The role of a kitchen porter involves managing and coordinating all the affairs in the kitchen, this often includes: keeping all kitchen areas neat and sanitized, washing and maintaining all cooking utensils and appliances, supporting kitchen staff by making meal preparations, receiving and unloading deliveries and ensuring proper hygiene in the store room. The daily responsibilities for kitchen porters differ depending on qualification, publication and experience.
Since the kitchen porter job is not limited to households alone but extends to cafés, eateries, hotels, and five-star restaurants, certification and experience is required. Prospective kitchen porters regularly undergo certain online kitchen porter courses to further understand the responsibilities of the job and gain certification.
Contrary to popular belief, the job of a kitchen porter should not be considered minimal. The potential for individuals working in this capacity extends far and wide in the catering industry. Individuals desiring to be chefs and having no clue how to begin, can start off as kitchen porters, as this is not only a way of familiarizing oneself with the system, but also a way to gain maximum experience of kitchen administrative services.
The skills needed to enable you to work as a kitchen porter includes: excellent communication skills, self-motivation, great listening skills, ability to obey instructions, ability to work under pressure and in a heated environment, ability to perform well without supervision, and good managerial skills.
A Guide to Becoming a Kitchen Porter
The first step to becoming anything is taking interest in it. After enrolling in online courses which would give you the required qualification for the job, the next step would naturally involve going into the labor market. But before that, below are a few things to consider.
Update Your Resume
Landing that well paying job in a first-class restaurant requires expertise and experience. To prove your resourcefulness, you would need to update your resume and include experiences you have acquired working in areas of cleaning, management and meal preparation.
Get Familiar with Regulations on Health and Safety
Different food regulations are specific to various regions or countries. Familiarizing yourself with those applicable in your region will help you during an interview with a prospective employer.
Be Patient
Climbing the ladder to success from an entry-level position can often be challenging. Working long hours in the kitchen is also demanding, but gaining success in the industry requires patience. Be open to corrections from senior staff members, and you might just get the promotion you need to the level of kitchen assistant.
The kitchen is a fundamental part of the home, as mostly all consumables are stored and cooked there. For this reason, it is necessary for the kitchen to be consistently kept neat and organized. In cases involving large family gatherings, and events at restaurants, cooking and tidying up the kitchen becomes very stressful. A kitchen porter helps with easing this burden.