Join our ‘English Speaking’ team, in France!
Chateau Rigaud is an exclusive wedding venue in the Bordeaux Vines. Family run and independent, we’ve developed a first class reputation over 20 years and have hosted international sportsmen, film stars and British Royalty. Despite the celebrity names, as a business we consider our team to be the most important players. We know that if the team are happy, the clients will be happy. And a happy team is a team that sticks around. So when the guests have left, pirate parties are not all that unusual! And neither are team dinners, days out at the beach, the end of season trip, be it to Marrakech, Porto or this year, to San Sebastian.
Currently recruiting for 2025 season
EVENTS MANAGER AFTER HOURS
1 May to 15 October 2025
€2800 / month with accommodation, 4 day week / Tips and end of season bonus
6 months contract worth €17,000 with two weeks paid leave
Running the pass and events barn to deliver an excellent wedding service, ensuring professional and effective communication with the head chef during the stressful moments to ensure the food is delivered efficiently and accurately despite the relative inexperience of the service team.
Management of the Events Barn until the end of bar service at 2am and the final lockdown at 3am
Communication with the wedding couple on the wedding night, the Events Manager is running the wedding once the planner leaves at around 8pm.
Ongoing training and management of a team of around 8 servers, to provide professional but unpretentious, 'light touch' banqueting service to up to wedding 150 guests.
Communication with the wedding planners and chefs to create accurate reports of where dietaries are seated to ensure every meal reaches the right guest without confusion among the servers.
Build-up of the wedding banquet tables, ensuring all design details are accurate to the planner and florist reports with immaculate presentation of tableware.
Communication with and assistance to the florist throughout the weekend to ensure all table floral installations are well presented.
BAR MANAGER & WINE BUYER POSITION FILLED
1 March to end November 2025, with 12 months accommodation, allowing three months for travelling while maintaining a base €2300 / month with accommodation plus Tips & end of season bonus
After five years at Rigaud, our current Bar Manager, Josh, is moving on at the end of this season leaving an exciting opportunity for a hospitality professional who wants to develop their wine and spirits education and management skills in the world’s finest wine region.
Full responsibility for the various chateau bars (chapel, events barn, canapé terrace) and the bar at our bistro on the river
Leading the wedding bar wine and cocktail service team until lockdown at 3am at least once and sometimes twice per week during the summer months
Developing cocktails and drinks offers to suit the preferences of different wedding parties and events
Sommelier service, introducing wines to small dining groups at spring and autumn Wine Weekends
Closely involved in the selection of wines for Rigaud Wine Weekends and Bistro events
Opportunity to be sponsored through WSET exams
This is a serious job which requires previous bar experience. You must enjoy night life and working until the early hours. You need a clean manual driving licence. You must be physically fit able to move heavy kegs and wine cases in the heat of the summer and you must be legally able to work in Europe.
If you would be interested to apply, please send your CV to anna@chateaurigaud.co.uk
Team Front of House / Housekeeping
Typical jobs include
Chateau turnaround, working within a team of 8 to clean all 13 bedrooms plus communal areas to the highest standard in a matter of hours. Rooms are presented to an exacting standard with L’Occitane toiletries and 400 thread count sheets
Setting up and serving picnics, canapés, cocktails and dinner to discerning wedding guests
Polishing glasses, wrapping cutlery, sweeping floors, washing pots, cleaning loos, plumping cushions, changing beds, hoovering vast corridors, ironing napkins, setting a table for 144 guests to the exacting standards of our FOH manager, mopping floors, moving potted plants from A to B to C to B to C to A and repeat, etc etc
Driving guests to and from the venue, (driving experience dependent)
Team Grounds / Bar / Front of House
Typical jobs include
Grounds turn aorund, working within a team to prepare the grounds for a new set of clients. Mowing and strimming grass, raking gravel, chopping wood, hoovering the pool, taking bottles to the bottle bank, moving heavy furniture, carrying bags to and from rooms, cleaning windows, washing out the bins, cleaning vehicles inside and out
Setting up and serving picnics, canapés, cocktails and dinner to discerning wedding guests
Moving chairs while dressed smartly in 35 degrees of heat or more
Serving drinks at a busy bar into the early morning and then assisting drunken guests onto minibuses
Driving guests to and from the venue, (driving experience dependent)
Requirements
An EU passport or other status which is legal to work in France is preferable. We can arrange a work visa for UK Passport Holders if they have extensive relevant experience and will be staying for a six months contract
Full driving license
You must be physically fit, able to lift and carry heavy items & sometimes to work long and strenuous days
Some basic French an advantage
Terms and Conditions
Full time role, 30 hours per week, 5 days per week (including Saturday and Sunday), 2 consecutive days off each week.
From €12 per hour, experience depending, live in
Share of a company vehicle for local trips
Equal share of tips
Fully serviced accommodation in shared house
If you have more experience than would be relevant to a basic team position then let us know. We have other opportunities and we will always find a role for talented hospitality professionals
Here below are examples of our team accommodation
Example of team accommodation. There is no charge for accommodation which is provided as part of the salary package and includes all services (gas, electric, water, internet)