Hospitality, Hotel and Catering Interview Guide (UK): Front of House, Kitchen and Management Roles
Hospitality interviews are often short and informal, sometimes with a trial shift. Employers know the job is demanding, so they are mostly looking for reliability, a positive attitude and the ability to stay calm when it gets busy.
What employers look for
A warm, genuine welcome.
Teamwork. Hospitality does not work if people do not help each other.
Stamina and flexibility with evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
Care and attention to detail, especially with food safety.
Typical questions
Why do you want to work in hospitality?
How would you deal with a complaint about food or service?
Tell me about a time you worked under pressure.
How would you handle a customer who has had too much to drink?
What does great service mean to you?
Dealing with complaints
Listen without interrupting, apologise for the experience, find out what went wrong, put it right quickly within your authority and let a manager know. People often remember how a problem was handled more than the problem.
Food safety and allergens
UK law requires businesses to manage allergens and to follow food hygiene rules. Know the 14 major allergens, and the golden rule: if you do not know whether a dish contains an allergen, you do not guess. You check with the kitchen. A Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate is widely expected for food handlers and is cheap and quick to complete online.
Alcohol and licensing
For bar roles, know that it is illegal to sell alcohol to under-18s or to someone who is drunk. Many places follow Challenge 25. A Personal Licence is needed for managers or designated premises supervisors, and a short course such as an Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH) is the usual route.
Trial shifts
Arrive early, wear the dress code, ask questions, take initiative and help others without being asked. Be sure the trial shift is paid or clearly agreed beforehand.
Management roles
For supervisor or manager roles, prepare for questions on rotas, labour cost, stock control, staff retention and handling disputes. Use numbers such as covers per night, wage percentage and customer ratings.
Common mistakes
Showing no interest in the venue. Look at the menu and reviews first.
Having no answer about allergens.
Complaining about previous employers.
Quick answers
Do I need experience? Not for many entry roles, since attitude counts most.
What should I wear? Clean, neat and smart casual, or the venue's style.
Our question bank includes hospitality roles with model answers, and every role has five questions free.
Practise for specific roles
Pick your role: Waiter, Hotel Receptionist, Chef de Partie, Restaurant Manager.
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