Role Kitchen Porter

Department/Team Backstage F&B

Hours Working on a shift basis across Monday-Sunday (Monday to Saturday initially, but we may open on Sundays as the operation develops)

Location Backstage, The Old Vic, The Cut, London, SE1 8NB

Salary £ 13.85 per hour, plus Tronc

Responsible to Head Chef

Benefits

• 28 days holiday including bank holidays
• Access to interest free travel schemes including Cycle 2 work and Season Ticket loans after your probation period
• Free therapy from our therapy partner SelfSpace
• Mental health support via our in house Mental Health Champions
• Two complimentary tickets to a preview performance per production
• Pension scheme with The People’s Pension
• Enhanced sick pay
• All staff social events
• Staff discount in Penny and The Old Vic bars as well as discounts in local bars and restaurants
• Opportunities to get involved with staff clubs and working groups such as the Inclusion Working Group
• Commitment to learning, education and development

Backstage

Backstage is a project for the future – a six-storey space for creativity, education and community right next door to our historic building.

Together with award-winning architects Haworth Tompkins, we have built a low-carbon building that includes:

• A welcoming public cafe and workspace during the day, which evolves into a vibrant bar and restaurant at night
• A Clore Learning Centre for our award-winning outreach work
• A Writers’ Room where creatives can work
• A free to use Script Library
• A modern and flexible rehearsal room which can transform into a studio theatre
• An event space and terrace

We believe Backstage creates a stronger Old Vic for the future, providing a welcoming space for our generation and the next.

Within Backstage, the F&B offer is primarily centred around the ground floor and first-floor café and bar space – but also extends to event catering provision and a grab-and-go offer for the theatre.

With an overall capacity of 181 (61 covers) across the two floors, Backstage will be open early until late, six days per week

The daytime artisanal café will serve the very best coffee, coupled with delicious baked goods. A comfortable place where culture meets great coffee in a vibrant and dynamic space.

This same space then seamlessly transitions into an enticing evening bar – a destination. A socially inspired bar/dining offer; celebrating cultural diversity, vibe and buzz in a stylish and comfortable environment coupled with a strong ‘sense of place’ as an intrinsic part of The Old Vic as a whole.

The food offer will be based on conviviality and sharing – built around the concept of small plates.

The Team

The Backstage F&B team is responsible for all Food & Beverage related activity within Backstage and The Old Vic theatre itself. The team includes the Operations Director, Head of Food & Beverage Operations, Deputy Head of Food and Beverage Operations Manager, Head Chef, Sous Chef, Chef de Parties, F&B Duty Managers, Cocktails Bartenders and Waiting Staff.

Role summary

The role of the Kitchen Porter is to support the Kitchen team to ensure that the kitchen remains clean, organised and efficient. The Kitchen Porter will also support the chefs - assisting with basic food preparation tasks and cleanliness and contribute to the overall catering operation supplying food to Backstage, the wider theatre and any events in the building.

Areas of responsibility

Kitchen

• Supporting chefs with basic food preparation – chopping vegetables, making sauces etc.
• Loading and unloading the dishwasher, washing dishes, sanitising surfaces, floors and equipment.
• Disposing of waste and recycling appropriately and ensure bins are kept clean.
• Assisting with deliveries, including unloading and loading stock, ensuring that supplies are properly stored and organised.
• Ensuring equipment and utensils are in good working order and report any faulty equipment to the Head Chef
• Helping with set up and close-down of the kitchen.
• Following all food hygiene and health and safety regulations.

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and the Backstage venue management may, at any time, allocate other tasks which are of a similar nature or level.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Previous experience as a Kitchen Porter is not required. The post holder must be able to demonstrate the following:

Essential

• Ability to work in a faced past environment
• This role will require standing for long periods, and the post holder will need to be physically able to unload and transport delivery of stock from the building to the kitchen
• Availability to work evenings and weekends
• Excellent attention to detail
• Proactive and autonomous in duties
• Highly motivated with a positive and flexible approach to work
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• A proven ability to work as both part of a team and independently

How to Apply

We understand that everyone is different and we want you to apply in whichever way you feel best shows your skills and experience. There are a range of ways that you can apply with us:

• 1. Sending a short video file of yourself (no longer than two minutes in length), detailing your experience, why you are applying for the role and what about working at The Old Vic interests you (have a look at the person specification in the job description).
• 2. Sending a short audio file of yourself (no longer than two minutes in length), detailing your experience, why you are applying for the role and what about working at The Old Vic interests you.
• 3. Completing our application form.
• 4. Uploading your CV and covering letter, explaining why you are interested in the role and working at the Old Vic.

As a Disability Confident employer, The Old Vic has made a commitment that all applicants with disabilities who meet the essential criteria for this job will be invited to interview. However in the event that we have a high volume of applications all of whom meet the criteria and identify as disabled, meaning it is not practicable to interview everyone, we may apply a weighting to the shortlisting criteria, or add an additional shortlisting stage before any interviews take place. In all cases we will take care to ensure that any criteria or weightings do not disadvantage disabled applicants.

All appointments are made subject to satisfactory references and proof of eligibility to work in the UK. 

The Process

The recruitment process for this role will be one stage

• 1st stage in person conversation
• The closing date for this role is 15 September 2025.  Conversations are likely to take place w/c 15 September 2025.

Equal Opportunities

We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of the global majority, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse and disabled candidates.

We may take positive action, in cases where candidates are equally qualified, to increase the employment of under-represented groups at The Old Vic.

In the event that we ask you to attend the theatre for a conversation and you are struggling financially, we may be able to reimburse you for any reasonable travel costs.

We partner with a range of inclusive organisations, to find out more please read our FAQs. 

FAQs

Read our recruitment and selection and equal opportunities FAQs here.