Staging is an unpaid internship test when a

cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * ...

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitc ...

works briefly for free (or to gain a position) in another chef's kitchen to learn and be exposed to new techniques and

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

s. The term originates from the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

word '' stagiaire'' meaning trainee, apprentice or intern. The French term ''

commis A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

'' 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 school A cooking school is an institution devoted to education in the art and science of cooking and food preparation. There are many different types of cooking schools around the world, some devoted to training professional chefs, others aimed at amate ...

s, 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. Staging is similar to trialling in professional kitchens. Trialling is an activity often used to assess the skills and training of a cooking job candidate. The hiring chef might assess the trial cook's adaptive skills in the new kitchen and how they interact with other staff in the restaurant. When a culinary student or cook-in-training is seeking an internship, often the trial is the next step after the interview. A server or waiter can also "stage" in a restaurant for much the same purpose.

References

Further reading