Stage (cooking)

Staging is an unpaid internship test when a cook or chef works briefly, for free, (or to gain a position) in another chef's kitchen to learn and be exposed to new techniques and cuisines. The term originates from the French word stagiaire meaning trainee, apprentice or intern. The French term commis is often used interchangeably with the aforementioned terms. The individual completing this activity is referred to as a stage, stagiaire (pronounced 'stazhjer'; IPA: /sta.ʒjɛ:ʁ/), commis (assistant chef) or volontaire ('volunteer'). Staging is an unpaid internship test when a cook or chef works briefly, for free, (or to gain a position) in another chef's kitchen to learn and be exposed to new techniques and cuisines. The term originates from the French word stagiaire meaning trainee, apprentice or intern. The French term commis is often used interchangeably with the aforementioned terms. The individual completing this activity is referred to as a stage, stagiaire (pronounced 'stazhjer'; IPA: /sta.ʒjɛ:ʁ/), commis (assistant chef) or volontaire ('volunteer'). Before the advent of modern culinary schools, young cooks learned their craft as unpaid apprentices in professional restaurant kitchens and bakeries (and other food preparation establishments: pastry shops/patisserie, butcher shops/boucherie, candy shops/confisserie, hotels, etc.) under the guidance of a mentoring chef. This practice has become less common in recent decades.