Job title: F&B & Wine Service, Luxury Country Hotel, West Dorset

Job Description

Location: West Dorset, with staff accommodation available in Bridport
Salary: £30,000-£35,000, dependent on experience
Contract: Full-time
Hours: 40 per week
Working Pattern: On-site only. Weekend and evening shifts required. Outdoor work at times
Reporting To: Head of Operations
Driving Licence: Essential, own car required
Start Date: As soon as possible

Overview

Oplu is leading the search for an F&B & Wine Service professional to join the hospitality team at a distinguished luxury country hotel, vineyard, and retreat in West Dorset.

This is a hands-on service leadership role at £30,000-£35,000 dependent on experience. Full-time, 40 hours per week, on-site only. Staff accommodation is available in nearby Bridport for candidates relocating. A full driving licence and own car are essential given the rural setting.

Whether your background is as a Senior F&B Server, F&B Team Leader, Sommelier, Junior Sommelier, Wine Service Specialist, Luxury Restaurant Server, Cellar Door Host, or Wine Retail / Wholesale professional looking to move into a full hospitality remit, this is a considered appointment at a distinctive West Country property.

The Opportunity

The role leads hospitality service across three connected remits: Food & Beverage service and promotion, Wine service, education, and sales, and Activities, Experiences, and Events.

The successful candidate will take a lead role in F&B service, cover for the Head of F&B in their absence, including service, training, team, rota, and stock control, take full responsibility for the Wine Tasting Room, and drive revenue through upsell of food, drink, activities, and events.

They will maintain full CRM proficiency for operational and governance accuracy, take payments in line with Financial Procedures, and act as Competent Person under the property’s Health & Safety Policy on shift.

This is a broad, wine-forward hospitality seat that suits candidates who genuinely love wine, understand luxury service standards, and want to work in a rural boutique property setting.

Who this role suits

This role is best suited to a hospitality professional with prior senior F&B service or wine-focused experience at a boutique or luxury hotel, country house hotel, private members’ club, luxury retreat, vineyard estate, or fine-dining restaurant.

Sommelier, Junior Sommelier, Wine Service Specialist, F&B Team Leader, and Senior Server backgrounds all translate directly.

The role will also suit candidates from:

  • Vineyard or English wine estate hospitality looking to combine wine service with luxury hotel operations.
  • Yacht interior or luxury villa hospitality looking for a land-based seat with a wine specialism.
  • Wine retail or wholesale looking to move into a guest-facing hospitality role while keeping the wine focus.
  • Fine-dining restaurant service looking to move into a country hotel setting with cellar door and wholesale exposure.

Prior experience with Mews is an advantage. A WSET qualification, Level 2 or higher, is a strong plus. An APLH, Personal Licence Holder qualification, is a must-have for premises operations under UK licensing law.

Key Responsibilities

Food and Beverage service

  • Follow set procedures and schedules for the service of food and drink across the full range of services offered to guests and visitors.
  • Maintain full knowledge of food and drinks menus and items, including ingredients, allergens, preparation, presentation, availability, price, and pairings.
  • Take a lead role in F&B service delivery.
  • Support the Head of F&B in their absence with service, training, team, rota, and stock control.
  • Ensure all F&B areas are clean, sanitised, tidy, and presented to a high standard.
  • Set service areas per approved standards for service and post-service use.
  • Maintain service stations with required equipment, materials, consumables, and resources.
  • Prepare menu and beverage mise-en-place for service.
  • Take payments in line with Financial Procedures.
  • Open, close, lock, and unlock egress routes per procedures.

Wine service, education, and sales

  • Take full responsibility for the Wine Tasting Room, including cleanliness, presentation, and security.
  • Lead wine service across in-house dining, tasting sessions, and events.
  • Deliver wine education to guests, including tasting notes, food pairings, provenance, style, and story.
  • Support in-house wine sales, cellar door sales, and wholesale sales as required.
  • Upsell wine alongside food, activities, experiences, and events to support revenue and profitability.

