Kitchen Assistant Jobs

Kitchen Assistant jobs are essential within hospitality, catering and other food services. The role is crucial in any professional kitchen, keeping operations clean, efficient and well-stocked behind the scenes. The day-to-day work ranges from basic preparation and cleaning to supporting chefs with ingredients, equipment and time management. It can be a physically demanding role that requires stamina, speed and a sharp eye for hygiene in potentially fast-paced environments.

Technical competence is increasingly important for Kitchen Assistants to possess, and will appear on most job adverts. Kitchen Assistants are expected to understand food safety regulations, allergen protocols and basic prep techniques, while technical competencies such as knife handling are also helpful. In many kitchens, Assistants also use digital systems to log fridge temperatures, track deliveries, or manage cleaning schedules. Accuracy matters in food hygiene and preparation, and so does the ability to follow instructions exactly, especially when supporting multiple chefs with different working styles.

Soft skills are also valuable for Kitchen Assistants, particularly reliability, calmness under pressure and a willingness to muck in and help the team. Kitchens run on teamwork, and Assistants need to communicate clearly, take direction without fuss, and contribute to a respectful, fast-moving environment.

Responsibilities for Kitchen Assistants that are typically outlined in job adverts include basic food preparation, washing and sanitising crockery and utensils, maintaining the cleanliness of kitchen areas, assisting chefs with ingredient prep, and supporting stock rotation. Kitchen Assistant job adverts will also set out expectations for roles. This can include efficient dishwashing and waste disposal, timely replenishment of service stations, and adherence to hygiene standards. In settings such as schools, hospitals and care homes, the role often includes compliance with additional dietary and safety protocols.

Find out more about the Kitchen Assistant job description.

Kitchen Assistants require a mix of practical kitchen skills and transferable soft skills. On the technical side, competence in basic food preparation is fundamental, including safe knife handling for simple tasks, portion control, effective use of kitchen utensils and small equipment, and an understanding of basic cooking methods such as boiling and steaming, where required. Familiarity with routine cleaning and sanitation practices, correct use of cleaning chemicals, correct temperature checks for chilled and cooked food and knowledge of simple storage methods help maintain food safety standards. Employers also value familiarity with dishwashing machines, plating protocols and basic stock rotation using first-in-first-out principles.

Soft skills are equally important for Kitchen Assistants. Time management is essential in busy service periods to ensure that orders are processed in a timely manner and that cleaning tasks do not disrupt meal service. Teamwork and clear communication also assist in coordinating tasks with chefs and front-of-house staff, while resilience and the ability to remain composed under pressure helps to reduce disruption and contributes to kitchen morale. In addition, attention to detail helps to spot presentation issues or contamination risks early.

Transferable skills for Kitchen Assistants that help candidates stand out include previous retail or hospitality experience, basic numeracy for portioning and stock checks, and simple IT literacy for rota and timesheet systems. A willingness to learn, adapt and accept feedback from senior kitchen staff also often accelerates progression, and many employers place a premium on safe manual handling, punctual attendance and a strong hygiene-first attitude.

Demand for Kitchen Assistants in the UK remains steady and is driven by national trends and demand in both hospitality and across the public sector. Growth in casual dining, expanded home-delivery offerings from restaurants, and the continued need for school and hospital catering all support continuous recruitment. Equally, economic cycles also influence hiring patterns; when consumer spending rises, more restaurants and pubs expand staff levels, while public sector catering often offers year-round, stable opportunities. Seasonally-driven peaks such as summer tourism and the pre-Christmas period also create short-term, but notable, surges in vacancies for both temporary and permanent roles alike.

Urban centres and tourist destinations tend to show the highest concentrations of Kitchen Assistant vacancies, with strong demand across major cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow, amongst others, as well as smaller holiday destination coastal towns. In addition, an increase in outsourcing of catering services to contractors has expanded opportunities within other sites such as corporate canteens, stadiums and educational institutions.

The Kitchen Assistant jobs market has a continued emphasis on food safety and allergen control following regulatory reinforcement and high-profile incidents, which have heightened the need for documented training. The changing patterns of dining, including a rise in takeaway and delivery services, have increased demand for staff who can support packaging and food-handling processes outside traditional service periods, notably in so-called ‘dark kitchens’ (professional food preparation facilities that do not have any dine-in or storefront space, which operate exclusively for delivery-only meals).

