Warewashing specialist Winterhalter has launched its sixth annual contest to find the best kitchen porter in the UK. Since beginning in 2013, KP of the Year has become a popular fixture in the foodservice calendar, as businesses join in celebrating the work of these too often unsung heroes of the industry.
With a prize fund worth £12,000, including a special gift for every nominee, the sixth year of the competition is set to be the biggest ever. And as sugar is the gift for a sixth wedding anniversary, 2019 is the perfect year to show your KP some love and maybe sweeten the deal with some great prizes too.
“Every year we’ve seen the standard of entries rise,” says Stephen Kinkead, managing director of Winterhalter UK. “More companies want to celebrate the extraordinary work their KPs do. We’re really proud of the way everyone comes together to support KP of the Year, it’s good to see the industry acknowledging the people that so often get overlooked and recognising their contribution.”
Seeing that other companies have started similar competitions is very flattering, and something to be encouraged as KPs and the work they do have been overlooked for too long
The winner receives a trophy, £1,000 cash, and a celebratory dinner for family and friends. They also win a brand new Winterhalter for their work place, worth up to £8,000. Two runners up receive cash prizes and every entrant gets a special KP of the Year apron, in a presentation tin, created by Oliver Hardy.
Last year’s winner was Aleks Riitmaa of the Crathorne Hall Hotel in North Yorkshire. He was nominated by Alan Robinson, the hotel’s executive head chef, who said “Aleks is thoughtful, generous, does the most thorough job and makes the whole team smile.”
Stephen Kinkead added, “Father Riitmaas, as his colleagues affectionately call him, was a standout entrant in a particularly strong year. We can’t wait to meet this year’s great kitchen porters, and the next KP of the Year!”
To find out more and to nominate your kitchen porter for KP of the Year 2019, visit www.kpoftheyear.com
Winterhalter provides a total solution for warewashing, from pre-sales advice to after-sales service, training and maintenance. Alongside its market-leading dish and glasswashers, the company’s range includes utensil washers, advanced water treatment machines, cleaning chemicals and detergents. For further details, call Winterhalter on 01908 359000, see www.winterhalter.co.uk, or www.winterhalter-scout.biz or email info@winterhalter.co.uk.
