General Manager

General Manager

Fishmongers Tavern

Role purpose

Take full commercial and operational ownership of a food-led pub, restaurant and accommodation business. Run the venue as one joined-up operation, combining service, bar, carvery, rooms, promotions and events to deliver a consistent guest experience and profitable trading.

Operational scope Pub and bar, restaurant and food service, Sunday carvery, accommodation, promotions and events.

Commercial performance

• Own the site profit and loss performance, including sales, labour and controllable expenditure. Monitor results against agreed budgets, explain material variances and take corrective action.
• Understand covers, average spend, food and drink sales mix, promotions and trading patterns. Use this information to improve revenue, margins and staffing decisions.
• Review room performance and identify opportunities for accommodation, food and drink to support each other.

Restaurant carvery and bar service

• Lead structured service across the venue’s trading areas, particularly busy food periods and Sunday carvery. Manage bookings, tables, service pace and effective front-of-house and kitchen coordination.
• Set consistent bar and restaurant standards and own the customer experience from booking through to payment. Resolve issues promptly and act on customer feedback.
• Maintain drinks availability, stock discipline, wastage records and cash handling controls.

Food operation

• Work closely with kitchen leadership on food availability, menu execution, service flow and gross profit controls.
• Match front-of-house staffing and service planning to kitchen capacity, with clear communication before and during busy sessions.

Accommodation and guest experience

• Own room presentation, guest communication, arrivals and issue resolution. Coordinate housekeeping and maintenance to ensure rooms are ready and standards are consistent.
• Manage accommodation bookings, booking-system accuracy, room availability, cancellations and deposits. Apply approved room pricing and refer exceptions for approval within the agreed authority limits.
• Connect the accommodation experience with the pub and restaurant, encouraging staying guests to use the food and drink offer.

People and leadership

• Lead a visible, accountable site team. Set clear expectations for duty managers and shift leaders, delegate effectively and follow through on agreed actions.
• Lead service hands-on during peak trading, hold shift briefings and ensure clear handovers between duty managers.
• Manage rotas and management cover against forecast trade and agreed labour budgets. Lead recruitment, induction, training and performance management within group procedures.
• Build staffing stability, develop future supervisors and maintain accurate attendance and payroll information for Finance Support.
• Manage holiday requests, absence, probation reviews, appraisals and disciplinary matters within group procedures and delegated authority, seeking group support where required.
• Maintain a respectful, inclusive workplace, support team wellbeing and address concerns promptly. Develop deputies and duty managers who can run the venue effectively during the General Manager’s absence.

Standards compliance and maintenance

• Maintain opening and closing routines, cleanliness, safety, security and maintenance standards. Complete required checks and records, and follow issues through to resolution.
• Ensure the team follows licensing conditions and group procedures for responsible service, food safety and customer behaviour. Escalate significant incidents or compliance risks promptly.
• Oversee site risk assessments, fire and emergency routines, accident records, allergen procedures and completion of required staff training, coordinating food controls with kitchen leadership.
• Prepare the venue for inspections and internal audits, coordinate with group specialists and complete corrective actions by agreed deadlines.
• Maintain age-verification procedures and refusal and incident records, ensuring the team understands responsible service requirements.
• Maintain keyholding, alarm response and urgent incident arrangements. Coordinate responses to equipment breakdowns and other emergencies, using agreed escalation routes and out-of-hours cover arrangements.
• Apply consistent presentation, cleanliness and maintenance standards throughout the pub, restaurant and accommodation areas.

Daily financial controls and purchasing

• Check daily till reconciliations and cash banking. Review refunds, voids, discounts and discrepancies, investigate unusual transactions and report unresolved concerns promptly.
• Order through approved suppliers within agreed budgets and purchasing limits. Check deliveries against orders and invoices, resolve shortages and discrepancies, and maintain stock rotation.
• Keep supporting records accurate and submit paperwork on time so Finance Support can reconcile transactions and Finance Director can review and authorise payments.

