What is the difference between a kitchen assistant and a kitchen porter?

A kitchen porter focuses on washing up and cleaning, while a kitchen assistant also helps with food preparation and simple cooking. The two roles often overlap, so read the advert carefully.

Do I need cooking qualifications?

Not usually. Employers mostly want reliability and a Level 2 food hygiene certificate. A catering NVQ or college course is a bonus, not a requirement.

How do I get a first kitchen job?

Apply for entry-level roles such as kitchen porter or kitchen assistant, and mention any cooking at home, volunteering or school catering. Offering a trial shift shows you are keen.

Kitchen assistant CV example

A strong kitchen assistant CV shows that you can prepare food safely, keep your station clean and follow a chef's instructions at speed. A food hygiene certificate, where you hold one, and examples of the prep and cleaning you do each shift help a lot.

Idris Bello

Kitchen assistant

idris@example.com

07700 900137

Leicester

Profile

Careful and dependable kitchen assistant with three years of experience preparing ingredients, plating simple dishes and keeping the kitchen clean in a busy café and a hotel kitchen. Follows food safety and allergen rules closely and stays calm during service. Holds a Level 2 food hygiene certificate.

Experience

Kitchen Assistant

a busy café serving breakfast and lunch

Prepared vegetables, salads, sandwiches and sauces ready for the lunchtime rush

Plated simple hot dishes, such as jacket potatoes and soup, following the chef's portion guide

Checked fridge temperatures twice a day and recorded them on the daily sheet

Followed allergen information for every dish and told front-of-house staff about any changes

Cleaned work surfaces, equipment and floors between tasks and at close

Kitchen Assistant (seasonal)

a hotel kitchen serving around 80 guests

Helped prepare breakfast buffet items, including fruit, pastries and cooked dishes

Rotated stock by date and labelled food correctly, using first in, first out

Put away deliveries and reported any shortages to the head chef

Kept pot wash and prep areas tidy during service so the chefs could keep moving

Key skills

Food preparation

Food hygiene Level 2

Allergen awareness

Basic knife skills

Plating simple dishes

Stock rotation

Cleaning and sanitising

Following recipes and instructions

Working to service times

Manual handling

Example · fictional candidate · Meridian design · Use this design

Tips for a kitchen assistant CV

List your food hygiene certificate and its level
Mention specific prep and cooking tasks, such as chopping, portioning or making sauces
Show that you take allergens seriously, since UK food businesses must manage allergen information carefully
Name the type of kitchen and the number of meals you helped serve, if you know it
Mention early starts, late finishes and weekend work if you can do them
Say what you would like to learn next, such as cooking on the line, if you want to progress

Applying with a cover letter? See our kitchen assistant cover letter example.