While automation is present in some parts of large-scale food production, kitchens still rely heavily on human support for a rapid, flexible response to service fluctuations. Ultimately, employers favour candidates who demonstrate basic technical competence, reliability and willingness to work varied shifts over most other attributes.

Salaries for Kitchen Assistants in the UK vary by sector, location and experience. Entry-level roles in smaller catering establishments and some casual dining outlets commonly pay at or slightly above the National Minimum or Living Wage. In larger hotels, contract caterers, and public sector kitchens such as schools and hospitals, pay rates tend to be more competitive and may include additional perks and benefits. Shift premiums apply in many circumstances for evening and weekend work, and overtime may be available during busy trading periods. Pay rates for Kitchen Assistant roles include:

Entry-Level Kitchen Assistant:

Salary: £18,000 – £20,000
Hourly Rate: £12.20 – £12.50

Senior Kitchen Assistant / Prep Cook:

Salary: £24,000 – £28,000
Hourly Rate: £13.25 – £14.50

Commis Chef:

Salary: £26,000 – £30,000
Hourly Rate: £13.00 – £15.00

Kitchen Supervisor:

Salary: £30,000 – £38,000
Hourly Rate: £15.00 – £19.00

Senior Kitchen Assistants or those in specialist environments, for example, in clinical catering or high-volume contract sites, can expect higher hourly rates and clearer progression to line management or cook roles, which increases earning potential. Geographic location is another significant factor: London and the South East commonly offer higher rates to compensate for higher living costs, while rural areas and smaller towns may offer lower base pay but more potential for regular hours.

Other factors that influence pay for Kitchen Assistants include whether a role requires additional responsibilities such as stock control, delivery handling or night-cleaning. Many employers also offer non-pay benefits such as subsidised meals, staff discounts, training support and access to structured catering apprenticeships. Candidates should therefore consider total reward packages rather than base pay alone when assessing the attractiveness of Kitchen Assistant roles.

Career progression paths for Kitchen Assistant roles are well established within hospitality and catering. Entry-level positions often act as stepping stones to more skilled roles such as Commis Chef, Pastry Assistant or Pizza Chef, for example. Promotion is commonly based on a combination of demonstrated practical competence, completion of on-the-job training and achievement of recognised vocational qualifications. For candidates who wish to remain in operational kitchen roles, progression typically follows a path from Kitchen Assistant to Commis, then to Demi Chef and ultimately to Chef de Partie and Sous Chef positions in larger kitchens.

Alternative progression routes for Kitchen Assistants include movement into supervisory and management roles in contract catering, for example, Senior Kitchen Assistant, Kitchen Supervisor or Catering Manager in contracted institutional settings. Securing qualifications in food safety, first aid and leadership all provide a foundation for such transitions.

Other directions include specialisation in areas such as patisserie, butchery or dietary catering, which can lead to roles in bespoke food production units or clinical nutrition services. Non-cooking career routes are available too: experienced Kitchen Assistants may move into procurement, stock control, warehouse roles in food distribution or hospitality-focused customer service management, while apprenticeship routes and employer-sponsored training schemes are commonly used to formalise skills and progress to higher-paid, more responsible roles.

Find out more about how to become a Kitchen Assistant.

Development opportunities for Kitchen Assistants blend mandatory hygiene training with practical on-the-job experience. Basic food hygiene certification at Level 2 is often recommended, and sometimes required for many positions, particularly those that involve direct contact with ready-to-eat food or work in regulated environments such as healthcare. Manual handling, COSHH (the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) awareness for safe chemical use, and basic health and safety induction training are commonly delivered at induction, and employers usually provide specific training on kitchen equipment, dishwashers, portion control and stock rotation procedures.

Apprenticeships in hospitality and catering for Kitchen Assistants provide structured pathways that combine classroom learning with workplace experience and lead to recognised qualifications. Additional beneficial courses that will help Kitchen Assistants to progress their careers include allergen awareness, safer food handling, temperature control training for chilled and hot foods, and customer service basics for catering staff who assist in front-of-house tasks. While not always essential, certificates in first aid, conflict resolution and supervisory modules are also valuable for those seeking progression.

