Gourmet Specialist

About the role

We are opening a new gourmet deli in Harare and are looking for a Gourmet Specialist to run it as Store Manager. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who knows food deeply: how a good cheese pairs with a wine, which cured meats belong on a board, what makes a dinner come together. You will shape what the store stocks, how it is presented, and how customers experience it.

The store brings together a butchery and charcuterie counter, a cheese room with wine and fresh bread, fresh produce and grocery, and a kitchen. Stock is sourced largely from South African suppliers and imported into Harare, so this role carries real buying responsibility from day one.

What you'll do

Run the store

1. Manage day-to-day operations across the butchery, cheese and wine, produce and grocery, kitchen and checkout
2. Lead, train and roster the store team; set the standard for service, hygiene and presentation
3. Own store performance: sales, gross margin, stock loss, wastage and customer satisfaction
4. Keep the store compliant with Zimbabwean food-safety, labelling and import requirements

Curate the range

1. Help select the products that go on the shelves and counters, from cheeses and cured meats to wines, oils, breads and pantry goods
2. Build pairings and combinations we can sell together, such as cheese and wine boards, charcuterie selections and seasonal hampers
3. Plan the layout, merchandising and tasting displays so the range sells itself

Create food experiences for customers

1. Guide customers on the shop floor: recommend, pair and help them put together a dinner party, a picnic, a gift or a weeknight meal
2. Design a weekly dinner recipe and its packed "cook at home" bag, so a customer can buy everything for the meal in one go
3. Run in-store tastings, demonstrations and events

Buy well

1. Source and procure stock, mainly from South African suppliers, and manage the import process into Harare
2. Negotiate pricing, build supplier relationships and manage lead times and cold-chain logistics
3. Set shelf prices against gross-profit targets and manage ordering, receiving and stock rotation

What we're looking for

Required

1. Strong, practical knowledge of cheese, cured and fresh meats, wine and deli products, and how they combine
2. Culinary training or professional kitchen experience, ideally at chef or sous-chef level
3. Managerial experience: you have led a team, run a shift, a kitchen or a store, and been accountable for results
4. Experience procuring food: supplier sourcing, ordering, price negotiation and stock control
5. Confident, warm and articulate with customers; you enjoy teaching people about food
6. Able to write clear, tested recipes and plan a weekly menu
7. Familiarity with POS and stock-management systems
8. Must be able to provide recommendations if requested

A bonus

1. Experience in a high-end food environment: fine dining, a gourmet deli, a specialist cheese or wine shop, or a luxury hotel
2. Formal wine or cheese qualifications, such as WSET or a cheese certification
3. Experience importing food into Zimbabwe or working with South African suppliers

Who you are

1. Passionate about food and curious about where it comes from
2. A natural host who makes people feel looked after
3. Organised and commercially minded, comfortable with margins and stock figures
4. Hands-on: happy behind the counter, in the cold room and in the kitchen
5. Calm under the pressure of an opening and a busy weekend trade

Details and how to apply

1. Location: Harare, Zimbabwe (in-store, full time)
2. Reports to: Business owners
3. Start date: Ahead of store opening, to be confirmed
4. Package: Competitive, based on experience

To apply, send your CV, a short note on why this role suits you, and two examples of food combinations or dinner menus you have created to [email protected].