What Are the Main Types of Kitchen Porters?

To become a kitchen porter means to be a crucial member of any kitchen team, as they help with all sorts of jobs to keep the kitchen running smoothly. The role can be pretty simple, but each type of kitchen porter can specialize in certain tasks depending on how big the establishment is, what type of cuisine they serve, or what kind of kitchen they work in. Here are the different types of kitchen porters:

• General Kitchen Porter: The most common type of kitchen porter. Responsible for washing dishes and cleaning up in general. They assist chefs with preparing the food. Kitchendor has been found in all kitchens—in restaurants, ships, prisons, hospitals, and catering.
• Prep kitchen porter: First, you help with the general cleaning of a kitchen porter. However, you also help the chef prepare the food by chopping vegetables, peeling potatoes, or getting the ingredients ready to use. This way, the cook doesn’t have to do as much preparation.
• Night Kitchen Porter: Some kitchen porters work nights, especially in hotels, catering, or 24-hour food businesses. Night kitchen porters must deep clean the kitchen, sterilize all equipment, and prepare the kitchen for the next day.
• Catering Kitchen Porter: Employed by catering companies, catering kitchen porters are responsible for cleaning dishes, keeping the kitchen clean and tidy, and helping with food prep for weddings, corporate events, or parties.

What Does a Kitchen Porter Do?

Kitchen porters are essential to the success of any kitchen. Their job is to ensure that chefs and other kitchen staff can focus on preparing great food for customers without worrying about the other aspects of kitchen life. In short, they make life easier for everyone working in the kitchen. Their main duty is to keep the kitchen clean and tidy. Here is a breakdown of the main duties of a kitchen porter:

• Wash Dishes & Utensils: As a kitchen porter, you’ll wash dishes, cutlery, pots, and pans. You’ll also use industrial dishwashers, and you’ll prepare all food items for use by ensuring that they’re clean and sterilized.
• Cleaning the kitchen: One of the most important things is to ensure that the kitchen is kept clean and hygienic. This involves sweeping and mopping the floors, wiping down surfaces, and making sure that all kitchen equipment is clean and in good working condition.
• Help with food prep: Basic food prep is one of the major duties of kitchen porters in many kitchens. This can involve washing and trimming vegetables, chopping bits for dishes, or preparing things for the chef to cook.
• Empty Bins and Take Out the Rubbish: The kitchen porter removes the rubbish, food, and recycling bins. He/she wastes nothing and ensures the kitchen floors are clear of any waste.
• Stock and refill supplies: Kitchen porters are sometimes charged with helping to unload deliveries, restock shelves, and ensure that the kitchen is equipped with cleaning products, ingredients, and equipment.
• Keep the Equipment Clean: Kitchen porters also clean equipment such as stoves, ovens, and refrigerators.
• Help Kitchen Team: The kitchen porter helps the chefs and kitchen staff with their duties by taking out the ingredients, cleaning the mess, and doing whatever is needed to run the kitchen.

Average Kitchen Porter Salary

The salary for a kitchen porter in the UK depends on how long they have had the position, where they work, and which kind of establishment they work in. Usually, kitchen porters can earn more working in a busy kitchen or high-end restaurant than in an everyday restaurant. Below is information that provides an overview of a kitchen porter’s salary.

• Entry-Level Kitchen Porter: Entry-level kitchen porters typically earn between £18,000 and £20,000 per year, or £9 to £10 per hour. This can vary depending on the location and type of establishment.
• Experienced Kitchen Porter: With a few years of experience, kitchen porters can earn between £20,000 and £24,000 annually, or £10 to £12 per hour. Those working in busy restaurants, hotels, or high-end establishments may earn more.

Kitchen Porter Skills

Working as a kitchen porter requires diverse practical and interpersonal skills. Usually the first rung on the restaurant career ladder, kitchen porters need to work quickly, think on their feet, and maintain extremely high standards of cleanliness in a fast-paced environment. This is what working as a kitchen porter involves:

• Physical Stamina: Kitchen porters are on their feet for most of their shift, lifting heavy things, washing pots and pans, etc. One needs to have a lot of physical stamina to do these things.
• Focus: Maintaining hygiene is essential to the position. Kitchen porters must pay close attention to detail to keep everything clean.
• Time management: In a busy kitchen, service is always on the fast track. So, the kitchen porter needs to keep up with the hectic service tasks and complete all the work related to cleaning within a given time.
• Teamwork: Kitchen porters work as part of a team, supporting chefs, wait staff, and other kitchen personnel. Good communication and the ability to work collaboratively are vital for ensuring smooth operations.
• Multitasking: In the kitchen, we have lots of jobs on the go at once. As kitchen porters, we have to clean things, restock things, and help the chef prepare food.
• Reliability: Kitchens run on kitchen porters, or just ‘porters’ for short, and you won’t survive if you’re unreliable, late, and erratic.
• Hygiene Awareness: Kitchen porters must be knowledgeable about hygiene standards and food safety. They should also understand the checks required and cleaning routines to keep the kitchen and equipment clean.

Kitchen Porter Tips

Here are some practical tips for aspiring kitchen porters:

• Get Hospitality Experience: If you’re new to the job, any kind of hospitality experience, from waiter to dishwasher, will help you understand how a kitchen works. Apply for entry-level jobs in restaurants or catering companies.
• Anticipate and Adapt: As a kitchen porter, you should be ready to adapt to change. Try to stay ahead of the curve and help where needed.
• Keep it Clean: One of your biggest tasks is keeping the space clean and organized. Learn how to keep your workstation tidy and prioritize tasks to keep up with the pace of a busy kitchen.
• Pay Attention to Kitchen Staff: You are working alongside very experienced chefs. Learn from them about food prep, kitchen management, and cooking techniques. Many chefs started as kitchen porters.
• Keep a positive attitude: Kitchen life is stressful, especially during services. If you are the type of person who can work well under pressure, you will get promoted. Keep a positive attitude, and you will succeed.

