Craig is the Group Catering Manager at Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks
Craig Bartlett - Group Catering Manager at Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks
Age: 35 - 44
Career Journey:
Craig Bartlett is the Group Catering Manager at Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, overseeing the catering outlets across both sites, and ensuring the quality, service and performance at the parks is always representative of Port Lympne and Howletts’ high standards and core values. His journey began in 2013 as a Seasonal Catering Assistant at Port Lympne and from there he progressed to Catering Supervisor, growing with the business to become Assistant Catering Manager a few years later. In 2021 Craig was given the responsibility of Catering Manager, managing all food outlets at Port Lympne, plus a team of 35, before finally taking on the role of Group Catering Manager in 2024.
Career Highlights:
Like many businesses, in 2020 and 2021 Craig and the team faced significant challenges as a result of COVID-19 and rapidly changing government guidance. Craig and the team reacted flexibly, meeting each challenge as it came, adapting to new guidelines and rules to continue to deliver exceptional service even in the face of such adversity.
What Craig Enjoys Most About His Job:
Craig loves how dynamic the parks are, providing new experiences and challenges every day. He is honoured to work alongside such a dedicated team and loves interacting with a wide range of customers, who help make every day rewarding and inspiring.
Key Skills and Expertise:
Craig’s skills have grown in 11 years, with people management, recruitment, coaching, training and mentoring all integral to his ability to manage a large team. Over the course of his career he has also developed financial management and budgeting skills which, along with negotiation skills, have all been honed as he’s developed new product lines and built relationships with local suppliers.