A Food and Beverage Manager is one who manages the food and beverage units of a lodging or food service establishment such as a hotel or restaurant, respectively. The F&B manager is responsible for everything involving food and beverage, from planning the menu to preparing budgets. A Food and Beverage Manager is not necessarily the Chef, they are a notch above and have greater responsibilities. However, they work closely with chefs on inventory, sourcing, etc.
Roles and responsibilities
The responsibilities of a Food and Beverage Manager are aplenty. Some of these include,
- Manage finances related to food and beverage management
- Forecast, plan, and order food and beverages as required
- Plan budgets and prepare reports
- Monitor compliance with health and safety regulations
- Ensure presentation and quality of food is world-class
- Communicate with vendors and manufacturers to provide stock as and when required
- Coordinate with kitchen and wait staff on a daily basis
- Manage F&B staff and handle tasks such as recruitment, training, assessments, and many more
- Understand and replicate current trends in food and beverage management
- Identify customer needs by communicating with them and providing service as requested
- Work with the head chef to plan, design, and update the menu regularly
Skills required
As you can see above, Food and Beverage Managers have their hands full when it comes to executing their assigned responsibilities. To ensure they are fulfilled as per the highest standards of hospitality, F&B Managers should possess an exceptional range of skills. They should,
- Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Work well in a team as well as individually
- Possess strong leadership skills
- Be knowledgeable about inventory management systems
- Be proactive
- Have great customer service skills
- Have the ability to identify problems and provide apt solutions
- Be able to delegate tasks efficiently
- Be adept at finance and budgeting
Educational qualifications
It is highly desirable that a Food and Beverage Manager possess at least a diploma in Hospitality Management, food service management, or a similar field. A Master’s degree in the domain such as an MBA in Hospitality Management will certainly provide the necessary push required to reach the top of the ladder faster.
Salary
Food and Beverage management is quite a rewarding career path. The average salary you can expect in this role is around INR 5,00,000. International hotel chains such as Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn, etc. offer hefty packages for such roles as their entire foundation is based on excellent hospitality and delightful gastronomy. The starting salary for this role is about INR 2,35,000 per year and, with experience, can go up to around INR 17,45,000 per year. Salaries, of course, vary depending on different factors such as job location, type of establishment, and experience.
Food and Beverage management is an exciting role that involves a lot of skill and smarts to ensure each and every customer experience is top-class. Quality training is absolutely vital to succeed in it. Ensure you choose a program that not only gets you on the right track to success but also assures you a lucrative career in the field as well.
