Café & Farmgate Manager - Hillwood Berries

Hillwood Berries Pty Ltd
Hillwood, Launceston & North East TAS
Full Time

Hillwood Berries is one of Tasmania's leading berry producers and tourism destinations, welcoming thousands of visitors annually through our Farmgate, Café, Pick Your Own experience, and fresh berry retail operations.

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Café & Farmgate Manager to lead and further develop our visitor experience. This is a senior operational role requiring strong leadership, commercial acumen, hospitality expertise, and the ability to manage a complex, seasonal business that experiences significant fluctuations in customer demand.

The successful applicant will be responsible for continuing the Café's recent success while identifying and implementing opportunities for business growth, increased visitation, improved profitability, and enhanced customer experiences across all Farmgate operations.

About the Role

Reporting directly to the owner, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Café, Farmgate retail store, catering services, and visitor experiences. This role requires a hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can effectively balance operational, financial, staffing, marketing, and customer service responsibilities.

Key responsibilities include:

Café & Hospitality Operations

- Management of all front-of-house and back-of-house operations.

- Leadership, recruitment, training, rostering, performance management, and development of hospitality staff.

- Menu design and development incorporating Hillwood Berries' premium fresh produce and seasonal product ranges.

- Quality assurance and continuous improvement of food and beverage offerings.

- Oversight of food preparation, presentation standards, customer service excellence, and operational efficiency.

- Compliance with food safety, workplace health and safety, licensing, and regulatory requirements.

Farmgate & Berry Retail Operations

- Management and growth of significant Farmgate retail sales including fresh berries, value-added berry products, gift lines, local produce, and seasonal retail offerings.

- Development of strategies to maximise visitor spending and improve retail performance.

- Stock control, purchasing, inventory management, supplier negotiations, and merchandising.

- Monitoring and reporting on sales performance, gross margins,



budgets, and profitability outcomes.

- Coordination and promotion of Hillwood Berries' highly successful Pick Your Own attraction.

- Management of customer flow, visitor experience, admissions, staffing requirements, safety procedures, and field presentation standards.

- Development of innovative visitor experiences, seasonal events, berry-themed activities, and agritourism initiatives.

- Collaboration with farm management to ensure seamless integration between production and visitor operations.

- Maximising revenue opportunities associated with Pick Your Own activities and seasonal tourism visitation.

Marketing & Business Development

- Development and implementation of marketing, advertising, social media, and promotional campaigns.

- Building relationships with tourism operators, local businesses, schools, community organisations, and industry stakeholders.

- Identifying opportunities to expand visitation, increase revenue streams, and strengthen the Hillwood Berries brand.

Functions, Events & Catering

- Coordination and delivery of on-site and off-site catering services for events, government functions, tourism groups, community events, and private functions.

- Management of catering services for large visitor groups and significant events involving interstate and international guests.

- Experience managing hospitality services for VIP guests, government representatives, politicians, dignitaries, business leaders, tour groups, and seasonal workforce events will be highly regarded.

- Planning, staffing, budgeting, and execution of events ranging from intimate gatherings through to large-scale functions involving significant guest numbers.

- Development of bespoke catering packages and event offerings to expand business opportunities.

Financial & Strategic Management

- Budget management and reporting.

- Labour cost management and productivity planning.

- Revenue forecasting and seasonal business planning.





- Identification and implementation of operational improvements and growth opportunities.

- Working closely with the broader management team to support the ongoing expansion of Hillwood Berries' agritourism and hospitality operations.

Successful Applicant

To be successful in this position, you will demonstrate:

- Experience in a senior hospitality, café, restaurant, tourism, retail, or venue management role.

- Qualifications in Hospitality Management (or equivalent).

- Proven experience managing high-volume hospitality and retail operations.

- Solid financial management, budgeting, and commercial decision-making skills.

- Experience coordinating functions, events, and catering operations.

- Demonstrated ability to lead diverse, multicultural teams, and maintain high service standards under pressure.

- Exceptional organisational, communication, and people management skills.

- Experience in agritourism, farmgate retail, berry production, fresh produce, tourism, or a similar industry.

The successful applicant must be capable of managing substantial increases in demand during the peak summer season, including holiday periods when visitor numbers, Farmgate sales, Pick Your Own participation, and Café trade increase significantly.

As part of a growing business, you must be comfortable working independently while contributing to the goals of the wider Hillwood Berries team.

Hillwood Berries proudly employs and serves people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Many of our employees and visitors speak English as a second language. A friendly, inclusive, and respectful approach is essential. Experience working with multicultural teams and the ability to speak a second language will be highly regarded.

What We Offer

- Opportunity to lead one of Tasmania's premier berry tourism destinations.

- A diverse role encompassing hospitality, retail, tourism, events, and business development.

- Significant autonomy and scope to shape the future direction of the Café and Farmgate business.

- Supportive and passionate family-owned business environment.

- Opportunities to develop new products, experiences, events, and revenue streams.

How to Apply

Applications are now open and will close at 5:00 pm, 8 October 2026.

To apply, please submit:

- A current resume; and

- A detailed cover letter outlining your relevant experience and suitability for the role.

📌 Cafe Manager (Hillwood)
🏢 Hillwood Berries
📍 Hillwood