Customer reputation and local business development

• Monitor customer reviews, coordinate responses with Marketing and convert recurring feedback or complaints into corrective actions with named owners.
• Build relationships with local residents, businesses and community groups. Develop repeat visits, group bookings and local sales opportunities within the agreed commercial plan.

Promotions and events

• Ensure food promotions, live music and seasonal activity are operationally deliverable before promotion. Plan staffing and availability, execute on site and review results with Marketing and Group Operations Manager.

Business planning and operating systems

• Produce weekly sales and labour forecasts, contribute to annual budgets and maintain a site improvement plan. Identify weaknesses, implement practical improvements and demonstrate their effect on sales, costs, service and team performance.
• Use tills and EPOS reports, rota software, stock systems and reservations platforms confidently; ensure site information is accurate and the team follows agreed processes. Oversee the accommodation booking system and maintain accurate availability and guest booking records.
• Protect staff, customer and commercial information. Follow company procedures for records, system access and CCTV, and escalate information-handling concerns promptly.

Reporting collaboration and authority

• Report operationally to the Group Operations Manager. Prepare a weekly scorecard and attend site reviews covering sales, labour, standards, staffing, maintenance, upcoming events and actions.
• Work with the Group Executive Chef, who leads food direction, menus, food gross profit and kitchen standards. Coordinate site implementation with the Head Chef while retaining accountability for the whole-site result.
• Provide Marketing with accurate commercial briefs, dates and content access; Marketing owns campaign production and delivery. Ensure promoted offers can be delivered and take responsibility for execution on site.
• Supply Finance Support with complete cash, invoice, receipt and payroll paperwork on time. The Finance Director retains financial controls and final payment approval.
• Keep action owners and deadlines current with executive support. Make routine decisions within agreed budgets and authority; bring solutions to Group Operations Manager and escalate matters beyond those limits. Major investment, senior appointments and significant commercial commitments follow Director approval.
• Work to a written schedule of delegated authority agreed with group leadership, covering spending, recruitment, refunds, discounts, pricing and supplier commitments. Obtain approval for decisions outside these limits before making commitments.

Performance measures

Sales and growth; wage percentage; food and wet gross profit; covers and average spend; room occupancy, average room rate and room revenue; customer feedback; staffing stability; standards and compliance; event and promotion delivery; action completion.

Targets and delegated authority limits will be agreed with group leadership. Prepare information for weekly site and Friday performance reviews, contribute to forward planning 4 to 8 weeks ahead and complete agreed actions by their deadlines.

Person specification

Essential

• Holds a valid personal licence.
• Must be able to work weekends
• Proven success managing a food-led pub, restaurant or comparable hospitality venue, including busy service periods and coordination between front-of-house and kitchen teams.
• A proven record of managing venue profit and loss, achieving agreed budgets and controlling labour, stock and gross profit.
• Ability to coordinate housekeeping and the accommodation guest journey, and to learn and use the venue’s accommodation booking system.
• Evidence of recruiting, developing and retaining a team, managing performance and preparing deputies for greater responsibility.
• Ability to operate independently within delegated authority, prioritise competing demands and resolve problems calmly, with consistent follow-through.
• Strong numerical skills, concise written reporting and confident use of EPOS, rota, stock and reservations systems.
• Sound practical knowledge of licensing, responsible service, food safety and operational standards, with a consistent focus on customer experience.

Desirable Experience managing accommodation and its booking systems, Sunday carvery and several hospitality revenue streams within one venue.

First 90 days

• Days 1 to 30: establish the sales, labour, margin and customer feedback baseline; review staffing, stock controls, standards and maintenance; confirm reporting routines and delegated authority with Group Operations Manager.
• Days 31 to 60: agree a prioritised site improvement plan with Group Operations Manager, with measurable targets, named owners and deadlines; address urgent operational gaps and establish consistent team briefings and forecasts.
• Days 61 to 90: demonstrate progress against agreed targets, review results with Group Operations Manager and group specialists, and set the next priorities. Confirm deputies and team members can maintain standards during the General Manager’s absence.

Pay: £30,000.00-£44,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person