Dishwasher

A dishwasher, or kitchen porter, keeps a kitchen's plates, pots and utensils clean and the workspace tidy so the chefs can keep cooking. It is busy, physical work that is easy to start and suits people who don't mind hard graft and being part of a fast-moving team.

No degree needed for many routesEntry routes with no formal quals

Direct entry route

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Robin · your guide

Curious about being a dishwasher? Here's the honest picture - what you'd really do, what you'd earn, and every way in. No need to decide anything yet.

What you'd actually do

The job is washing dishes by hand and machine, scrubbing pots and pans, clearing and cleaning surfaces, taking out rubbish and helping with basic prep when needed. Speed, stamina and reliability matter, since the whole kitchen depends on clean equipment coming back fast during a busy service.

The work is hot, wet, on your feet and often includes evenings and weekends, with pay usually around the minimum wage. It can be tiring and repetitive, but it is a genuine way into a kitchen and many chefs started exactly here.

No qualifications are needed and you learn on the job in your first shift. Following basic food hygiene rules is part of the role, and showing willing can lead to kitchen assistant and then chef roles over time.

1Wash dishes, glasses and cutlery

2Scrub pots, pans and kitchen equipment

3Load and run the dishwashing machine

4Clean surfaces, floors and bins

5Help with basic food prep when asked

6Put clean items back where they belong

7Follow food hygiene and safety rules