Kitchen Porter Requirements

There are no certification or degree requirements to become a kitchen porter, but having some skills and experience will increase your chances of getting hired. Employers often look for candidates who can work quickly, listen and follow instructions, and clean the kitchen. Here are the usual requirements for a kitchen porter:

• Basic Skills: A secondary school education is required for most kitchen porter jobs, although good reading and comprehension skills are required to interpret health and safety regulations.
• Work Experience in Kitchen Environment (Preferred): While not always required, working experience in a kitchen or hospitality environment is helpful. Washing dishes, cleaning, or food preparation can give you an edge in the job market.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety: The kitchen porter must present a good understanding of food hygiene and safety regulations and be aware of basic food safety. The employer will require each kitchen porter to undergo a basic food safety training course.
• Physical Fitness: Standing for long periods and lifting heavy objects are integral to this role. Working in an environment with heavy machinery and rapid movement requires good physical fitness to avoid injury.

How to Become a Kitchen Porter

Here’s a step-by-step guide to becoming a kitchen porter in the UK:

• Application: Entry-Level Jobs: Kitchen porter jobs are advertised on large job boards such as Indeed, caterer.com, or Totaljobs. Small, local businesses might advertise on their websites or through hospitality recruitment consultancies. You can also search for entry-level jobs in restaurants, hotels, pubs, and catering companies.
• Apply for the Job: Once you’ve found a fitting job, compile a basic CV that showcases any prior hospitality, cleaning, or customer service experience you hold. Highlight your ability to work quickly, maintain hygiene, and support a team.
• Take a Food Safety Training Course: If you work in a kitchen, your employer might require a basic food hygiene and safety course. If they don’t offer it, take one online to improve your professional standing and expertise.
• Kitchen Experience: Get some kitchen experience and then learn about food, kitchen equipment, and what goes on behind the scenes in restaurants. This can help you advance in your hospitality career.
• Move Up at Work: After you’ve gained some experience as a kitchen porter, you can apply for a higher position in the kitchen, such as commis chef or prep cook. You could also learn more from chefs about food prep and begin taking on more kitchen responsibilities.

Get Qualified as a Kitchen Porter 

Kitchen Porter Responsibilities, Kitchen Porter Training, Training for Kitchen Porters, Kitchen Porter Online Course

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Should You Become a Kitchen Porter?

A kitchen porter is an excellent starting role in the hospitality industry. It allows you to work in a busy kitchen environment, learning the basics of food preparation, kitchen hygiene, and kitchen operations. If you like working in a fast-paced environment and fancy a career in the culinary arts or hospitality, a kitchen porter is a good role to start with.

Is Being a Kitchen Porter a Good Career Choice for You?

Suppose you function well in a chaotic, energetic space and aren’t afraid of physical labor. In that case, a KP career can be a great job. It is a perfect entry point into the hospitality business and ultimately can teach you how a kitchen works. It can also allow you to become a commis chef, prep cook, or even a chef someday. It isn’t the best career for life, but it is a flexible job with a high demand in the hospitality business.

Kitchen Porter Salaries

In the UK, kitchen porters make between £18,000 and £24,000 per year, depending on experience, geographic location, and type of establishment. A new kitchen porter can expect to earn between £9 and £10 per hour and more in high-end restaurants, five-star hotels, or catering companies.

Which Qualifications Can Help with a Career as a Kitchen Porter?

No qualifications are required to become a kitchen porter. Still, a Basic Food Hygiene Certificate is useful, as is any training in food safety and kitchen management that your employer might want to give you on the job. This should be great for your CV and your opportunity to progress in the kitchen.

Do I Need Experience to Get Started as a Kitchen Porter?

You don’t need formal qualifications to work as a kitchen porter, and this is one of the easiest roles to get into, so long as you have a basic level of English. Any previous experience working in a kitchen or having a background in hospitality will be a bonus. Employers will be keen on candidates with strong work ethics who are punctual and reliable and who can work quickly to maintain a high level of cleanliness and organization in a fast-paced environment.

Kitchen Porter Career Outlook

Kitchen porter jobs are available throughout the UK, especially in big cities and tourist destinations, where plenty of workers are needed in restaurants, hotels, and catering companies. As kitchen porters are support staff in the kitchen, the chances are that many young people are willing to work hard for the opportunity. There is often room for promotion to other kitchen roles or other hospitality areas.

Kitchen Porter Hierarchy and Progressing Within the Role

Many kitchen porters use the role as a stepping stone into other roles in the kitchen. You can start as a kitchen porter and progress into a commis chef or prep cook role, or even into the kitchen brigade as a sous chef or head chef. The experience and skills you gain when working as a kitchen porter are also transferable to other roles in hospitality. They will help you develop your organizing skills, time-keeping skills, and knowledge of how the kitchen runs.

Kitchen Porter Exit Options and Opportunities

For those who have been in the job for a while, a pathway to more senior roles in the kitchen may be possible, such as becoming a commis chef or kitchen supervisor or moving to another area within hospitality, such as in the restaurant as a waiter, in the bar as a bartender, or on the front of the house as a supervisor. Alternatively, with further training and experience, it may be possible to progress into the role of a full-time cook or even go into business for yourself and run a small catering business.