Browns of Brockley, having opened in 2009, took over the running of St David Coffee House in the summer of 2020. Starting as a takeaway-only shop through the first lockdowns, then opening up for an ill-fated cooked food period, we now just try to serve the best coffee we can alongside items from our central bakery round the corner, the same as we do at the original Brockley shop and Bon on Lordship Lane.
We are now looking for an individual to take the reigns in running St David. We need someone who can:
• Manage and supervise staff effectively as part of a small, close-knit team
• Conduct regular staff reviews
• Interview applicants and onboard new-starters effectively
• Look after the coffee and equipment, including running trainings and assessing quality control. To this end you will need to be familiar with contemporary speciality coffee; from current, exciting roasteries to leading cafés in London and beyond. A little knowledge of the history of Browns of Brockley would be a bonus.
• Build rotas, manage staff requests and absences (planned or unexpected), manage timesheets and submit monthly reports to payroll
• Manage the maintenance, repair, decoration and general upkeep of the shop
• Maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, hygiene and safety, creating and managing checklists and handbooks in accordance with Food Safety and H&S policies that we run through a third-party company.
• Predominantly work on shift through the week, being able to pour impeccible latte art and be really nice to our customers
• Manage stock and inventory levels, being proactive in the management of bakery and retail orders to maximise sales and minimise waste
• Get to work quickly, living nearby and not relying on public transport; not just for punctuality, but also being a neighbourhood cafe we like the people who operate it to be part of the local community
• Focus on this role without any other major commitments, and be able to commit to a good few years with us. Further progression within the company is possible so a career-focused person in the coffee and hospitality industry would be well-suited
• Work with the senior management to constantly try to improve what we are doing across the shops, being open-minded and ready to receive constructive criticism in order for us to continue fostering the culture we like to think we have established over the last 15 years.
Our priority is, and always will be, the customer experience. To this end, we’re looking for someone who is most passionate about being at the front, making good coffee, working with the team and serving customers – not sitting out the back on a laptop or posting on Instagram. You will have to be able to manage your own week to make any admin time effective and not detrimental to the ethos of our business. Shifts are 7 hours long, so with a 40-hour contracted week, there is time before and after to work on anything else.
While we would love for everyone to have a weekend day off, it’s also our busiest time by far, so you should expect to work quite a lot of Saturdays and Sundays – however you should be able to work with your staff to train everyone up to a high enough level to leave a strong team in your absence.
Depending on your experience and progression, we will start with a probationary period and then step up responsibilities and rate of pay over 3 months, ending up on the full salary of £32,000pa. If you show quick progression and we feel confident enough to pass it over to you, this may be sooner.
You can drink as much coffee as you like on shift, but we just ask that you bring in your own lunches. Sometimes after a busy shift we’d be happy for you to organise staff food from a takeaway on your company card. Everyone who works for us gets good discounts in affiliated businesses Joyce bar and Salthouse Bottles, and of course you can get coffee from any of the shops or markets on your days off.
Please apply with a good cover letter explaining why you want to run our café in Forest Hill, along with an up-to-date CV with relevant, recent experience at a similar speciality coffee business.
