National College for High Speed Rail kitchen porter, David Gadsby has been named the country’s top KP by foodservice provider BaxterStorey.
David, who has worked for the UK’s national college of High Speed Rail in Doncaster for around a year, keeps the kitchen on campus running smoothly as the culinary team serve staff and students every day, was named as the company’s Kitchen Porter of the Year at an awards ceremony in London.
Hannah Garner, operations manager for Baxter Storey at the National College for High Speed Rail said: ‘David is a much loved and respected member of the team, and is fondly known as the ‘happiest man alive’. Our kitchen porters are the most fundamental team member in the kitchen, and David is no exception. He always comes to work with a smile and a proactive attitude, we would be lost without him”.
Despite retiring as a hall porter several years ago, David came out of retirement due to “being bored” and has since offered relief kitchen support across 16 sites for BaxterStorey. The judges were particularly impressed by his professionalism – even at the age of 75 he is always the first to offer his services for additional help during busy periods, and shows no intention of slowing down.
Dave Hawkes, regional managing director at BaxterStorey, added: ‘The Awards showcase the outstanding talent in our business, including the unsung heroes such as David. He is a credit to our company and this award is a real testimony to his teamwork, positivity and dedication.’