Bar Staff jobs in Chase Cross

About us

The Belgian Brewer is an independent Belgian bar, brewery and taproom. Our Epping venue at 175 High Street has been trading since summer 2026 and is building a strong local following. We pour our own Belgian-style beers alongside a curated guest range and serve wine and spirits, with a food menu built around Belgian pâté boards, fresh bread and pastries. We also make speciality coffee, though the bar is the heart of the business.

We are a small team. Everyone works the floor, and everyone is expected to know the products they are selling.

The role

We are looking for casual bar hosts to cover daytime trade and busy weekend evenings. This is a hands-on, floor-based bar role: welcoming guests, taking orders, pouring beer, serving wine and spirits, plating food, and keeping the venue immaculate. Coffee is part of the offer and we will train you on it, but this is a bar job first.

Our range is not a standard pub range. We serve no pints — our beers are strong, so draught is poured in thirds, halves and two-thirds, alongside 330ml bottles. Guests frequently ask what to drink and rely on the person behind the bar to guide them. That guidance is the job, not an extra.

Days and pattern

Trading days

Thursday to Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday)

Opening

Venue opens at 14:00 every trading day

Weekday cover

Shifts typically take place between 13:45 to 22:00

Weekend evenings

Friday from 17:00 and Saturday from 16:00, through to close

Typical shift

Four to six hours; some longer weekend shifts

Basis

Casual — hours offered as needed, none guaranteed

Shifts are offered in advance and you are free to decline them. There is no exclusivity — you are welcome to hold other work alongside this role.

Key responsibilities

• Welcome every guest warmly and keep the room feeling looked after
• Take orders and payment at the bar; pour draught to the correct measure and glassware
• Make speciality coffee to standard on our Conti espresso machine (training given)
• Change kegs, keep lines and glassware clean, and keep the bar stocked through service
• Guide guests through the beer, wine and spirits list and make confident recommendations
• Prepare and present pâté boards, bread and pastries to spec
• Clear and reset tables; maintain cleanliness across the bar, floor and toilets
• Follow cash handling, food safety, hygiene and licensing procedures accurately
• Support opening or closing routines using our standard checklists

Essential requirements

Candidates are assessed against each of the points below. All are needed to do the job from an early stage.

• Aged 18 or over — a legal requirement for serving alcohol in this setting
• Right to work in the UK
• Previous bar experience — you have worked behind a bar, taken drinks orders and served alcohol to the public
• Working knowledge of everyday drinks: able to name and describe common wine styles and grapes (for example Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Prosecco), understand the main spirit categories, and hold a confident conversation with a guest about what to order
• Able to describe drinks in terms a guest understands — dry or sweet, light or full, what it goes with — rather than reading a list back
• Reliable and punctual, with availability that fits the pattern above
• Confident and accurate on a till and with cash
• Calm and guest-focused under pressure on a busy Friday or Saturday
• Strong attention to detail and high standards of cleanliness

Desirable

Not required, but useful. We train on our own beer range and our coffee.

• Knowledge of, or genuine interest in, Belgian beer styles — Blond, Dubbel, Tripel, Saison
• Barista or speciality coffee experience — welcome, but we train on our machine
• Supervisory or keyholder experience
• Level 2 Food Safety certificate
• Personal licence, or willingness to work towards one
• Interest in stepping into more responsibility as the venue grows

How we assess

There are two stages. The first is an interview, which includes a short, informal conversation about drinks — we will ask you to describe a few wines and beers as you would to a guest, and to talk us through your experience behind a bar. There are no trick questions and we do not expect expertise in Belgian beer. We are checking that you can talk about drinks naturally and hold your own on a busy bar, because that is what the role asks for every shift.

The second stage is a paid trial shift of around four hours on a normal trading day. You are paid at our standard hourly rate for the time you work, and you are assessed against the same criteria as the interview — how you are with guests, how you handle the bar and the till, and how you work with the team. We will need to see your right to work documents before the trial shift takes place.

What we offer

• Competitive hourly pay, paid monthly
• Holiday pay accrued on all hours worked
• Workplace pension, subject to auto-enrolment eligibility
• Staff discount across both venues
• Full training in Belgian beer, speciality coffee and our service standards
• Flexible shifts that fit around study or other work
• A small, friendly, independent team with room to grow

Pay: From £13.00 per hour

Expected hours: 10.0 – 20.0 per week

Benefits:

• On-site parking

Work Location: In person