Maître D

About Us

The Winchester Orangery is a stylish and vibrant café bar in the heart of Winchester, known for its welcoming atmosphere, excellent food and drink, and exceptional customer service.

From relaxed morning coffees and leisurely lunches to evening drinks, tapas and private events, we pride ourselves on creating memorable experiences for every guest.

We are looking for a charismatic, professional and enthusiastic Maître d’ to be the face of The Winchester Orangery, ensuring every guest receives a warm welcome, outstanding service and an experience that keeps them coming back.

The Role

As our Maître d’, you will be at the heart of the guest experience, overseeing the smooth running of front-of-house service and maintaining the high standards that make The Winchester Orangery special.

A key focus of this role is building lasting relationships with our guests, encouraging repeat custom and developing a loyal customer base.

We're looking for someone with a natural flair for hospitality, excellent attention to detail and the confidence to lead by example.

Key Responsibilities

• Welcome and greet guests warmly, creating an exceptional first impression.
• Manage reservations, table allocations and walk-in guests to maximise covers and ensure a seamless service.
• Oversee the day-to-day running of front-of-house operations.
• Lead, motivate and support the front-of-house team, ensuring consistently high service standards.
• Build lasting relationships with guests, delivering personalised and memorable experiences that encourage repeat visits, customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
• Proactively recognise and welcome returning guests, ensuring they feel valued and creating an atmosphere that keeps customers coming back to The Winchester Orangery.
• Develop and maintain a strong base of regular customers, taking a proactive approach to guest engagement and retention.
• Coordinate with the kitchen and bar teams to ensure efficient communication and smooth service.
• Handle guest enquiries, special requests and complaints professionally and confidently.
• Support the organisation and delivery of private events, special occasions and group bookings.
• Maintain excellent presentation standards throughout the venue.
• Identify opportunities to increase sales through recommendations, upselling and exceptional guest experiences.
• Assist management with staff training, service standards and operational improvements.

About You

We're looking for someone who is:

• Passionate about hospitality, with a genuine love for delivering excellent customer experiences.
• Confident, personable and naturally engaging, with excellent communication skills.
• Experienced in a similar role within a restaurant, café, bar or premium hospitality environment.
• Organised and able to remain calm and professional during busy services.
• A natural leader who can motivate and inspire a team.
• Proactive, with excellent attention to detail and a hands-on approach.
• Naturally skilled at building relationships and turning first-time visitors into loyal regulars.
• Knowledgeable and enthusiastic about food, wine and cocktails.
• Flexible and willing to work a mixture of weekdays, weekends and evenings.

Previous experience as a Maître d’, Restaurant Supervisor, Host Manager or Front of House Manager would be advantageous.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Great tips
• A friendly, supportive and enthusiastic team.
• The opportunity to play a key role in a well-established Winchester venue.
• Opportunities for progression within our independent hospitality group.
• A varied and engaging role with the chance to make a genuine impact on the guest experience.

Apply Now

If you're a natural host who thrives on creating memorable experiences, loves working with people and takes pride in delivering exceptional hospitality, we'd love to hear from you.

Pay: £13.50-£15.00 per hour

Expected hours: 38.0 per week

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Employee discount

Work Location: In person