How to become a catering and bar manager
Official title: Catering and bar managers
Also called: Bar manager, Duty manager, Unit manager, Floor manager, Shift manager, Canteen manager, Kitchen manager, Catering adviser, Catering manager, Bar duty manager, Catering officer, Breakfast manager
Catering and bar managers plan, direct and co-ordinate the catering and bar facilities and services of licensed premises, factories, shops, theatres, educational premises and other establishments. They also manage outside catering businesses and shops selling food cooked on the premises.
Main tasks
- Plans catering or bar services and supervises staff
- Decides on range and quality of meals and beverages to be provided or discusses customer’s requirements for special occasions
- Purchases or directs the purchasing of supplies and arranges for preparation of accounts
- Verifies that quality of food, beverages and waiting service are as required and that kitchen and dining areas are kept clean in compliance with statutory requirements
- Checks that supplies are properly used and accounted for to prevent wastage and loss and to keep within budget limit
How to become one
Entry is possible with a variety of academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Larger catering and licensed premises chains offer managerial trainee schemes. Candidates for these usually require a BTEC/SQA award, a degree or equivalent qualification, or a professional qualification. Off and on-the-job training is provided. NVQs/SVQs in relevant areas are available at levels 2 to 4.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £29,789 a year The middle half earn £26,380 to £36,691.
- About 70,300 people work in this job now, and about 70,500 are projected by 2035. (+0.2%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a catering and bar manager?
Entry is possible with a variety of academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Larger catering and licensed premises chains offer managerial trainee schemes. Candidates for these usually require a BTEC/SQA award, a degree or equivalent qualification, or a professional qualification. Off and on-the-job training is provided. NVQs/SVQs in relevant areas are available at levels 2 to 4.
How much does a catering and bar manager earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £29,789 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £26,380 to £36,691.
Is a catering and bar manager a growing career in the UK?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 70,300 people now and 70,500 later (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a catering and bar manager?
Usually not. Only 19% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03