Activities, Experiences, and Events

  • Lead and participate in the preparation, activation, and clearance of activities, experiences, and events.
  • Support Marketing in the activation of activities, experiences, and events, including advertising, communication, sales, and administration.
  • Upsell activities, experiences, and events alongside F&B service.

Coordination and CRM

  • Liaise with the Kitchen team and Guest Relations team to ensure timely service and availability of the F&B offering.
  • Support other departments in the movement of items and set-up of areas.
  • Support the replenishment and control of stocks used across the hospitality operation.
  • Maintain full CRM proficiency to optimise operational and governance accuracy and to support the highest service standards.

Health, safety and property

  • Ensure signage, barriers, screens, working-at-height support, additional team resource, and other health and safety measures are organised in advance.
  • Ensure health and safety measures are used as required and demobilised on completion.
  • Support access control for guests, team members, partners, and third parties.
  • Accept responsibility as a Competent Person under the property’s Health & Safety Policy.
  • Comply with SOPs, Risk Assessments, and Operations Manuals.
  • Identify and report issues related to the building, site, facilities, or services to the Line Manager immediately.

Requirements

Must-haves

  • Prior experience in senior F&B service, wine service, sommelier, or comparable hospitality role at a boutique or luxury property, fine-dining restaurant, or vineyard estate.
  • Excellent guest-facing communication with warmth, poise, and personal presentation.
  • APLH, Award for Personal Licence Holder qualification, required for premises operations under UK licensing law. Willingness to complete before start accepted for otherwise strong candidates.
  • Basic Food Hygiene, HACCP, and Manual Handling training, or willingness to complete before start.
  • Solid working knowledge of wine service standards, food and wine pairings, and menu presentation.
  • Proficiency, or rapid adoption, with a hotel PMS and POS system.
  • Comfort taking payments and complying with Financial Procedures.
  • Full driving licence and own car. This is essential given the rural setting.
  • Willing and able to work weekend and evening shifts.
  • Comfortable working outside as required.
  • Fluent English, spoken and written.
  • Right to live and work in the UK.

Strong advantage

  • WSET Level 2 or higher wine qualification.
  • Sommelier or Junior Sommelier experience.
  • Experience with cellar door sales, wine tasting rooms, or vineyard hospitality.
  • Wholesale wine sales experience.
  • Mews PMS experience specifically.
  • Voluntary First Aid at Work training.
  • Voluntary Fire Safety training.
  • Yacht interior, luxury villa, private club, or high-end serviced property background.
  • Fine-dining or Michelin-standard restaurant background.

Preferred background

  • Career hospitality professional with a genuine long-term interest in F&B and wine, not a stepping stone.
  • Familiarity with rural, agricultural, or estate-based hospitality environments.
  • Sales aptitude across both in-house upselling and cellar door / wholesale channels.

Why this role

  • F&B and wine leadership at a distinctive luxury country hotel, vineyard, and retreat in West Dorset.
  • Genuine wine specialism across in-house service, tasting room ownership, cellar door sales, and wholesale exposure.
  • Real cover for the Head of F&B in their absence.
  • Cross-departmental exposure to activities, experiences, and events programming.
  • Staff accommodation available in nearby Bridport for candidates relocating.
  • Route to sommelier progression, F&B management, or specialist wine roles at a boutique luxury property.

About the property

A distinguished luxury country hotel, vineyard, and retreat in West Dorset, set within a rural farm and vineyard environment. The property blends hospitality with agriculture and wellness, offering guests a highly personalised experience across accommodation, food and beverage, wine, spa, and event programming. The property uses Mews as its PMS.

Practical Information

  • Location: West Dorset. On-site only. No hybrid pattern.
  • Working Pattern: 40 hours per week. Weekend and evening shifts required. Outdoor work at times.
  • Salary: £30,000-£35,000 per annum, dependent on experience.
  • Driving Licence: A full driving licence and own car are essential given the rural setting.
  • Staff Accommodation: Available in Bridport for candidates relocating. Rent £450-£750 per month depending on room.
  • Contract: Full-time.
  • Start Date: As soon as possible.

Application Process

Apply via the form on this page. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful on this occasion.