A commercial kitchen must have a kitchen porter to keep the food coming.
The efficient operation of a commercial kitchen depends on many jobs besides the cooking staff. The kitchen needs to be stocked, organized and clean at all times. This is the job of the kitchen porter. Although this position is entry-level, it is still important to the daily function of all commercial food establishments such as restaurants, hospitals and institutions.
Training and Background
A kitchen porter position does not necessarily require experience, but any background in a food-handling or cleaning capacity is an asset for this job. In most cases, the educational requirements are a minimum of a high school education or GED. On-the-job training is common in this position. Above all, kitchen porters need a willingness to handle many responsibilities and an ability to take direction and work under supervision.
Basic Duties
Although employers' needs vary according to the type and size of their business, the general duties of a kitchen porter involve a great deal of cleaning. This includes general cleaning of the kitchen area and trash removal, as well as regularly scheduled cleaning of ovens, grills, refrigerators, freezers and food preparation areas. In some establishments, the kitchen porter also cleans the dining area tables, restrooms and bar service areas. The job may require receiving and storing food deliveries as well.
Other Duties
A kitchen porter is often the dishwasher and will operate a commercial dishwashing machine. Kitchen porters are also responsible for washing table linens, kitchen towels and aprons in some cases. This requires operating a commercial washing machine and dryer. Some positions require janitorial work that involves sweeping and mopping of floors and cleaning of floor drains.
Food Handling Duties
Some positions require the kitchen porter to assist in the preparation of ingredients for the cooking staff. This will include cutting up of vegetables, placing appetizer ingredients on serving plates, and providing food items to the line cooks while they are working at the ovens and grills. This aspect requires a kitchen porter to follow strict hygiene guidelines for personal cleanliness and food-handling procedures, and may include obtaining certification in food handling.
Compensation
Average annual salaries for kitchen porters in the United States ranged between $21,000 to $26,000, as of June 2010, according to SalaryExpert.com. Factors such as overtime, vacation pay, profit-sharing and health benefits affect compensation. The size of the employer and the city in which the food establishment operates influence the salary range as well.
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