With a prize fund worth £12,000, including a special gift for every nominee, the sixth year of the competition will ‘be the biggest ever’.
“Every year we’ve seen the standard of entries rise,” said 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.”
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