Food Buyer

 Join us as a Food Buyer at The Dorchester Hotel, recently recognised as one of ‘The Sunday Times Top 10 Best Places to Work for’ in 2024 and ‘Hotel of the year – London’ at the 2024 AA Hospitality Awards. We continually strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is part of our DNA, reflected in our values of passion, personality, respect, working together, and creativity. We believe that a variety of perspectives enriches our culture and drives our success.

We care about your career and are proud to have the absolute best people in the industry. When you join us as a Food Buyer at The Dorchester Hotel, you will have a unique opportunity to excel in your field. You will learn from your fellow Legends and our award-winning learning academy to achieve the highest standards in craft, service, and leadership.

What you’ll do

As a Food Buyer, you will enjoy your work and take pride in delighting our guests:

• Manage and sourcing food vendors to ensure they meet our required quality, service and competitive price for the five star luxury market.
• Consolidate food vendors and products to achieve cost reductions.
• Manage price fluctuations and share updates with Operations.  
• Complete tender process of all food related contracts and share analysis and recommendations following review of all proposals.
• Adopt and maintain Adaco framework for food products.
• Demonstrate strong relationship-building skills to work with Vendors, internal Customers and Senior Executive Team.
• Maintain food safety documentation on Expiration to ensure compliance.
• Vigilance in adhering to ethical sourcing practices in line with our ESG policies and values.
• Passion for delivering exceptional service to both colleagues and guests across the properties
• You’ll also show flexibility and creativity in dealing with guests’ special requests or any challenges that may arise during the day
• The items shared are the essence of a day in the life of a Food Buyer, but we’ll make sure you are provided with specifics on how we care for our hotel.

The operational hours of work are shift-based and may be subjected to change. These currently set as:

• Monday to Friday: 09:00 - 17:30 

What you’ll bring

Essential Skills and Experience

• Previous experience in Purchasing - at least 3 years, with proven category management and in contract negotiations.
• Qualifications- CIPS qualified or working towards, BTEC HND Business & Finance or equivalent qualification
• Strong numeracy and analytical skills
• Strong verbal communication skills – English is the primary language used in our hotel.

Preferred Skills

• Strong and proven food purchasing in either hospitality or retail background.

What you’ll get

• Complimentary Stays: Enjoy complimentary stays with breakfast at Dorchester Collection Hotels every year.
• Discounts: Get 50% off food and beverages at selected bars and restaurants within the Dorchester Collection: Enjoy Friends & Family stay discounts out hotels, Benefit from discounts at various high street and online shops
• Employee Perks: Enrol from day 1 into the Aviva Private Pension scheme (we contribute 8% towards your pension); Benefit from Seasonal ticket loan, Rental deposit scheme, private financial advice, and Eye care vouchers.
• Training and Development: Advance in your career by accessing various apprenticeships from Level 2 to Hospitality Degree Level 5. We partner with outstanding nationally recognised Apprenticeship providers.
• Social Events: Participate in vibrant social events, including a summer party, winter ball, pub quizzes, and cultural and milestone recognition celebrations.
• Referral Bonus: Earn a £1000 bonus when you recommend a friend.
• Well-being Support: Access immediate well-being advice because we care about our employees.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. If you need us to do anything to support you during the recruitment process (such as adjustments  to how you apply, alternative formats of information, or adjustments to the assessment process itself), please do call People & Culture team on 02073197011 or email [email protected]  so that we can discuss how we can support you through this process.