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EspañolA commis chef and a kitchen porter work in the same kitchen, but an application for one role should not be treated as an application for the other. A commis chef is usually an entry-level cooking role within a kitchen team. A kitchen porter role focuses on keeping the kitchen supplied, clean, and ready to operate, although some employers include basic food preparation. Titles and task boundaries vary by workplace, so read the duties in the vacancy rather than relying on the title alone.
The UK National Careers Service describes chef and kitchen assistant/porter roles separately. Those profiles are useful examples of how the work can differ, but they describe UK career information and do not set a universal European job description, qualification, or salary. The actual employer, country, kitchen type, and shift determine what you will be asked to do.
Compare the purpose of each role
A commis chef supports food preparation and cooking while learning the kitchen’s methods, recipes, equipment, and service routines. In the UK careers profile, the National Careers Service lists commis chef among chef titles and describes chefs as preparing, cooking, and presenting food. The profile also notes routes into chef work that can include college courses, apprenticeships, or starting in a kitchen support role and progressing. These are UK examples, not mandatory routes for every vacancy.
A kitchen porter, sometimes called a kitchen assistant, supports the kitchen’s operation through cleaning and practical preparation tasks. The UK National Careers Service profile lists tasks such as washing and peeling food, using kitchen equipment, organizing deliveries, and cleaning equipment and surfaces. An individual employer may split these duties across different roles or assign only some of them.
| Question | Commis chef | Kitchen porter / assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Main contribution | Help prepare and cook dishes as part of a kitchen team | Keep work areas, equipment, and supplies ready for service |
| Typical learning focus | Food preparation, cooking methods, recipes, timing, and station routines | Safe cleaning routines, equipment handling, deliveries, and preparation support |
| Experience to describe | Cooking practice, food preparation, teamwork, following instructions | Cleaning, organization, safe equipment use, reliability, physical teamwork |
| What to verify in the advert | Which section or station, supervision, preparation/cooking tasks, training | Cleaning scope, preparation duties, equipment, shift pattern, who provides instruction |
Use the table as a way to compare vacancy descriptions, not as a promise that every employer assigns these tasks in the same way.
Read the actual duties before applying
Look for verbs. “Prepare,” “cook,” “plate,” and “follow recipes” point toward a cooking-focused role. “Wash,” “clean,” “unload,” “organize,” and “sanitize” suggest porter or kitchen-support work. “Assist” is too broad by itself: find the sentence that explains what you will assist with.
Check whether the role is attached to a particular section, such as breakfast, pastry, or a production kitchen. Ask how much of the shift is food preparation versus cleaning or stock support. If the advert lists tasks that seem broader than the title, clarify what a normal shift involves and who will supervise you. A small restaurant, hotel, catering operation, and institutional kitchen may organize work differently.
Also check practical details the employer controls: start and finish times, weekend or split shifts, uniform and footwear, equipment training, language used for instructions, and how breaks work. Do not infer an entitlement or legal term from another country’s job advert. When considering a role abroad, confirm the employing entity, work location, contract terms, and your own work permission with appropriate official sources for that country.
Match your evidence to the role
You do not need to claim experience you do not have. For a commis chef application, use a specific example of preparing food, following a recipe or instruction, keeping a workstation organized, or coordinating timing with others. If the experience came from a course, home cooking, volunteering, or another job, identify the setting honestly and explain what you personally did.
For a porter or assistant application, examples may come from cleaning, stock handling, deliveries, dishwashing, or work that required steady attention to safety and order. Explain how you kept to a routine, handled equipment carefully, and communicated when supplies or instructions were unclear. Avoid presenting general “hard-working” claims without one concrete example.
If you have not worked in a professional kitchen, say so directly and emphasize relevant practice and willingness to learn. Read any stated experience requirement carefully. A requirement in one vacancy belongs to that employer’s selection criteria; it is not a universal entry rule for the occupation.
For either role, adapt your CV to the advert’s actual requirements. The hospitality CV guide can help you structure relevant experience. If your goal is to build toward cooking work, the kitchen career-path guide explains the usual progression between kitchen roles. These resources provide general guidance; the employer’s current advert controls what to submit.
Questions to ask before accepting an interview
Use this checklist to turn a vague role description into details you can compare:
- Which tasks take most of a typical shift, and which are occasional?
- For a commis role, will I prepare and cook food? Which section or dishes will I support?
- For a porter role, are food-preparation tasks included, and what cleaning areas are assigned?
- Who shows new starters how to use equipment and follow the kitchen’s safety procedures?
- What are the expected shift times, including weekends or late finishes?
- What uniform, footwear, or tools should I bring, and what does the employer provide?
- What training or progression is available, if any, and how is it arranged?
- What contract, pay, breaks, and work-permission details should I verify for this specific country?
These are questions for the employer, not assumptions about every kitchen. If an answer affects your ability to do the job or travel, get the details in writing before making commitments. Do not pay a third party to secure a job based solely on a vacancy or a promise of guaranteed placement.
Choose the role that fits the work you want to learn
If you want your day to center on preparing and cooking dishes, a commis vacancy may be the closer match—but only if its duties confirm that. If you prefer a support role focused on readiness, cleaning, equipment, and supplies, a kitchen porter vacancy may fit better. Some positions combine parts of both.
Compare two or three real adverts by copying their task lists into a simple matrix. Mark each task “core,” “occasional,” or “not stated,” then write down what remains unclear. This small exercise helps you choose a role based on the work, not just a familiar title. Browse hospitality jobs and follow each employer’s application instructions; applying through an external link does not mean the directory has received your application.
The UK National Careers Service pages for chef and kitchen assistant provide country-labelled examples of career information and task descriptions. Use them as reference points, then rely on the specific employer advert and local official guidance for the job you are considering.