Join The Team

Role: Brewery Taproom Manager

Location: Stockport

Salary: £27-30K DOE

Hours: Full time, permanent, 40 hours a week, including weekend and evening work

Start Date: ASAP

Who are we?

The Runaway Brewery is (by design) a small, independently owned, beer and community focused micro-brewery & taproom in the heart of Stockport. Our small team designs and brews flavour focused, modern British beer by hand which we sell through our on-site taproom, as well as to the hospitality trade, working with a wide variety of local pubs, bars, restaurants and venues who value us as much as we value them. We are proud to be a small, grass roots business with a DIY ethos, but with a considered, professional approach behind everything we do – it’s a great way to learn and keeps things exciting, but it also means we have to work hard and punch above our weight!

We’ve been brewing since 2014 and moved the brewery (ourselves) from central Manchester to Stockport in 2023 where we built and opened our new brewery, taproom, beer garden and event space, celebrating our 10th anniversary here last year. Our taproom is intended to be an open, welcoming and democratic space, unique to Stockport, that showcases our beer but also the values we think make it a great place to be. We want our little business to make a positive contribution towards Stockport’s existing and growing community – and our taproom is the face of that.

We share our taproom with Honest Crust Sourdough Pizza and sell a range of international beers curated by Manchester’s Beermoth. We host regular events run by local artists, crafters, & community groups, also showcasing local chefs and traders – so it’s a collaborative endeavour, and always a work in progress!

We’re a very small team, and are looking for someone to join us in our mission to make life a more enjoyable and richer experience for everyone. We aim to do that by making the best beer that we can, and through creating positive, life affirming experiences for our staff & customers. It’s a high bar, but one that’s achievable in a multitude of small ways.

What do we ask of you?

We’re looking for someone who can get onboard with the big ideas, but who can do so with real attention to detail. You’ll need to be incredibly well organised, professional and thorough – but also willing to jump in, get your hands dirty, problem solve and be creative in order to help us grow and develop. We want someone who has real personality and a strong sense of humanity, who can show creativity, be thoughtful & diligent, and really care about what we do. You should enjoy getting the best out of others, and take real pride in what we can achieve by working together.

We’d like to find someone who has experience in a similar role within a hospitality setting and a proven record of managing people as part of a team. A good knowledge of beer (styles, dispense, history, culture) is useful but we can help with that - a genuine interest & enjoyment of beer is key.

Although all the usual technical & operational tasks need to be done (and done consistently well) there’s also lots of potential for you to help define your own role over time, and to have a very genuine influence on our team and its collective future. You will be a really important part of what Runaway Brewery is, and more importantly what it will become in years to come – and if that’s an exciting prospect, we’d love to hear from you.

Job Purpose
As Taproom Manager, you will ensure the smooth & efficient running of our taproom, coupled with striving to expand our existing offering & maximising the use of our space.

Responsibilities

As Taproom Manager you will work closely with our Operations Manager and Brewery
Team. Responsibilities include, but will not limited to:

Management of the day-to-day operations of our taproom & events spaces;
Ensuring excellent & personable levels of customer service at all times;
Managing and undertaking bar shifts, taproom setup & close, including weekend and evening work (key holder);
Managing staff and customer health and safety and ensuring our license obligations are being met at all times;
Maintaining excellent levels of cleanliness and hygiene / quality control of the
taproom space, beer service and customer experience for all visitors to the taproom;
Managing, overseeing & undertaking the day-to-day supervision of the Taproom
Team – including production of the rota, staff organisation, training, motivation & staff recruitment;
Maintaining taproom condition. Identifying, addressing & reporting any issues. Conduct regular taproom audits to seek opportunities for improvements;
Weekly open/close records (e.g. ullage & wastage) & reporting of taproom staff
hours;
Reporting, analysing & reviewing taproom financial performance & targets to drive profitability via regular meetings with Operations Manager;
Till management & ensuring timely ordering & effective stock control;
Liaising with Brewery team & Operations Manager to plan / stock cellar each week & assist with cellar management (including at times the movement of kegs & casks);
Working with the Brewery Management Team & Operations Manager to promote, broaden and develop our taproom offering and Runaway Brewery as a whole;
Generating ideas & seeking opportunities for event led customer experiences at the taproom to broaden customer base;
Taproom & Event promotion including event organisation, delivery & social media;
Liaison with Brewery Team regarding Brewery Tours and Tastings + taproom led tours & tastings;
On site liaison with Honest Crust and Beermoth plus other guest traders and organisers of third-party events; and
Liaising with Operations Manager for medium/longer term strategic planning of the taproom.

Requirements & Skills

Relevant experience in management in hospitality or similar position with experience of building business;
Excellent customer service & communication skills;
Hands on, trustworthy & reliable with a strong work ethic;
Leadership & organisational abilities;
Eye for detail and ability to show initiative;
Problem solving, pro-active approach & can-do attitude;
Enthusiastic & personable with good interpersonal skills;
Passion for independent businesses & their produce;
Flexibility to work shifts (including weekends & evenings);
Good IT & numeracy skills to support analysis of financial performance;
The right to live & work in the UK without restriction

Desirable

Personal License holder
Cellar skills
First Aider

To Apply

Please send a covering email explaining how you match the criteria for this role & why you would be the perfect fit to taproom@therunawaybrewery.com. Please mark the subject of the email ‘Taproom Manager', attach an up-to-date CV & include your availability (e.g. notice period for your current role). Please note we are unable to accept applications via social media.

Closing date for applications is Wednesday 12th March at 9am.
Reviewing, shortlisting & interviewing will take place the following week.
Interviews with suitably qualified candidates may be held before this date.