Assistant Manager

Independent Country Inn | Restaurant, Rooms & Weddings

Somerset – Near Bath & Frome

Up to £35,000 + Service Charge
5-Day Week | 40+ Hours | Genuine Progression Opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and hands-on Assistant Manager to join a beautifully restored independent country inn in Somerset, within easy reach of Bath and Frome.

Combining a quality restaurant and bar with boutique bedrooms, the inn offers warm, characterful hospitality within a relaxed countryside setting.

This is a particularly varied management opportunity. Working directly alongside the owner, you'll become involved in virtually every aspect of running the business — from leading front-of-house service and looking after hotel guests through to staffing, reservations, payroll and helping develop the venue's growing weddings business.

For an ambitious hospitality manager who ultimately wants to progress towards running their own property, this offers the opportunity to gain genuinely rounded operational experience within a supportive independent environment.

The Role

This is very much a hands-on management position.

You'll be visible within the operation, leading from the floor while also taking responsibility for many of the behind-the-scenes elements required to keep a successful restaurant and rooms business running smoothly.

Working closely with the owner, your responsibilities will include:

Supporting the overall day-to-day management of the inn
Leading restaurant and bar service
Welcoming hotel guests and overseeing check-ins
Managing hotel reservations through eviivo
Managing restaurant reservations through OpenTable
Creating and managing staff rotas
Supporting recruitment, training and development of the team
Assisting with staff management and day-to-day HR matters
Supporting and managing payroll administration
Maintaining excellent standards of guest service throughout the property
Handling guest enquiries and resolving issues where required
Supporting the organisation and delivery of weddings and events
Helping proactively develop and grow the weddings side of the business
Working alongside the owner to identify opportunities to improve and develop the operation

About You

We're looking for someone who enjoys being involved in the whole business rather than simply managing restaurant shifts.

You could currently be an:

Assistant Manager
Restaurant Manager
F&B Manager
Hotel Duty Manager
Strong Supervisor ready to take the next step

You'll ideally have:

Previous experience within a quality restaurant, country inn, boutique hotel or restaurant with rooms
Strong front-of-house and restaurant service experience
Excellent guest engagement skills
Confidence supervising and developing a hospitality team
Good administrative and organisational ability
Experience creating rotas and managing staffing requirements
A proactive and hands-on approach
Strong communication and problem-solving skills
An interest in weddings and events
The ambition to take on increasing responsibility as the role develops

Experience with eviivo, OpenTable or similar hospitality systems would be advantageous, although this isn't essential for someone with the right operational background.

Working Pattern

5-day working week
40+ hours per week
Some weekend working required
Full-time, permanent position
Varied operational and management shifts

The Package

Salary up to £35,000, depending on experience
Service charge in addition
5-day working week
Meals whilst on duty
Work directly alongside the owner
Varied exposure across restaurant, rooms, events and business administration
Genuine opportunity to take on increasing responsibility
Excellent experience for someone looking to progress towards General Management
Beautiful countryside location within reach of Bath and Frome

Why This Role?

This isn't an Assistant Manager position where you'll simply spend every shift running the restaurant floor.

You'll become the owner's right hand within the operation, gaining hands-on experience across restaurant service, boutique accommodation, staffing, payroll, reservations, weddings and the wider commercial running of an independent hospitality business.

For someone who wants to become a well-rounded hospitality manager and ultimately progress towards General Management, it's a genuinely strong opportunity to take that next step.