Looking to hire a Kitchen Porter? Find a qualified professional with Brigad

Kitchen Porters play a crucial role in maintaining clean, organised, and hygienic kitchens.

A Kitchen Porter, particularly in a short-term work, typically focuses on the following responsibilities:

• Assisting with the cleaning and maintenance of the kitchen, including washing dishes, utensils, and cooking equipment.
• Ensuring a clean and organised workspace by regularly cleaning kitchen surfaces and floors.
• Handling basic food preparation tasks as directed by chefs, such as peeling, chopping, and sorting ingredients.
• Managing waste disposal and recycling, ensuring compliance with sanitation regulations.
• Assisting in inventory management by unloading deliveries and organising storage areas for supplies, food, and beverages.
• Collaborating with the kitchen staff to ensure smooth operation and efficient service.
• Adhering strictly to health and safety standards and regulations to maintain a safe working environment.
• Quickly adapting to the specific processes and needs of the kitchen in different restaurants or events.
• Assisting with the setup and breakdown of kitchen equipment for events or service.
• Providing support to kitchen staff during peak service times to ensure timely delivery of food and overall customer satisfaction.

Traditional methods to hire a Kitchen Porter

Kitchen porters are a really important aspect of staff within the UK hospitality industry, in that they help the kitchen run smoothly. Recruitment to these roles is traditionally conducted through methods that are very centred on local and community-based methods. However, with the industry being ever-changing, these traditional ways are faced with limitations in efficiency, reach, and flexibility.

Job Advertisements in Local Newspapers

The method of using local newspapers in the past for hiring kitchen porters was to target the local workforce. The advertisement on the local newspaper is aimed at attracting applicants within commuting distance of the establishment.

Cons:

• Limited Reach: The reach of newspaper ads extends only as far as the proportion of people who read the publication, which compared with falling readership in newspapers and preference toward digital media is a quite small pool of potential applicants.
• Cost: ost of advertisement at small establishments may actually be prohibitive, especially for high turnover positions such as that of a kitchen porter.
• Time Delay: The time lag between advertisement and response to advertisement may be high, not suitable for quick staffing needs.

Word of Mouth and Referrals

One of the methods has been to use the existing staff and industry contacts to find the future employees through personal recommendation.

Cons:

• Inconsistency: As it depends on the social network of the staff, the level of success of the method is very inconsistent and does not always present candidates.
• Bias: Hiring through a recommendation opens a path of personal relations, which is bound to introduce a bias factor in the selection process. It could, at some level, limit diversity within the workplace and, even worse, could ignore more qualified candidates outside the social circles of existing employees.
• Reliability: There's no guarantee that referred candidates will meet the job's demands, risking a mismatch between expectations and performance.

Walk-in Applications

Encouraging prospective candidates to apply directly by visiting the establishment allows employers to meet applicants in person, offering an immediate sense of their suitability for the role.

Cons:

• Geographical Restriction: The practice thus tends to automatically be biased in favor of candidates who live nearby or are already aware of the establishment, thereby depriving a wider talent pool.
• Resource Intensive: Attending walk-ins can lead to a break in the routine, in effect needing that several employees are readily present at any given time to attend to the whims of the potential applicants, which could otherwise be put to use elsewhere.
• Unpredictability: The flow of walk-in applicants can be fickle, with potential droughts and floods of candidates, thereby complicating staffing plans.

Temp agencies

Temp agencies act as a go-between in connecting the employer and potential employee by offering a pool of pre-screened workers who could fulfill the needs of short-term or emergency placements.

Cons:

• Cost: Despite the fact that temp agencies could very often fill positions fast, the middleman cost of hiring an employee through such a broker is very high as compared to the straight cost of hiring an individual.
• Employee Loyalty: Those sourced via a temp agency are unlikely to harbor any loyalty towards their employer, which may end up causing a dent in the morale and cohesiveness of their team
• Mismatch Risk: Given that the employer is at a lower level of control in comparison with hiring directly, risks of mismatch in qualification or work ethics are high.

Looking to hire a Kitchen Porter for your establishment ?

Are you looking to hire a competent Kitchen Porter for your busy restaurant kitchen or your catering event in London and surrounding areas ?

Finding a Kitchen Porter to assist your busy kitchen team, which includes Sous Chefs and Head Chefs, can sometimes be a tedious task due to their high demand.

If you have not had much luck with job boards or the use of temp agencies, and candidates in the hospitality and catering sector are not rushing in, lack motivation, or have not got the experience or skills you are looking for, Brigad is here to provide a solution.

Publish short-term work offers on the Brigad app or website to interested independent freelance Kitchen Porters and other hospitality professionals, who are ready to work and able to pick up short-term shifts and fill gaps in your staffing rota. 

With the Brigad business app (available for download via the App Store or Google Play) or website, you can be easily connected with the Kitchen Porter your business needs.

To start with, simply download the Brigad Business app via the App Store or Google Play. Create an account and you can get started. 

