Working in Food & Beverage

A career in this sector is a great choice if you are a "people person" who likes the variety, flexibility and challenge of serving people, while they enjoy New Zealand’s fine food and beverages.

Anywhere food and drinks are sold to customers is known as the food and beverage (F&B) part of the hospitality industry. A wide variety of workplaces fall into this sector, including take-away and fast food outlets, cafes, ethnic restaurants, fine dining restaurants, clubs, pubs, taverns, hotels, reception lounges and conference venues.

F&B service staff include waiters, bar tenders, baristas, cocktail makers, restaurant or bar supervisors and managers.

Work in this sector can be very busy, interacting with customers during exciting and fun occasions. Those who have good interpersonal skills, enjoy working with and talking to people, have good attention to detail and excellent personal presentation can do well in the food and beverage sector. You will need to have an extensive knowledge of the food dishes and drinks on your workplace's menu and be able to take orders and record them accurately. People in F&B roles are sales staff and need to be able to meet customers’ needs, to “up sell” and to meet sales targets set by their employer.

Work hours are often when most people are relaxing or socialising so workers in this sector do their own socialising at other times of the day, often much later at night and often with other F&B workers.

Those starting as a junior waiter or bar staff can progress to being supervisors or managers. People working in bigger establishments can progress further to regional or general management positions.