Why Buba Bozhidara is in the running for Winterhalter KP of the Year
At Aberdeen Football Club, kitchen porter Buba Bozhidara has transformed the back-of-house operation across five match-day kitchens in just two years, earning her a place in the top 10 for Winterhalter Kitchen Porter of the Year 2026.
Buba joined the BaxterStorey catering team at Pittodrie Stadium in October 2024, starting part time before going full time six months later. According to general manager Kim MacDonald, the difference was felt almost immediately.
Kim said: "Before Buba came on board, we really struggled with cleanliness and keeping the kitchens tidy to standard. And then Buba came in and just completely transformed it. I don't really have to think about it, because I just know that she's going to get it done."
Nominated by Jo Flood of BaxterStorey, with help from Kim, Buba is now one of ten kitchen porters shortlisted for this year's award, and The Staff Canteen's latest KP of the Month.
Why she was nominated
Buba had already been put forward for BaxterStorey's own People Awards, and that was enough for Jo to suggest going one step further.
"Buba has been a gamechanger for the catering operation at Aberdeen Football Club," Jo wrote in the nomination. "Since joining the team in October 2024, she has transformed standards across the entire back-of-house operation through her dedication, work ethic and pride in doing every job exceptionally well."
It's not only the team that has noticed. The nomination points out that the client has commented on several occasions that they have never seen the kitchen and back-of-house areas so clean, organised and well maintained.
Kim said: "The client is always honest with his feedback, whether it's to suggest improvements or recognise great work. He's been full of praise for Buba and has even joked about trying to poach her, but that's not happening!"
"Organised chaos"
Match days at Pittodrie are a world away from a small independent restaurant. The team delivers catering and hospitality to between 9,000 and 18,500 supporters within a 90-minute match window, across hospitality lounges, retail kiosks and premium event spaces.
Kim said: "For me, the best way I can describe it is organised chaos. There are five different kitchens going on at the same time, and ten to 12 lounges, and then we've got the kiosks out the front as well. So it's a well-oiled machine."
As part of the core team, Buba supports and maintains all five kitchens across the stadium: Level 2, Level 3, Captains, 1983 and the new lounge. On match days, the Level 3 kitchen alone can serve up to 360 covers with no dishwasher capacity, meaning many of the pots, pans, trays and pieces of heavily used cookware are washed by hand.
Much of what makes it work happens before a ball is kicked: checking every kitchen has its blue roll and utensils, counting out plates, making sure the machines are clean and stocked with chemicals, and getting everything ready for service.
"It's in the preparation," Kim said, "but match days is definitely organised chaos."
Buba is honest about the pressure.
She said: "Sometimes it's stressful, because we're working in two, three different kitchens and we have many different levels. So that is a little bit stressful, but we're not complaining, because we manage everything."
It's the buzz of a big day she enjoys most.
"I like it when so many staff come here and I meet different people, different levels, chefs," she said. "That's a very nice moment for us, because we have many jokes with them as well."
For Jo, the scale of the location is worth underlining.
She said: "We have 700-plus locations at BaxterStorey, and Aberdeen Football Club, the size of them is mammoth, and it's so fast-paced, very different to what we usually do. The team works so hard there to keep up with the demand."
If something needs doing, she'll do it
Buba has earned the trust of the wider management team, taking on extra responsibilities to support the head chef, including checking date labels, monitoring fridge compliance and supporting kitchen checks.
She also helps out well beyond the KP section.
Buba said: "I'm helping a lot with the preps before match days, and sometimes I'm doing deliveries together with my sous chefs. When I'm not busy in the kitchen, I have time to help in the restaurants as well, with tables, chairs, cleaning sometimes."
Kim said: "She just jumps on and gets it done. That's why we love her. The beer delivery came in the other day and there you see Buba just rolling the kegs through and helping the guys. That's just the level that she's at."
One match day in particular stands out. With BaxterStorey as event sponsor and service under pressure, Buba noticed the chefs were struggling to keep up and stepped in to help prepare and plate sauces, even though it meant falling behind on her own workload.
Kim said: "She is a great saucier!"
Jo wrote: "She put the needs of the operation first, helping the team keep service on track and ensuring guests received the experience expected."
Kim has a favourite story that sums up her approach. Another location borrowed some equipment, which was left by the back door ready for collection.
Kim said: "It was gone and away and packed away again before they could even come and collect it."
"A silent assassin"
Ask Kim to describe Buba and she doesn't hesitate.
She said: "I always go back to, she's kind of a silent assassin. She's quite quiet, but gets the job done. But also not shy to say to somebody if the standards aren't right. I do laugh sometimes when she asks the team, 'Why did you put that there?' I don't get involved. I just let her do it, because I just know that they're just going to go, 'Okay, sorry,' and get on with it."
The nomination describes her as quietly determined, humble and incredibly hardworking, a calm and steady presence even during the busiest services.
"Her positive attitude and strong work ethic are infectious, inspiring those around her to take the same pride in their work," Jo wrote.
For Kim, that reliability is what matters most.
She said: "Of course we go around and check things, but I just know 99 percent of the time it just gets done, and it makes my job, it also makes the head chef's job, a lot easier, so he can concentrate on the things that he needs to do and not have to run around and check on everything. She just gets on with it. So it's massively appreciated."
Buba's hours reflect the rhythm of a football club. She usually works 8am to 4pm during the week, with match days running to around ten hours, and when the fixtures stack up, six-day stretches with time given back afterwards.
Life in Scotland
Originally from Bulgaria, Buba has lived in Scotland for ten years, all of them in Aberdeen. Away from work, she heads out with her son to the rivers and forests when the weather allows, and travels around Scotland's cities with her husband.
The stadium might sit right by the beach, but that's not much of a draw. "It's too cold," she said.
And football? "Before, sometimes I was watching, but I'm not really a big fan," she admitted, though she'll catch a game now and then in the kitchen.
What it means
For someone who has never gone looking for praise, the shortlisting came as a surprise.
Buba said: "When I saw the nomination, it was a little bit of a surprise for me, but it's amazing for me. I'm happy, because they see my hard work. That's enough for me."
The winner of Winterhalter Kitchen Porter of the Year 2026, along with three highly commended KPs, will be announced in the coming weeks.
The overall winner receives a trophy, £1,500 in vouchers and a celebratory meal, while their employer receives a Winterhalter dishwasher worth up to £10,000.
As Jo put it in the nomination: "Her hard work often happens behind the scenes, but the impact she has on the team, the kitchens and the overall customer experience is impossible to miss."
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