How to become a kitchen and catering assistant

Official title: Kitchen and catering assistants

Also called: Assistant, Kitchen man, Kitchen hand, Kitchen help, Kitchen maid, Bar assistant, Kitchen staff, Cafe assistant, Food assistant, Shop assistant, Kitchen helper, Kitchen porter

Kitchen and catering assistants assist in the preparation and service of food and beverages in restaurants, cafés and other eating establishments, and perform various cleaning, fetching and carrying tasks.

Main tasks

• Cleans or prepares food for cooks by hand or machine
• Carries meat, vegetables and other foodstuffs from delivery van to storeroom and from storeroom to kitchen
• Cleans and tidies service area, kitchen surfaces, crockery, cutlery, glassware, kitchen utensils and disposes of rubbish
• Prepares and serves beverages and light refreshments, accepts payment and gives change
• Keeps service area well stocked

How to become one

There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in relevant areas are available at levels 1 and 2.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £22,886 a year The middle half earn £18,811 to £26,766.
• About 505,800 people work in this job now, and about 487,100 are projected by 2035. (-3.7%)

Related jobs

• Bar and catering supervisors
• Hospital porters
• Waiters and waitresses
• Bar staff
• Coffee shop workers
• Leisure and theme park attendants

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Questions people ask

How do I become a kitchen and catering assistant?

There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in relevant areas are available at levels 1 and 2.

How much does a kitchen and catering assistant earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £22,886 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £18,811 to £26,766.

Is a kitchen and catering assistant a growing career in the UK?

Employment is projected to fall 4% by 2035, from about 505,800 to about 487,100 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a kitchen and catering assistant?

Usually not. Only 11% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03