What core responsibilities should I highlight in a Kitchen Porter job ad?

Highlight the responsibilities that define the majority of the kitchen porter's shift and any additional duties that expand beyond the core wash-up role. The primary focus for most KP positions is running the dishwasher for plates, glasses, and cutlery during service, and hand-washing pots, pans, and larger equipment that cannot go through the machine. Beyond this, most KP roles include maintaining general kitchen cleanliness, managing waste and recycling, and carrying out deep cleaning during close-down. If your role also involves receiving and organising deliveries, basic food prep support like peeling or portioning, or maintaining stock levels of cleaning supplies, state these clearly. Candidates need to understand the full scope of what they are signing up for, not just the headline task of washing up.

Common misunderstanding: The kitchen porter role is self-explanatory and does not need detailed responsibilities listed in the ad.

KP roles vary significantly between venues. In some kitchens the porter handles wash-up exclusively; in others they are expected to assist with prep, manage deliveries, clean front-of-house areas, and handle waste management for the entire building. Candidates who discover unexpected duties on their first shift often feel misled, and that feeling leads directly to early dropout.

Common misunderstanding: Listing too many responsibilities makes the role seem overwhelming and reduces applications.

Listing responsibilities clearly actually attracts better candidates because it demonstrates transparency and helps people self-select. A candidate who reads an honest list of duties and applies anyway has already accepted the scope of the role. A candidate who applies to a vague ad and discovers unexpected duties on day one is far more likely to leave.

How do I present Kitchen Porter duties concisely in a job ad?

Present duties by grouping them into three or four main categories rather than producing an exhaustive checklist of every individual task. Group the core wash-up duties together: running the dishwasher, hand-washing pots and pans, and keeping the wash-up area organised. Then group cleaning duties: maintaining kitchen cleanliness during service, deep cleaning during close-down, and cleaning equipment. If there are additional responsibilities, group those too: receiving deliveries, basic prep support, waste management. This structure gives candidates a clear, digestible picture of the role without overwhelming them with a twenty-item bullet list. Within each group, be specific enough that candidates understand the practical reality — stating "hand-washing pots and pans that do not fit the dishwasher" is more useful than "general cleaning duties."

Common misunderstanding: Using vague terms like "general kitchen duties" covers everything without needing to list specifics.

"General kitchen duties" is one of the most complained-about phrases among kitchen porters because it is used to justify adding tasks that were never discussed during hiring. If the role includes cleaning the yard, emptying bins across the building, or mopping the restaurant floor, state that explicitly. Vague language breeds resentment when the reality emerges.

Common misunderstanding: Kitchen porter responsibilities should mirror the official job description used for HR purposes.

The HR job description is a legal and administrative document; the job ad is a recruitment tool. Your ad should describe what the porter actually does during a shift in language they understand, not restate formal terminology from an HR template. "Run the dishwasher continuously during service" communicates more effectively than "operate commercial dishwashing equipment in accordance with hygiene protocols."

What responsibilities do Kitchen Porter candidates most want to understand before applying?

Kitchen porter candidates most want to understand the primary focus of the role, whether duties extend beyond wash-up, and how the workload distributes across a shift. They want to know if this is a pure dishwashing and pot wash role or if it includes cleaning, prep, deliveries, and other tasks. They want to understand the volume — how many covers the kitchen handles and what that means in terms of the speed and quantity of wash-up during a busy service. They also want to know what close-down involves and how long it takes, because that directly affects when they actually finish their shift. Experienced KP candidates are particularly attentive to any sign that the role is broader than described, as many have taken jobs advertised as "kitchen porter" that turned out to include significant cleaning, maintenance, or other duties beyond what was discussed.

Common misunderstanding: Kitchen porter candidates accept that the role includes whatever needs doing and do not expect clearly defined responsibilities.

While flexibility is valued, KP candidates still want to understand what they are primarily responsible for. There is a significant difference between "helping out with deliveries occasionally when they arrive during your shift" and "being responsible for all deliveries, stock rotation, and storage every morning." Clarity prevents mismatched expectations and reduces turnover.

Common misunderstanding: Close-down duties are an obvious part of the role and do not need to be described separately.

Close-down is often the most physically demanding part of a KP shift and can add an hour or more to the working day. Candidates need to know what close-down involves — final pot wash, equipment cleaning, surface sanitising, floor cleaning — and when they can realistically expect to leave. Failing to mention close-down creates a negative surprise on the first shift.