Is your kitchen hiding a hero?

National KP Day, Winterhalter’s long-running event celebrating kitchen porters, returns this month on Saturday 22nd June.

Putting the spotlight on the all too often overlooked contribution they play in keeping kitchens working at peak efficiency, KP Day is a chance for kitchens from all sectors of foodservice and hospitality to tell the country how much they value their KPs. Past years have seen contributions from a diverse range of locations including five star hotels, clubs, army barracks and many more.

Stephen Kinkead, managing director of Winterhalter UK, a supplier of commercial warewashers, says: “It’s always very inspiring the way the industry responds to KP Day. In so many kitchens KPs are the secret weapon, going above and beyond to support their colleagues, and it’s great to know that so many businesses appreciate how important they are.”

Winterhalter is calling for chippies to join in the day by sharing a picture of their kitchen porter to Instagram or X, formerly Twitter, with @winterhalterUK and adding the hashtag #KPday. Winterhalter will donate £2.50 to Hospitality Action for every photograph received, up to a maximum of £500.

Hospitality Action is a charity that supports people who work, or have worked, in the UK’s hospitality industry and who find themselves in crisis. It provides emergency grants and support for retired workers as well as education for catering students.

“KP day is all about the people who make the hospitality industry,” says Mark Lewis, chief executive of Hospitality Action. “We’re always grateful that Winterhalter organises it, and the money it raises helps us to transform the lives of people who have given so much to the industry but who are facing difficult times.”

As well as raising money for Hospitality Action, each photo received will be uploaded to the KP gallery at kpoftheyear.com.

Winterhalter is also currently searching for the KP of the Year 2024. More information and the nomination form can also be found at www.kpoftheyear.com.