Large employers and contract caterers often have internal training programmes that cover advanced food handling, recipe production and supervisory skills. Keeping records of completed training and expiry dates for mandatory certificates supports compliance for sites that require regular audits. Distinguishing between essential training, such as basic food hygiene, health and safety, and desirable programmes, which cover apprenticeship qualifications and specialist production skills, helps candidates and employers prioritise investment in development.

A Kitchen Assistant CV should be concise, well-structured and focused on relevant practical experience and certifications. It should start with a short professional profile at the top summarising your availability for shifts, prior kitchen exposure, and any immediate certifications, such as Level 2 Food Hygiene, which all help to set a professional tone. Work experience should be listed in order of your most recent roles, with the current job appearing first. Each role should include job title, employer, start and end dates, and a brief list of responsibilities.

Following that is a dedicated certifications and training section, including food hygiene qualifications, manual handling, COSHH and any apprenticeship or hospitality-related training with expiry dates where relevant. Skills may be grouped into technical abilities such as basic food preparation, dishwashing, temperature checks and equipment operation, and soft skills such as teamwork, punctuality and communication. Kitchen Assistants applying for roles should also include common keywords found in job adverts, such as ‘mise en place’, ‘portion control’, ‘allergen aware’ and ‘HACCP’, which all help ensure compatibility with applicant tracking systems.

Quantifiable achievements help your Kitchen Assistant CV stand out. Examples include assisting in achieving audit accuracy improvements, or a consistent record of punctual attendance. Your application should also include references from recent Supervisors or a note that ‘references are available on request’. Presentation should be clean and straightforward, ideally contained on a single page for entry-level candidates, with two pages acceptable if you have extensive experience and multiple certificates.

View our in-depth Kitchen Assistant CV template and tips.

Candidates preparing for Kitchen Assistant interviews should combine readiness to discuss practical routines with evidence of reliability and compliance. Common interview questions for Kitchen Assistants include scenarios such as handling a sudden rush service, recognising and reporting a contamination risk, or the steps taken during handover between shifts. Using short, factual examples that demonstrate your adherence to procedures, safe working practices, and team coordination will illustrate competence.

Practical assessments are common for Kitchen Assistant interviews, and you may be asked to demonstrate basic knife skills, perform a portioning task, or undertake a simulated cleaning and sanitising exercise. You should arrive with original copies of relevant certificates, such as food hygiene and manual handling, and be able to explain shift availability and any previous catering experience, as this streamlines the recruitment process. In addition, demonstrating awareness of allergen procedures, temperature control, and basic HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) principles reassures employers and only adds to your employability.

Your application and CV should be tailored to the specific employer and role, and should vary depending on whether the position is restaurant-based, working for a contract caterer, or an institutional kitchen. Candidates who can discuss their willingness to cover unsociable hours and highlight examples of punctuality and teamwork will stand out to employers. Equally, a punctual arrival, practical clothing, and a professional demeanour will tick many of the required boxes for Kitchen Assistant roles.

Blue Arrow operates as a recruitment partner that connects Kitchen Assistants with temporary, permanent and contract roles across multiple sectors. Recruitment agencies support both employers and candidates by handling compliance checks, facilitating training access and providing localised placement support. For clients, Blue Arrow manages candidate screening, payroll and weekly timesheet management. For Kitchen Assistants, this means faster, more effective support for prompt placement, weekly pay and practical assistance during placement and beyond for future job opportunities and career progression.

Candidates trust us because we listen carefully to understand what they’re looking for, whether that’s flexible hours, experience in new environments, or identifying new opportunities. We take the time to understand what matters most to you.

The process is simple. Visit Blue Arrow’s Kitchen Assistants jobs page to browse current opportunities, filter them by location and level, and apply directly. Whether you are looking for temporary work to gain experience or a permanent position that allows you to grow, Blue Arrow’s consultants can guide you through every step of the process. They can advise on your CV, prepare you for interviews, and ensure you present yourself in the best possible light.

By combining industry knowledge with a nationwide network, we connect individuals to Kitchen Assistant jobs UK-wide that align with their skills, experience and ambitions. With Blue Arrow, finding the right Kitchen Assistant job is not just about filling a role; it’s about building long-term careers and strong warehouse operations teams.