Mollie’s Motels’ Marito Pires De Sousa crowned Kitchen Porter of the Year 2024

Marito Pires De Sousa, kitchen porter at Mollie’s Motels, has won the 2024 Kitchen Porter (KP) of the Year competition, organised by The Caterer and warewasher manufacturer Winterhalter UK.

 

Pires De Sousa was praised for having an “extraordinary impact” on the 650-cover site in Oxfordshire. He is instrumental in establishing the flow and procedures that define the kitchen’s efficiency since he joined the business in 2019, when it was founded by Soho House.

 

Not only is he a “beacon of positivity”, he supports all roles at Mollie’s, assisting with maintenance, housekeeping and even volunteering to cover shifts at other sites when needed. Described as the “reliable backbone” of the kitchen, Pires De Sousa often steps in to help the food prep team without being asked and provides feedback on equipment upgrades that could enhance workflow and efficiency.

 

Stephen Kinkead, managing director of Winterhalter UK, was impressed with Mollie’s team and praised Pires De Sousa as a “worthy winner”. He added: “If he enters next year, he might win again! That’s how good he is.”

 

Kinkead said the competition this year was the hardest to judge as the standard of entries was so high: “What would have been a winner years before wouldn’t touch the sides this year. Kitchen porters are worth their weight in gold – they are a chef’s right hand.”

 

Pires De Sousa was overjoyed to win this year’s trophy and said: “I enjoy working to always make everything clean and tidy and I love the team at Mollie’s.” He intends to treat his family with the £1,000 in vouchers that is part of the prize, alongside a celebratory meal in a casual dining restaurant of his choice.

 

Mollie’s also won a piece of Winterhalter kit worth up to £10,000, which Oxfordshire site head chef Gemma Mills said will be reserved for the kitchen porter area as a reward for Pires De Sousa. “He is the hardest worker I’ve ever met,” she said. “He always finds the best way of working, he trains everybody and he takes it upon himself to make sure everything is running smoothly.

 

“He brings so much happiness and if someone’s in need of help he just does it. Marito puts everyone at ease, he always saves the day.”

 

It was Mollie’s head of people and development Trudi Parr who nominated Pires De Sousa for KP of the Year. She said: “He’s exceptional, he makes everybody feel good around the site. When you’ve got someone with such infectious positivity who makes such a difference to your business, you should raise them up. He is such a wonderful guy that I can’t think of anyone more deserving.

 

“KPs are often not brought to the forefront and they should be because the kitchen doesn’t function without them. Marito is the best of example of that.”

 

Mollie’s Oxfordshire’s general manager Stephanie Freeman added: “We’ve got a nice relationship between each department – for example, Marito knows everybody in housekeeping and reception. His win means so much to the whole team.”

 

 

The KP of the Year finalists

This year’s KP of the Year highly commended finalists are: Austin Ottolorin, head kitchen porter, BM Caterers and Leszek Dajnowicz, kitchen porter manager, the Belfry Hotel & Resort. They will receive vouchers to spend on hospitality experiences.

 

The rest of the top 10 comprised:

• Hugh Beaumont, head kitchen porter, Westberry hotel
• Cirilo Bomaba Moche, steward, the Balmoral hotel
• Geoff Goater, kitchen porter, Rick Stein Group
• Sammar Gurung, head kitchen porter, the Bath Priory
• Izaias Pereira De Oliveira, kitchen porter, Gaucho Restaurants
• Richard Plewes, kitchen porter, Cedar Court Hotels
• Jaroslav Semkovych, kitchen porter, the Connaught

The judging panel for the 2024 KP of the Year comprised Paul Mattocks, executive chef, Victory Services Club; Matthew Marshall, executive chef, RAC Club; Dominic Teague, executive chef, One Aldwych Simon Young, founder, Simon Young Culinary Solutions and Stephen Kinkead, managing director, Winterhalter UK. The judging session was chaired by The Caterer’s products and suppliers reporter Clare Nicholls.

 

Every nominated KP received a KP of the Year bespoke Oliver Hardy apron.

 

The competition was founded in 2013, sparked by an idea from Kinkead and Winterhalter marketing development manager Paul Crowley to recognise KPs’ back-breaking work in restaurants, pubs, schools, contract caterers and hotels across the country.

 

Kinkead said: “As KP of the Year grows, it goes from strength to strength. Kitchens are dependent on their KP. One of the Michelin-star chefs who was a judge for the first year of the competition said he would rather have his KP than his senior sous!”

 

Pictured: KP of the Year 2024 Marito Pires De Sousa with Winterhalter UK’s Stephen Kinkead