Kitchen Porter

Dobbies Garden Centres Ltd.; Dorchester; Hybrid; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Staff discounts (50% in Restaurants)

Access to Stream

Retail Trust support

Dobbies Academy

Thriving culture

Job summary

Dobbies Garden Centres Ltd is seeking a Kitchen Porter to support our restaurant team across its UK locations. You will help with general kitchen duties, dishwashing and equipment, ensuring meals reach customers on time and to a high standard.

You will work closely with the kitchen team, deepen your knowledge of dietary requirements and food safety, and contribute to a busy, customer‑facing environment. Benefits include generous leave, staff discounts and development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience in food service environments.
• Strong teamwork and communication.
• Understanding of kitchen hygiene and food safety rules.
• Food safety qualification is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Support general kitchen duties and work proactively.
• Assist in maintaining dishwasher operations and equipment availability for smooth restaurant service.
• Ensure meals are prepared and presented to a high standard and on time.
• Learn dietary requirements, allergens and health & safety practices.

Skills

Food service experience

Team player

Communication

Willingness to learn

Hygiene knowledge

Education

Food safety qualification

Job description

Our Kitchen Porters play an essential role in delivering an exceptional customer experience across our Restaurants - delivering tasty food, ensuring food hygiene and maintaining high operational standards.

Responsibilities

• Working proactively and supporting general kitchen duties
• Ensure smooth running of restaurant operations including cleaning, dishwasher operations and equipment availability
• Working alongside the kitchen team to ensure your customers are presented with their meal to a high standard and on time
• Developing your knowledge of dietary requirements, allergens and health & safety

Who we are looking for

• You are passionate about all things food and delivering the best possible experience for our customers
• A team player and confident communicator who is eager to learn new skills and gain new experiences
• Flourish in a busy, fast-paced environment
• Experience of working in food service
• Knowledge and understanding of kitchen health, safety and hygiene rules
• Relevant food safety qualifications would be ideal
• Can demonstrate our values at all times - we're one team, getting better everyday. We bring a smile. We live and breathe gardens. We make it work for our customers.

What we offer

• Generous annual leave entitlement. Use your holidays when you want with limited statutory days off required
• Treat yourself with generous uncapped discount across our stores with 50% off in our Restaurants, 25% off in the Garden Centre and 10% off in our food halls
• Access to Stream – support your financial wellbeing, with ability to access earnings ahead of pay day, save for the future and financial advice
• Access to Retail Trust – seek confidential support, access to a virtual GP, free counselling service and discounted retail rewards with our employee wellbeing platform
• Access to Dobbies Academy – continue your development with our eLearning platform and development programmes
• Thriving culture; the Dobbies team are passionate, diverse and committed to making it work for our customers

About us

At Dobbies, we’re proud to have a history dating back to 1865. We were founded by James Dobbie and are the only garden centre retailer to have stores in every nation across the UK.

Our passion and joy for gardens and plants is what makes us special. In our stores, we showcase this through own brand and branded products,concession partners and services. We champion garden living all-year-round.

Many of our stores feature a restaurant or coffee shop, where customers can enjoy refreshments or meals in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

We offer a calendar of events and experiences that bring people and communities together, and we have a national charity partner that both our colleagues and customers raise money for.

We’re committed to being a great place to work. We’re one team and we encourage our colleagues to be the best version of themselves, every day; to share their wins and celebrate success. Together, we make it work for our customers.