Cafe Assistant

Job Title: Catering Assistant

Responsible to: Catering Supervisor

Salary: £12.71 per hour

Hours: 0 hours

Contract: Zero hours

Place of Work: The Bowes Museum

• We are very happy to discuss flexible working and ways for our team to manage their home and working lives.
• 25 days holidays in addition to Bank Holidays.
• 5% employers pension contribution.
• Discount in the museum’s café and our shop.
• Free staff parking.
• Employee Assistance Programme – providing a 24/7 free helpline.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Free entry for your immediate family to the museum.
• Some mutual free entry arrangements with other partnership attractions.
• Cycle to work scheme

The Catering Team plays a vital role in delivering an outstanding customer experience across the museum’s catering spaces, both indoors and outdoors. As a Catering Assistant, you will be a key contributor to creating a welcoming, high quality visitor experience through excellent customer service, teamwork, and pride in presentation.

You will work across the museum’s award winning café, event spaces and outdoor pop‑ups, supporting day‑to‑day catering operations while engaging positively with visitors. By working closely with colleagues across the museum, you will help bring the place to life, sharing knowledge and ensuring every visitor feels welcomed, valued and inspired.

You will uphold and actively promote high standards in customer service, food service, cleanliness and safety, while supporting the achievement of key performance targets. Your work will ensure the visitor remains at the heart of everything we do.

This role includes regular weekend and Bank Holiday working, as well as occasional evening work for museum events and private hires.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, self‑motivated individual who is passionate about delivering excellent visitor experiences. You will be confident, friendly and approachable, with a genuine interest in engaging with people and representing the museum positively.

As a member of our visitor facing team, you will be an advocate for the museum and its values. You will actively welcome visitors, provide information, and help ensure everyone leaves having enjoyed a memorable visit.

Duties will be carried out across Café Bowes, event spaces, pop‑ups, and wider museum grounds. Flexibility, teamwork and a positive attitude are essential.

We believe that diversity and equality within our workforce, programmes and approaches is crucial to our mission of being inclusive and relevant to our communities. We want everyone to feel welcome. We, therefore, particularly welcome applications from candidates under-represented at The Bowes Museum and within the heritage sector, including Global Majority candidates and/or candidates with disabilities. 

• Deliver consistently high standards of customer care, ensuring meaningful and positive visitor interactions are at the heart of the catering offer.
• Welcome and actively engage with visitors, providing a warm, friendly service and relevant information about the museum, collections and exhibitions.
• Support café, event and pop‑up operations, ensuring smooth, efficient service at all times.
• Assess the quality of incoming stock and report any issues or discrepancies to the Catering Supervisor.
• Work closely with kitchen staff to maintain adequate stock levels and ensure correct storage procedures are followed.
• Process transactions accurately using the EPOS system, maintaining data and following GDPR guidelines.
• Handle food and drink order issues, and payment refunds professionally and efficiently.
• Work towards agreed key performance indicators (KPIs), including transaction value and add‑on sales.
• Ensure catering spaces are clean, safe and ready for service by completing and recording daily checks, maintaining high standards of presentation and food hygiene.
• Support the museum’s environmental and sustainability policies in daily working practices.
• Assist with basic maintenance tasks when required (e.g. replacing water filters, light bulbs or batteries).
• Adhere to all health and safety regulations, food safety and allergen management standards.
• Take part in training as required to carry out duties safely and competently.
• Demonstrate and advocate the museum’s values and behaviours in all aspects of work.
• Take ownership of personal and professional development, identifying learning needs with your line manager.
• Foster a positive, flexible and inclusive environment for staff and volunteers.
• Due to the rural location of the museum, be able to travel independently to work.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the role, as required by line management.

Person Specification Criteria:

Essential (E), Desirable (D)

Experience working with the public in a face-to-face customer service environment. E

Hold a valid Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering Certificate. D

Hold a valid FSA Food Allergy and Intolerance Training Certificate. D

Excellent verbal communication skills. E

Awareness of and the ability to deliver excellent standards of customer care. E

Ability to work under pressure and to manage time effectively. E

Able to work flexibly and as part of a team. E

Willingness to undertake training as and when required. E

The ability to work with minimal supervision, using initiative and making decisions. E

Able to maintain accurate records and follow basic financial procedures. E

Experience of working towards and achieving agreed sales targets in a catering setting. D

The ability to work weekends and Bank Holidays as part of a normal rota, occasional early morning and evening work is required. E

Knowledge of Local Area. D

Knowledge of the Bowes Museum collection. D