Area Manager – Food-to-Go | Bakery

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About the Opportunity

We are recruiting on behalf of a growing food-to-go and bakery business with a strong heritage, commitment to quality and focus on delivering an excellent customer experience.

The business combines traditional craftsmanship with innovation and continuous improvement, creating a positive environment where people and teams can thrive.

Your Opportunity

As an Area Manager, you will play a key role in driving the success of the retail estate by leading performance, developing Retail Managers and ensuring every location delivers an exceptional customer experience.

You will have responsibility for supporting multiple stores across your area, combining commercial focus with strong people leadership to achieve sustainable growth.

This is an opportunity for an experienced retail leader who enjoys developing others, improving performance and creating a culture where teams can thrive.

You will be a key link between the stores and the wider business, turning strategy into action and helping shape the future success of the organisation.

What You’ll Learn & Contribute

You will have the opportunity to:

• Lead through others by coaching and developing Retail Managers to build confident, capable and high-performing teams.
• Drive commercial success by analysing performance, identifying opportunities and delivering sales growth across your area.
• Shape operational excellence by ensuring consistent standards, improving ways of working and creating outstanding customer experiences.

Through this experience, you will develop:

Strategic Leadership Capability
The ability to influence performance across a wider business area, develop leaders and deliver long-term results.

Commercial Expertise
A strong understanding of sales growth, customer behaviour, KPIs and how effective leadership drives business performance.

Change & Improvement Skills
The ability to identify opportunities, implement improvements and inspire teams through periods of growth and change.

How You’ll Make an Impact

Your leadership will directly contribute to:

• Delivering outstanding customer experiences across all stores within your area
• Developing Retail Managers and creating a strong leadership pipeline
• Achieving sales growth and improving commercial performance
• Maintaining consistent brand standards and operational excellence
• Supporting safe, compliant and efficient store operations
• Identifying opportunities that improve customer loyalty, colleague engagement and business results

Your Development Journey

As an Area Manager, you will continue to develop your capability in:

• Leading and influencing managers across multiple locations
• Driving commercial performance through data and insights
• Coaching leaders to achieve their potential
• Delivering strategic initiatives across the retail estate
• Creating consistent customer and colleague experiences

This role provides the opportunity to progress into wider senior leadership positions within retail operations and the wider business.

What You’ll Bring

We are looking for someone who:

• Has experience leading multiple retail locations or a significant retail operation
• Enjoys developing managers and building strong leadership teams
• Has a proven track record of delivering commercial results
• Is customer-focused and passionate about operational excellence
• Uses data and insight to make informed decisions
• Is confident influencing others and creating positive change
• Is organised, proactive and able to manage competing priorities

Skills & Experience

You may already have experience in:

• Area management, multi-site retail or food-to-go leadership
• Coaching and developing Retail Managers
• Managing sales performance and operational KPIs
• Improving customer experience and loyalty
• Maintaining food safety, hygiene and health & safety standards
• Leading teams through business improvements and growth

You do not need to have everything already — we value leadership mindset, commercial thinking and a commitment to doing your best.

Why Join?

✓ Opportunity to join a growing food-to-go and bakery business
✓ The opportunity to influence the success of a growing retail estate
✓ A leadership role with significant impact and responsibility
✓ A supportive environment where ideas and improvements are valued
✓ Opportunities to develop and progress your career
✓ A workplace built on respect, integrity and excellence
✓ A business focused on continuous improvement

Job Details

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £33,000.00–£35,000.00 per year

Benefits

• Company car
• Company events
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Referral programme
• Store discount

Ability to Commute/Relocate

Walton-on-Thames: Reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Experience

• Retail sales: 3 years (required)

Language

• English (required)

Licence/Certification

• Driving Licence (required)

Work Location

In person