Cook/Cafe Officer

Job Description

Employer: Awel Aman Tawe

Reports to: Hwb y Gors Centre Manager

Salary:  £30,000 pro rata

Hours:  Part-time post 22.5 hours per week (flexible rota to suit needs of centre)

Contract term: 2 years. With potential extension subject to review.

Holiday entitlement:  pro rata 25 days leave per annum

Ethical Pension scheme with a 6.5% salary contribution being matched by AAT.

Who we are:

Awel Aman Tawe is a charity based in the upper Amman Valley and founded in 1998 with the joint objectives of addressing the climate emergency and supporting community resilience.  We have developed the two largest renewable energy co-ops in Wales: Awel Co-op (our wind co-op) and Egni Co-op (our solar co-op).  We also run a variety of projects including Energy Warriors schools’ education programme, sustainable community transport, energy efficiency advice and community arts.  We bought the former primary school in Cwmgors in 2018 and are currently re-developing it into a new low-carbon arts, education and enterprise Centre: Hwb y Gors. This position of Cook/Cafe Officer will play a key role in developing our vision for the venue.

Position Summary

As the cook, you will be experienced and committed to cooking and serving nutritious food that reflects the spirit of Hwb y Gors.  Alongside this, you will take responsibility for the efficient running of the café – from managing stock and menus to supporting volunteers and ensuring excellent customer service.  You will have a passion for the development and growth of our Hwb y Gors vegetarian Cafe, bringing energy and enthusiasm to the role. You will be a problem solver whose attention to detail is as strong as your appreciation for the bigger picture. With excellent communication skills you will be able to interact with a variety of stakeholders, including volunteers, whilst continually prioritising the needs of the Centre within the organisation.  This is a challenging, highly rewarding position, the success of which requires a commitment to the local community and to AAT’s joint purpose of addressing the climate emergency and supporting community resilience.  We will strive to ensure the centre is self-sustaining within 2 years and net zero by 2030, with the café playing an integral role in reaching these goals.

Vision for the Cafe at Hwb y Gors 

We would like our café, Caffi’r Hen Ysgol, to serve the community by offering tasty, healthy and affordable food, supporting local suppliers and using ethically produced ingredients wherever possible.  We see the café becoming a vibrant meeting place for the people of Cwmgors, visitors from further afield and the community of artists, educators and small enterprises within the centre. There could be the potential opportunity for additional hours through skill sharing workshops within the community.

A key part of the role will be coordinating and working alongside part-time café staff, centre volunteers and Hwb officers, as well as liaising with our community garden volunteers to make the most of their seasonal produce.

The café is a place for community connection, serving our many projects and users of the Hwb. We also plan language café’s, board game sessions, community meals and warm hubs in the winter.

Flexibility in working hours is essential, with daytime service forming the core offer and up to two evenings per week (including Fridays) alongside a limited takeaway service.

We are looking for a special person who shares this vision and has the skills to help bring it to life.

Roles and Responsibilities

As the Cook/Cafe Officer you will:

• Create, cook and deliver an exciting, nutritious vegetarian menu based on seasonality and customers’ preferences.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the café and cafe staff, including stock control and maintaining efficient use of ingredients.
• Cost menu items, analyse sales and maintain daily, weekly and monthly revenue and expense reports, using data from the Square POS to drive profitability and ensure the café’s long-term sustainability within the Hwb. 
• Use data from the first 6 months of trading to optimise operations, menu planning and staffing costs, aiming for the café to be self-sustaining by 2027. Key metrics include sales volume, item popularity, average transaction value, category performance and gross profit per item.
• Maintain a clean, welcoming environment, compliant with all food safety legislation including COSHH, Food Safety and Hygiene, allergen management, health & safety and environmental policies.   Liaise with public health officer as required.
• Build strong customer relationships to increase loyalty and encourage repeat visits, using Square POS data and proactive engagement.
• Manage stock, place orders and implement batch cooking where appropriate to improve efficiency and profitability.
• Recruit, train and supervise volunteers in food and drinks preparation, including proper use of the barista coffee machine.  Coordinate with volunteers for community meals, workshops, events and upskilling opportunities
• Support the Hwb’s wider activities, including the warm hub, board game café, language cafes, workshops and events with food and refreshments.
• Create and manage themed events to celebrate key dates and cultural activities (e.g. Valentines, Dydd Santes Dwynwen, Dydd Gwyl Dewi).
• Foster an inclusive, engaging café atmosphere, supporting informal language sessions and community initiatives.
• Resolve operational or customer issues, advising volunteers on best practices to deliver excellent customer service.
• Build and maintain relationships with local suppliers, community groups and stakeholders to strengthen the café’s role in the community.
• Champion sustainability practices, including minimising food waste and prioritising ethical sourcing.
• Regularly review café operations, menu offerings and customer feedback to identify improvements and innovation opportunities.
• Act as a keyholder for the Hwb, ensuring security and smooth opening/closing procedures.

Person Specification

	Essential	Desirable
Experience
Minimum 2 years’ experience cooking high quality food in commercial setting	x
Experience of compliance with food safety legislation	x
Good mathematical skills and experience of cash-handling	x
Experience of managing staff and/or volunteers	x
Experience and passion for food and developing menus	x
Experience in setting and managing a budget	x
Experience of working or volunteering with community-based organisations and a good understanding of the charity sector environment		x
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Excellent communication and customer service skills	x
Ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of people including volunteers and vulnerable people	x
Ability to set prices to reflect required profit margins in line with the Business plan to ensure sustainability.	x
Confident in using and/or learning digital software to manage data (eg spreadsheets, Square payment software, social media)	x
ICT skills – ability to use databases, social media and to contribute to web content.	x
Good problem-solving skills and awareness of risk assessments	x
Ability to take initiative and identify, prioritise and plan activities independently	x
Commitment to challenging discriminatory or disrespectful behaviour	x
Ability to contribute to strategic target-setting and development planning, using data capture to refine business plan.	x
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.	x
Welsh speaker or a commitment to learn.	x
Personal Qualities	Essential	Desirable
Leadership qualities	x
Commitment to principles of equity and respect for others	x
Good understanding of the social and economic issues faced by the local community	x
Flexibility with working hours including evenings and weekends	x
Commitment to the transition to Net Zero	x
Willingness to undertake training and personal development	x

Training Required which will be arranged by Awel Aman Tawe

• Safeguarding Group B/Level 2
• Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS)
• Food Hygiene and Safety Level 3
• ACT – Terrorism training
• Allergen Awareness
• Health & Safety
• GDPR
• EDI training
• Disability Awareness
• Manual Handling
• COSHH
• DSE Awareness
• DEFIB
• Accessible toilets alarm

Positions are open to all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Application process:

Applications must comprise a CV and covering letter. AAT is a special place to work and it is important for us to understand clearly why you want to be part of the team and what you feel you can bring. Please ensure you describe fully as part of your application your motivations, experience and suitability for the role with reference to the expectations set out in the personal specification and job description

Please email your application to cr****@**el.coop. Please put Hwb y Gors Cook/Cafe Officer in the subject heading.

Deadline: Friday 28^th November

Interviews: Tuesday 9^th December

This post is part-funded by the National Lottery People and Places Fund.