Catering Engagement Manager

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Job Title: Catering Engagement Manager

Location: London Region - 3 Locations within South London

Contract Type: Term-time only – 35 working weeks (175 days)

Why Join Us

• Pro-rata holiday allowance
• 3 volunteering days to give back to causes you care about
• 3 days grandparent leave for those special family moments
• 24 weeks enhanced maternity leave
• Bespoke training & development opportunities
• Pension & life insurance
• Discounts on high street brands, cinema & holidays via the Perkbox App
• Wellbeing hub & access to employee assistance programme
• Free meals while at work
• Career development & HIT Apprenticeships for all experience levels

About the Role

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Catering Engagement Manager to play a key role in enhancing the school’s catering experience across both the prep and senior sites. Working closely with our management team and the school’s leadership, you will design and deliver a comprehensive added-value engagement programme for our key stakeholders, principally pupils and parents, but also staff, visitors, and our wider community.

You will understand the importance of school meals in children’s lives and be motivated by the opportunity to make a meaningful difference. Alongside excellent communication and relationship-building skills, you will be digitally minded, with a strong grasp of current trends and digital engagement techniques.

This role combines engagement, communication, and hospitality, helping to ensure our food offer is meaningful, inclusive, and aligned with pupil needs. Your work will help ensure pupils leave school understanding that healthy, sustainable eating is as essential as core learning and as enjoyable as the many extracurricular activities on offer.

You will be joining Holroyd Howe, one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh and innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering provision specifically to suit children of all ages and meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

Our mission is simple: we invest in our people, equipping them with the skills they need to succeed. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and deliver a truly personalised experience to every client.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the key liaison between pupils, staff, and the catering team, ensuring pupil voice and feedback actively shape the dining offer
• Develop and lead a structured programme of engagement through pupil food councils, themed events, and wellbeing campaigns
• Champion a welcoming, hospitality-focused dining environment that reflects the school’s ethos and premium standards
• Expand engagement from one-off activities to an ongoing strategic programme
• Lead engagement activities to promote healthy eating and wellbeing across both prep and senior schools.
• Collect and analyse feedback through surveys, meetings, and suggestion boxes to inform menu development.
• Prepare and format menus for display, digital platforms, and termly publications.
• Assist in developing hospitality and fine dining menus for school events, open days, and external functions.
• In particular, support the organisation of sports and parent teas, ensuring menus, presentation, and service meet school expectations.
• Ensure all allergen and dietary information is accurate and clearly communicated across all catering areas.
• Collaborate with the school’s communication and marketing teams to highlight catering achievements / initiatives plus promote catering as part of the wider school experience and reputation.
• Provide input on dining-room aesthetics, signage, digital content, and service style to maintain a consistently high-quality impression.
• Monitor pupil participation, satisfaction, and food waste, identifying trends and areas for improvement.
• Prepare brief termly summaries of engagement initiatives and outcomes.
• Contribute creative ideas and innovations to enhance the dining experience each term.

Qualifications

• Experience in marketing, pupil engagement, and enrichment – Essential
• Ideally, experience working within education catering
• Up-to-date knowledge of current food trends
• A genuine passion for food, nutrition, and exceptional customer service
• Strong understanding of Food, Health & Safety standards
• Exceptional time management and organisational skills
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal abilities
• Confident in social media management and digital marketing, with the ability to create engaging content and drive stakeholder engagement

Additional Information

People first

We’re a company of individuals, united in doing our best for our clients.

Great food, always

Using only the best ingredients, our food is fresh, authentic and tailored to each school, age group, and specific needs and preferences.

Food education

We educate pupils through food, encouraging them to understand and develop their own personal tastes and make informed food choices.

Respect in everything we do

Our respectful codes of conduct inform how we behave towards our clients and customers, suppliers and business partners, and each other.

Fresh thinking

New ideas for food, service and ways of working help us maintain our position as creative leaders in school catering.

In order to be considered for this role you must be able to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK.

Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe involve regulated activity. It is a criminal offence for individuals barred from working with children to apply for such roles. An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a Barred List check will be required for all successful applicants. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide information about relevant criminal offences and will be subject to an online search of publicly available information. This search helps identify any issues that may affect suitability to work with children.

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.

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