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Farm Shop Manager

Tablehurst Farm Ltd
Forest Row, East Sussex

Posted: 18 May 2023

Deadline: 2 Jul 2023

Compensation: Up to £30,000.00 depending upon experience

Paid Full-time Permanent

Job description

About us

Tablehurst Farm is an Award winning Biodynamic/Organic Community Farm situated in Forest Row, East Sussex. In 2022, we won the BBC Food and Farming Award for Food Producer of the Year; in 2021 we won Sussex Butcher of the Year at the Sussex Food and Drinks Awards; Our Pie Kitchen won a food award from the Soil Association for their delicious Steak and Kidney Pie using Tablehurst Farm produce. Tablehurst is committed to biodynamics as its core farming philosophy, and to community engagement as a central pillar of our work. 

We are looking for a talented Shop Manager to join the team to oversee the smooth running of the Farm Shop. Tablehurst Farm runs a thriving farm shop which showcases the Farm’s produce and is used to explain our approach to farming and what we are trying to achieve. The shop sells meat via our butchery (meat comes directly from the farm); dairy produce including raw milk and yoghurt from our micro dairy herd; pies and pastries from our award-winning Pie Kitchen; vegetables from our own vegetable garden; Sourdough Bread from the on-site Fermento Bakery as well as other organic dry goods sourced from responsible suppliers. 

This is a great opportunity to join an established team of in the Shop working in a traditional environment on a full-time basis of 42.5 hours per week over 5 days (to include a Saturday) exact days to be discussed with the successful candidate. Working hours to be 8am to 5.30pm with 1 hour for lunch. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Maximise and grow the sales at the Farm Shop through the effective and inspirational leadership of your team, ensuring the delivery of excellent customer service. 
• Leading, motivating and developing your small team 
• Plan staff rotas and holidays 
• Develop a culture of consistently exceeding customer expectations 
• Recruiting and training new staff 
• Stock ordering and resulting paperwork ensuring that all products are organic and/or biodynamic 
• Food stock management 
• Ensure all health and safety, environmental health, trading standards and any other regulations are adhered to 
• This is very much a hands-on role and general duties, serving and cleaning are a necessity of the job 
• Visual merchandising of shop displays 
• Maintaining records as required to meet regulatory requirements, for stock control, for internal transfers and for budgeting purposes and for our Demeter Certification 
• Holding responsibility for the shop budget and working to optimise purchase costs, staff costs and sales prices to achieve healthy levels of profitability. 
• Making proposals for capital investment in the shop where required. 
• Building mutually supportive relationships with suppliers who as far as possible share our ethos. 
• Working collaboratively with all Tablehurst staff; apprentices; our residents with learning difficulties and volunteers in a friendly and caring way. 

You will: 

• Be able to demonstrate strong leadership skills in a previous role and food retail experience 
• Be friendly and a people person with exceptional customer service skills who will lead their team to achieve exceptional levels of customer experience 
• Have well developed organisational skills with the ability to work under pressure and at the same time have keen attention to detail 
• Have a ‘can-do’ attitude 
• Be computer literate 
• Have experience of dealing with people; leading by example and have the ability to drive the team to success 

If you would like to join our business then send your CV along with a covering letter telling us why you would like to join us and how you can make us even more successful. 

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent 

Salary: up to £30,000.00 per year depending upon experience 

Benefits: 

• Discounted or free lunch on days worked 
• Employee shop discount 
• Free On-site parking 
• Sick pay after qualifying period

Schedule: 

• Day shift/5 days per week to include a Saturday 

Ability to commute to RH18 5DP - Forest Row, East Sussex is essential  

Application information

Please send your application to office@tablehurstfarm.org.uk including a CV and a covering letter explaining why you are interested in this position and what you think you could bring to it.  

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