinks menu curation. Direct previous experience leading the daily operation of a bar is essential, preferably within a high-end hospitality environment. We need an innovative individual with true passion for their craft and providing exceptional customer service and experiences, with a continuous desire to learn and adapt.

Our ideal candidate will be a charismatic, friendly and engaging individual, a team player who is able to build strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, working towards common goals. An excellent communicator who is confident presenting our Brand in person and on social media. Someone who is energised by their art and is thrives on sharing that enthusiasm.

We are looking for a professional who embodies our values and leads by example, with previous experience leading and developing a Bar team, establishing a warm and friendly culture that invites collaboration and experimentation. Excellent interpersonal skills and previous experience of people management and resource planning  is essential. 

The successful candidate will have commercial acumen and be technically competent with previous systems and Microsoft experience to support the smooth operation of the bar. We are looking for candidates who have an eye for detail and a drive for ongoing improvement.

We operate annualised hours, therefore previous experience of managing these operationally would be advantageous.

Candidates must also have a true and authentic passion for our Edinburgh Gin brand and be able to help translate brand values and ethos throughout all aspects of the operational world, making it their business to understand the competitive set and continuously striving to adapt and innovate.

Due to the nature of our operation and this role, we are looking for candidates who have flexibility in their availability. The role be offered on a full-time, permanent basis, working 5 from 7 days, including evening and weekends to facilitate our experience and event offering. You will also act, on a rotational basis, as a Duty Manager for the full site.

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Additional Information…

Edinburgh Gin is part of Ian Macleod Distillers, an entrepreneurial, family owned whisky and spirits business who own other premium and luxury brands such as Glengoyne, Rosebank, Tamdhu, Smokehead, to name but a few! ‘Crafting Spirits With Passion’ is what we do best. If you haven’t already, please browse around our company internet pages and immerse yourself in our colourful history and sample the details of some of our exquisite brands. As we start to tantalise your taste buds and whet your appetite for a career here with us at Ian Macleod Distillers, you will really get to understand just why our team members and customers are indeed so passionate about all things Ian Macleod!

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Next steps…

If after reading through, you still find that all of this really excites you, then we would love to hear from you! 

To apply for this opportunity, click the apply now button to create your own recruitment account with us and submit your application and CV. Please remember that along with your CV, you will need to answer some key questions and submit a tailored cover letter, clearly outlining why your skills and previous experiences are a perfect fit to what we are looking for – remember this is your opportunity to make yourself stand out from the crowd!

Please note, this is an open application window therefore we may close the advert at any point depending on the candidate applications received so our recommendation is that you apply early to ensure you don’t miss out!

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

A kitchen porter is responsible for basic food preparation, kitchen cleanliness, and ensuring the area remains organised. A kitchen porter’s duties include:
• Cleaning and sanitising all areas used for meal preparation, along with ovens, grills, sinks, and stoves.
• Unloading food and equipment deliveries & ensuring they are stored in the right areas.
• Continually making sure that work surfaces, floors, and walls are clean and sanitised.
• Taking out the rubbish and putting in correct bins
• Washing cutlery, utensils, and cookware so the kitchen staff has constant access.
• Helping the chef with food preparation such as peeling, washing, and cutting meal ingredients.
• Keeping freezers, fridges, and storage areas clean and organised.
• Taking on ad-hoc duties when deemed appropriate to the position,

• Carrying out basic cleaning tasks as quickly and safely as possible.
• Collecting and washing up pots and pans.
• Cleaning crockery & cutlery and ensuring food preparation sites are clean and ready.
• Unloading equipment and food from deliveries.
• Ensuring the storerooms/areas remains organised.
• Making sure work surfaces, floors and walls are always clean and sanitised.
• Some basic food preparation may be required
• Adhering at all times to health and safety requirements
• Work as part of a team

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Ensure all food preparation meets standards
• Prepare and present high-quality food
• Supervise junior team members
• Keep all working areas clean and tidy and ensure no cross contamination
• Ensure food stuffs are of a good quality and stored correctly
• Contribute to controlling costs, improving gross profit margins, and other departmental and financial targets
• Have control and organisation of own section
• Assist Head Chef/Sous Chef/Senior CDP in the training of all staff in compliance of company procedures
• Ability to work well as part of a team