Bar Manager

Sugarloaf @ Flockhill Lodge, Canterbury 90mins drive from Christchurch

Staff accommodation available

Fixed term: October 2026 to May 2027

Your bar. Your menu. Award winning wine list. Two-hat kitchen

Creative freedom, a two-hat kitchen, and one of the most spectacular settings in the country. Roles like this don’t come up often.

Flockhill Lodge is an internationally recognised luxury lodge in the Canterbury high country. Sugarloaf was awarded two hats in the 2026 Cuisine Good Food Guide, and their Executive Chef was recently named Luxury Lodges of New Zealand Chef of the Year.

We are on the hunt for a Bar Manager to take real ownership of the bar and build something guests talk about long after they’ve gone home.

We know great bar managers don’t just make exceptional drinks. They set the mood of a room, lead from the front, and know what genuine hospitality feels like. If that sounds like you, read on.

The role

You’ll run an intimate, cocktail-focused bar and lead a team of 2–3 bar staff, within a front-of-house crew of 14–15 over summer. You’ll report to the Food & Beverage Manager and work closely with the Restaurant Manager and the Kitchen team.

The creative side is yours. You’ll build the cocktail menu, create your own ferments, and work with what the land gives you. Much of the lodge’s produce is grown in its own gardens, and the kitchen works with station-raised lamb, locally farmed beef and sustainably caught seafood, so there’s plenty to draw on. You’ll also host tastings and classes for guests, both in the bar and out on the property.

What you’ll look after

• Leading, training and developing your bar team through the season
• Creating and refining the cocktail and beverage offer, including seasonal specials and house ferments
• Pairing drinks with the kitchen, and working with the sommelier on the wider beverage programme
• Hosting guest tastings, classes and events, and helping tell the story of the bar
• Stock, ordering, costings and budgets, keeping waste low and margins healthy
• Compliance goes without saying

About you

• 3+ years managing or leading a premium cocktail bar or luxury hospitality venue, or a hospitality or tourism qualification backed by solid experience
• Real depth in cocktails, and a genuine interest in wine
• A leader people want to work for: calm under pressure, collaborative, and happy to be behind the bar on a busy night
• Sharp organisation and clear communication
• A Manager’s Certificate is an advantage, or be ready to get one
• Valid NZ work rights for the full contract

Location

Flock Hill is remote. You’ll be around 90 minutes from Christchurch, surrounded by mountains, with no town on the doorstep. If you want big landscapes, fresh air, and a close-knit team who live and work together, then this is absolutely the role for you – If you want bars and nightlife on your days off, this probably isn’t the job for you.

What’s in it for you

• $33 – $38 per hour based on experience
• Full-time hours through high season (minimum 60 hours per fortnight)
• Heavily subsidised onsite accommodation: a private bedroom from $175 a week, with power and wifi included
• Meals on shift and use of the staff gym
• The chance to work alongside an award-winning kitchen and a world-class sommelier
• A place to come back to. The lodge always loves to see staff return season after season.

If you’re a bar manager ready to put your name on a menu in one of New Zealand’s most remarkable places, we’d love to hear from you.