Join our Family!

About Us
Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre is an award-winning family run garden centre that serves as a destination for the local community in the heart of Somerset. We bring our passion for plants and gardening into your indoor and outdoor living spaces in a shopping environment centred on customer service and family values. We are proud to be home to our award- winning Elm Tree restaurant, our successful Farm Shop and our popular Pondside Café.

Our Values
Our company values permeate all that we do. First and foremost is Customer Service, providing a friendly and exceptional experience for all, bringing people back time and again. Teamwork is vital for growth, inclusivity and harmony amongst our colleagues. Positivity and Accountability reflect in our daily work, how we interact with each other and our approach to change. Ultimately, to succeed in our ambitions, we aim for Excellence in all we do.

About the Role
We are recruiting for an ambitious, forward-thinking Retail Supervisor, who is looking for the next step up in their retail career. This role is based in our Pets department and working with our Shop Manager, your aim, like theirs, will be to make our garden centre Pets Department the go-to place for all things Pet in the South-West. As a Supervisor, you will be responsible for driving sales, while delivering an exceptional customer experience through motivating the team to provide a friendly and approachable service, offering unquestionable, in-depth product knowledge.

About You
You will be a dynamic, motivated retail professional, who understands that the key to success is to combine a passion for motivating people, with the ambition to make a profit. A proficient sales-person, your communication skills are exceptional, able to influence people at all levels. Your energy and drive, your desire to be successful and your outstanding knowledge of animals, pet foods and accessories, all combine to create an unforgettable experience for our customers.
Role Responsibilities
• Have a clear vision for the areas you supervise, ensuring they are always visually stunning
• Offer an exceptional customer experience through being approachable and friendly and building lasting relationships with customers
• Ensure that you and your team are offering the most up-to-date advice regarding our pet products
• Answer any questions related to pet care and promote a high standard of pet care ensuring that the welfare of pets is a priority
• Oversee your team, ensuring every employee is focussed and engaged at all times
• Lead by example, instilling a healthy work ethic in your colleagues
• Support your team with complex customer enquiries and complaints and offer feedback where required
• Work with your team on product offering and manage external relationships with suppliers to continually improve the product range
• Achieve daily/weekly/monthly sales targets and individual/team KPIs. Support managers to ensure these targets are communicated in their absence
• Work with the Marketing department to plan and run internal and external events and promote our Loyalty card
• Work with the Finance department to ensure invoices are managed in a timely manner
• Able to demonstrate experience of working in a digital environment, placing and tracking orders, managing stock rotation, pricing and KPI reporting
• Weekly stock ordering
• Ensure stock deliveries are put away in a timely manner and stock rotations are completed in line with department needs
• Maintain stock levels and perform regular stock counts, with support from management, if required
• Allocation of tasks including break times with the team
• Oversee monthly staff rotas with support from Shop Manager

Experience required
– Sound knowledge and experience working with pet products
– Previous supervisor or team leader experience
– Great communication skills with the ability to work well with a team
– Excellent time management

Other
– Support all departments within Monkton Elm when required during peak trade or periods of absence to ensure the customer experience is always positive.

About Us
Monkton Elm Garden Centre is an independent family-owned business dedicated to providing a wide range of gardening products and exceptional customer service. Our commitment to quality and community makes us a beloved destination for gardening enthusiasts.

Summary
We are seeking a skilled Senior CDP to join our team at Monkton Elm Garden Centre. In this role, you will be responsible for preparing high-quality dishes in our restaurant, contributing to a positive dining experience for our customers. Your culinary expertise will play a vital role in supporting our mission of excellence.

Responsibilities
• Demonstrating full capabilities to manage their workload for all sections of the kitchen, seeking assistance when needed.
• Clear understanding of sales trends, par levels and peripheral preparation within the kitchen.
• Leading by example with food hygiene and taking ownership of their own due diligence.
• Progressive knowledge of food culture, desire to take ownership of ordering for their section through checking stock to manage their MEP.
• Excelling in consistency and section management.
• Demonstrating leadership skills via training and assisting commis chefs and kitchen assistants.
• Intuitive decision-making during service and recognising if a section needs extra assistance.
• Showing responsibility for stock control assisting the senior chefs with ordering.
• Showing strong communication skills liaising with senior FOH team during service.
• Understand pastry, be able to execute all dishes as spec by the pastry chef from homemade bakes to afternoon teas.
• Assisting the pastry lead and pastry assistant with any issues arising throughout each day.
• Demonstrating and encouraging a positive, energetic work ethic.
• Working towards new techniques and ambition for producing new dishes and concepts.

Qualifications
• Culinary experience with a Level 2 in Professional Cookery
• Strong food preparation and cooking skills
• Leadership abilities with team management and supervising experience
• Knowledge of food safety standards
• Excellent communication skills

If you have a passion for cooking and want to be part of a friendly team at Monkton Elm Garden Centre, we invite you to apply today!

Our Mission
As a second generation family business, we have grown up from our roots as a tomato nursery, and blossomed into a retail and hospitality destination garden centre. Grounded within our community, we’re committed to cultivating exceptional customer service, profitable growth and improving our sustainability. Above all, we value and nurture our greatest asset: our dedicated colleagues, who love to share their extensive knowledge and expertise with all. People and Plants are our Passion!

Our Values
Our company values permeate all that we do. First and foremost is Customer Service, providing a friendly and exceptional experience for all, bringing people back time and again. Teamwork is vital for growth, inclusivity and harmony amongst our colleagues. Positivity and Accountability reflect in our daily work, how we interact with each other and our approach to change. Ultimately, to succeed in our ambitions, we aim for Excellence in all we do.

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:
• Company pension
• Employee discount
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person

– 28 days holiday inclusive of bank holidays (pro rata for part timers)

– Enhanced pay rate for bank holiday working

– Free onsite parking

– Complimentary coffee & cake on birthdays

– Staff discounts

— One day a year for giving back to a Charity or your local community