Sign-up for free and post a mission corresponding to your needs for a Kitchen Porter in under 3 minutes. Chances are that your mission will be accepted within a matter of hours by a qualified Kitchen Porter. 

How to use Brigad when looking to hire a Kitchen Porter ?

Restaurant, pub, bar, café, and hotel food & beverage (F&B) managers, owners, or operators looking to hire independent Kitchen Porters or other hospitality professionals can easily create a mission using the Brigad app. Simply select the dates and times, hours, days needed, the role needed, and add a description that details the requirements and expectations.

Your job offer, also known as a “mission” (the short-term shift for which you need filled), will be sent to only the most relevant, qualified, and fully vetted Kitchen Porters who meet your criteria. Once one of them accepts the mission, you will be notified and put in contact.

The Kitchen Porter will arrive on the day of the mission ready to work, as they will have received all the necessary information from your mission description to successfully complete the mission.

This means you can be confident in finding the right Kitchen Porter to fulfil your business's operational needs.

No more wasting time selecting a profile from dozens, or even hundreds of options. Post a new mission on Brigad in less than 3 minutes, then just sit back and let the  algorithm handle the rest. Only the most relevant talents will receive your mission proposition, and the most motivated Kitchen Porter will be the one to accept it.

Invoices are generated and payments are made automatically, simplifying the process for your business or organisation's finance team. This allows you to focus on running your busy restaurant, pub, bar, café, or hotel food & beverage (F&B) operation.

Need to hire a Kitchen Porter in a hurry? 

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Post a mission on the Brigad business app or website in less than 3 minutes. Two thirds of missions are accepted in under 2 hours. Fill your staffing rotas efficiently, even in urgent, time-sensitive situations. Problem solved.

Benefits of working with Brigad

Brigad provides a range of benefits for establishments like restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes, and hotels, as well as catering venues and events in London, Birmingham, and Manchester, by facilitating connections with skilled Kitchen Porters and other hospitality professionals.

Only work with driven freelance professionals on Brigad

Freelance Kitchen Porters and other hospitality professionals represent their own interests and build their own network of customers, which is why they are particularly reliable and motivated. So, you don’t have to worry about last-minute surprises, like a no-show an hour before a busy restaurant opens or a wedding feast needs to be cooked.

A strict vetting process

The hospitality industry is too busy and fast-paced for people who aren’t serious and committed to the work. After a rigorous vetting process by our team of experts, only the most qualified Kitchen Porters are offered access to the Brigad platform. 

As an owner, operator, or manager, you might worry about verifying the paperwork of the Kitchen Porter who is coming to work for you. However, you don’t need to worry about any of that, as we handle all checks for you.

All profiles on the Brigad platform undergo a strict two-step vetting process, executed by both the app and the Brigad team. This thorough verification ensures you work with only the best independent, self-employed (inside HMRC IR35), or freelance Kitchen Porters and other hospitality professionals. 

The backgrounds, IDs, employment history, and training of all Kitchen Porters are verified to ensure they are reliable and experts in their field before they’re able to accept any missions on the Brigad app. This way, you can be 100% confident that the person is who they say they are and have a legal right to live and work in the UK.

Essential Soft Skills of Kitchen Porters in the Brigad Community

• Adaptability and Flexibility: Kitchen environments are fast-paced and unpredictable. Kitchen porters need to quickly adjust to changes, such as switching between tasks on the fly or accommodating sudden increases in workload. This includes being willing to work different shifts or longer hours as needed.
• Teamwork and Communication: Effective communication and the ability to work as part of a team are vital. Kitchen porters must coordinate with chefs, cooks, and other staff to ensure that the kitchen operates efficiently. They need to listen carefully to instructions and be able to convey information clearly and concisely to others.
• Attention to Detail and Pride in Work: A strong sense of responsibility towards maintaining hygiene standards and cleanliness is essential. Kitchen porters should take pride in their work, ensuring that utensils, kitchen equipment, and the kitchen area are clean and organized. Their attention to detail helps in preventing cross-contamination and ensures a safe working environment for all kitchen staff.

A dedicated assistance team

A member of the account management and customer experience will be assigned to you to provide support during your first month on Brigad to make sure that you understand the features and are making the most of the platform. Should any problems arise, our responsive Assistance Team is available seven days a week to ensure that solutions are readily available for any situation that might be encountered.

Mission prices for Kitchen Porters in the UK

All prices are dynamically calculated to consider tension rates, ensuring competitive pricing tailored to your specific requirements. 

The cost is determined by multiplying an hourly rate by the number of hours you need a Kitchen Porter for. When you create a mission, you'll receive an instant quote. 

This is the fixed price you pay once a self-employed Kitchen Porter accepts your mission, so there are no surprise costs or hidden charges.

A dynamic pricing means that costs are competitively calculated for each new mission. 

You have control over the pricing, allowing you to adjust it upwards if needed. This flexibility can enhance the likelihood of your mission being quickly accepted by talented independent hospitality and catering professionals in London, Birmingham, and Manchester.