Nominations open for KP of the Year 2025

The search is on for the Kitchen Porter (KP) of the Year 2025, the award that recognises the unsung heroes of the professional kitchen.

Entries are encouraged from all sectors of the industry, from school kitchens to Michelin-starred establishments, to celebrate KPs who go above and beyond their role to contribute to the efficient working of their site.

Nominate your KP in this year’s competition.

Organised by The Caterer and launched in partnership with warewasher specialist Winterhalter, the KP of the Year competition has attracted hundreds of entries since its launch in 2013.

Nominations for the 2025 award will close on Friday 29 August.

Ten entries will be selected to make a shortlist, with two of these receiving highly commended status and vouchers to spend on hospitality experiences.

One lucky victorious KP on the shortlist will then win a prize package that includes the coveted KP of the Year trophy, a piece of Winterhalter kit worth up to £10,000 for the winning KP’s employer, £1,000 in vouchers and a celebratory meal with friends and family in a casual dining restaurant of the KP’s choice.

Every KP put forward will receive a KP of the Year bespoke Oliver Hardy apron from Winterhalter UK.

KPs from kitchens including Red Carnation’s the Rubens at the Palace in London and Crathorne Hall in Yorkshire, have won the coveted award throughout the years. 2024’s winner, Marito Pires De Sousa, kitchen porter at Mollie’s Motels, was praised for having an “extraordinary impact” on the 650-cover site in Oxfordshire. 

Trudi Parr, Pires De Sousa’s nominator and head of people and development at Mollie’s, said he is “exceptional”, and that his “infectious positivity” spreads across the team and wider business.

“KPs are often not brought to the forefront and they should be because the kitchen doesn’t function without them. Marito is the best of example of that,” she added.

Regarding his win, Pires De Sousa said: “I’m incredibly happy, thank you so much to Mollie’s for the nomination! Thank you for choosing me to win this award. My family and my entire island [Atauro in East Timor] are so proud of me. It means so much to me.”

Managing director of Winterhalter UK, Stephen Kinkead, who conceived the award idea more than 10 years ago while in a taxi, said: “KP of the Year means a lot to us at Winterhalter and we’re thrilled to be continuing this competition with our friends at The Caterer. Every year the bar gets higher. The last competition was our 10th and reading through all the nominations we couldn’t believe the calibre.

“Not only does KP of the Year give us the opportunity to celebrate the unsung heroes of our industry, we also get to discover the stories behind the wonderful teams they are a part. Last year’s winner was a case in point. Not only was Marito a truly deserving winner, but the entire team at Mollie’s blew us away. This just goes to show that this award isn’t just for the KPs, but the nominating sites too, and the rewards certainly reflect that.”

Click here to nominate your KP in the 2025 competition