The Role & Expectations
The job is washing dishes by hand and machine, scrubbing pots and pans, clearing and cleaning surfaces, taking out rubbish and helping with basic prep when needed. Speed, stamina and reliability matter, since the whole kitchen depends on clean equipment coming back fast during a busy service.
The work is hot, wet, on your feet and often includes evenings and weekends, with pay usually around the minimum wage. It can be tiring and repetitive, but it is a genuine way into a kitchen and many chefs started exactly here.
No qualifications are needed and you learn on the job in your first shift. Following basic food hygiene rules is part of the role, and showing willing can lead to kitchen assistant and then chef roles over time.
Daily Responsibilities
- Wash dishes, glasses and cutlery
- Scrub pots, pans and kitchen equipment
- Load and run the dishwashing machine
- Clean surfaces, floors and bins
- Help with basic food prep when asked
- Put clean items back where they belong
- Follow food hygiene and safety rules