Job: Air Steward/Steward, The Royal Air Force - Manchester

Overview

Stewards work within dining rooms, bars and reception areas in Officers’ and Sergeants’ Messes. Trained in silver service, you’ll serve food and drinks to hotel and club standards, making sure that your customers have everything they need. You’ll also be responsible for the day-to-day running of the Mess, including reception work, looking after accommodation, and bar and cellar management.

You’ll also organise VIP functions, where you’ll do everything from menu planning, booking of entertainment and accommodating guests, to ensuring that all food safety checks have been carried out and staff are fully briefed and supervised, including civilian staff.

Like most people in the RAF, you’ll probably move jobs every few years, and each job is known as a tour. As well as working in the dining rooms and bars of RAF bases, stewards can carry out VIP personal staff duties in senior officers’ homes, or work in the field as part of the Mobile Catering Support Unit – one of the spearhead units for UK forces, which sets up catering facilities for operations or exercises before other troops arrive. Additionally, many RAF stewards work in the field on exercises with their home units and some undertake short detachments afloat with the Royal Navy.

After appropriate training, and if recommended, you can work as an Air Steward, where you’ll get the chance to work on a variety of military aircraft. You’ll organise the catering for the crew and passengers – who could be troops, families or VIP personnel – and be responsible for in-flight safety procedures. On aeromedical flights, you’ll work with medics to ensure the safe transportation of ill or injured personnel.

For further details, please download full job description