Kitchen porter
As a kitchen assistant or kitchen porter, you help a chef to prepare meals and keep the kitchen clean and safe so customers in a cafe or restaurant can enjoy their food.
Also known as: team member, kitchen assistant
About the job
What it's like
You would help a chef to prepare meals so customers in a cafe or restaurant can enjoy their food. You’d keep the kitchen clean and safe.
You’d need to make sure that the chefs have everything they need. Kitchens are busy so you’d need to work quickly and competently, sometimes doing several things at once.
Kitchens are often divided into sections. For example, vegetables could be prepared in one area, and meat and fish in another area. As an assistant, you would often support the chef in a specific work section.
You would:
Prepare basic food
Wash, peel or skin, and chop vegetables and fruit, meat and fish ready for cooking
Unload deliveries from suppliers
Organise the storeroom
Wash kitchen appliances, pots, pans, work surfaces, floors and walls
You’d use a variety of kitchen equipment such as automatic mixers, chipping machines and special knives and cutters. You’d be responsible for keeping the kitchen clean. So you’d need to follow strict health and safety, and hygiene rules.
Hours
Your hours of work can vary, but will usually include shifts, evenings, weekends and public holidays. If you work for a catering company and you are based at a factory or business, your hours are likely to be more regular than in a restaurant. Part-time, casual or seasonal work may be available.
Environment
Your working environment will often be hot, busy and noisy. You may find this work unsuitable if you suffer from certain skin conditions. You will usually be provided with a uniform.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- food preparation
- food safety and sanitation
- cooking
- restaurant operation
- recipes
- mopping
- stock rotation
- food services
- hotel kitchen
- business success
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- reliable
- social conscience
- empathising
- verbal communication
- supporting
- cooperating
- building relationships
- resilience
- positive attitude
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Food Health and Wellbeing
Health and Food Technology (Home economics)
Hospitality: Practical Cake Craft (Home economics)
Hospitality: Practical Cookery (Home economics)
Skills for Work: Hospitality
Foundation Apprenticeship: Hospitality
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You do not need formal qualifications for this job but a good general education is useful.
Training is mainly on the job. Once in a job you may be able to work towards relevant qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Kitchen Services (SVQ level 2).
Skills for Work Food and Drink (SCQF level 5)
Skills for Work Hospitality (SCQF level 4/5)
Depending on where you work you may need to pass a PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) check for some jobs.
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