Kitchen Porters enjoy hospitality family camaraderie

Earlier this month, their colleagues nominated two remarkable Kitchen Porters (KPs) to be celebrated with a lunch at Galvin at Windows, alongside Peter Avis FIH, Paul Anderson FIH and Denis Sheehan MIH.

The two KPs were, Dennis Frigot, a trainee KP at The Crumbs Project, and Bolly Joof, a KP at Scottish Rugby Hospitality, BT Murrayfield (Elior UK), who on a busy day supervises 15 other KPs.

Peter Avis’ first job in hospitality was as a 17-year-old trainee KP at a restaurant in Miami. When Peter walked through the doors of the restaurant on his first day, the restaurant manager asked him to sit down with him over a cup of coffee and tell him about his life journey to that moment in time. He also explained how important the role of a KP was in ensuring every item at every diner’s table was presented immaculately. How a KP works was a vital part of the wider restaurant team’s goal in delivering the best possible guest experience.

Peter was absolutely inspired by what he had been told and applied it with enthusiasm, sharing his restaurant manager’s aspiration. To this day Peter repeats the same exercise with all new team members. A fact that he shared with Bolly and Dennis.

Another career lesson Peter passed on was the importance of getting out and meeting other people in the industry. Something that he found the Institute of Hospitality was particularly helpful in enabling hi to achieve. So, he was delighted as a Fellow of the Institute to present Dennis and Bolly with their respective Affiliate memberships of the IoH.

Bolly and Dennis were also presented with their Kitchen Porters Club aprons by Paul Anderson FIH, Managing Director of Meiko UK, who are the long-term sponsors of the Kitchen Porters Club.

Trainee KP Dennis Frigot’s nomination came through Ursula Boardman, Head of Centre, The Crumbs Project who accompanied Dennis from Bournemouth on his first ever trip to London. Both were joined by Professor Peter Jones MBE, Chair of The Crumbs Project.

Bolly Joof’s nomination came through Kieran Wight, Head Chef, Scottish Rugby Hospitality, BT Murrayfield (Elior UK), who also accompanied Bolly from Edinburgh to Galvin at Windows. Kieran Wight started his career in hospitality and catering at the tender age of 14 as a KP, and now at still only 24 years of age is Head Chef at one of the UK’s biggest sports caterers.