Pantomime Bar Assistants

Job Description

Pantomime Bar Assistants are an integral part of the Theatre’s Front of House Team, and with four wonderful bar areas for our pantomime customers to enjoy, they are key to the overall pantomime experience.

Customer Service

• Provide a warm, friendly and professional welcome and excellent level of bar and food service to customers and visitors
• Be knowledgeable about the Theatre’s bars and food products and upsell when possible
• Promote and encourage customers to utilise the interval order service and prepare and process these orders
• Handle money and stock accurately, reconcile floats, operate tills and escalate any discrepancies to the Bars Management Team
• Prepare and serve food to customers, complying with the Theatre’s food hygiene and safety standards at all times
• Ensure bar areas, kitchens and storage areas are stocked, clean, tidy and well presented at all times and complete service checklists
• Assist with stocktakes and deliveries as and when required ensuring that goods received are transported, unloaded and securely stored in the designated store rooms in a safe manner
• Co-ordinate and assist with the preparation, setting up and clearing of meeting and function rooms for events
• Provide a bar and waiting service for the Theatre’s events and functions during the festive period 
• Resolve customer complaints, and refer unresolved complaints to the Bars Management Team
• Assist customers with any additional access or service requirements

Health & Safety

• Assist the Bars Management Team with the implementation of the Theatre’s evacuation and invacuation procedures if required
• Assist customers with any additional access requirements in the event of an evacuation and invacuation
• Be vigilant in order to prevent accidents or incidents that might cause injury or harm to customers or staff and report all accidents, incidents or near misses to the Bars Management Team

A full and detailed Job Description is available in the Candidate Information Pack linked below.

Person Specification

Bar Assistants are friendly, confident and approachable individuals with a desire and commitment to provide an exemplary level of customer service. Candidates must have the ability to deal with customers confidently face to face, work as a team and deliver bar and food sales.

Essential Experience

• A minimum of six months’ recent paid work experience as a bar tender in a busy customer service/hospitality environment
• Experience of delivering sales, upselling, accurate cash-handling and till transactions in a busy customer environment.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Must be at least 18 years of age to comply with the Theatre’s legal requirements
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the demonstrable commitment to providing an exemplary level of customer service
• Good numeracy/mental arithmetic skills to enable accurate cash handling
• Ability and confidence to proactively sell to customers
• Ability to remain calm under pressure, prioritise tasks and think on your feet
• An understanding of Health and Safety regulations in a customer facing bars and food environment/hospitality venue
• Ability to work afternoons during the week Monday to Friday is essential as well as evenings and weekends.

Terms and Conditions

The Bar Assistant wage is £12.21 per hour and work will be offered 17.5hrs (ie. 5 shifts) or 21hrs (ie. 6 shifts) a week for a fixed term period from week commencing 17 November 2025 until Saturday 17 January 2026 (9 weeks) to cover our Pantomime run.

A comprehensive induction and training programme will be provided weeks commencing 17 and 24 November and successful applicants must make themselves available to attend these training sessions.

Shifts are rota’d across seven days of the week and candidates must be flexible and must be available to work at least three afternoons Tuesday to Sunday for matinee shifts, as well as at least three evening shifts between 1 December and 10 January 2026. Additional hours may also be available during the Pantomime run. Annual leave accrued during this fixed term period will be taken week commencing 12 January 2026.

A standard shift normally lasts 3.5hrs and a matinee shift will start at around 12.00/12.30pm and an evening shift around 5.30/6.00 pm. The length and timing of shifts may vary slightly as they are determined by the Pantomime performance schedule.

Online Application

If you are interested and would like to apply for this role, please click on the link below which will take you to an online application form. Before you start completing the online application form please read the details about the online application in the Candidate Information Pack which is also linked below.

Close date for completed online applications is noon on Tuesday 28 October 2025. Please note that it is expected that assessment for this role will be held week commencing Monday 3 November 2025.