A Stage, a short period of work experience in a professional kitchen, is the best possible way to be exposed to what is happening in different kitchen across the industry and to discover what it is like to work in kitchen across different sectors of catering; from fine-dining restaurants and hotels, to workplace catering, cafes, retail and more. Stages can also provide very experienced chefs with the chance to get an insight into how others work, not only for new culinary inspiration and skills but also to observe kitchen management, team leadership and culture, business practices and much more.
Why take part in a Stage?
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Experience different types of kitchens – no two kitchens are the same when it comes to scale, style, sector, and culture, every kitchen is different. Experiencing different kitchens can help you find the right fit for you, but can also help discover new and better ways of doing things in your own kitchen
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Gain new skills – culinary, business, staff management, operations
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Network – meet other chefs in the environment where you can learn most from each other
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Meet potential mentors/employers
Some Points to note if you're thinking of taking part in a Stage from our list below
- If you make a commitment, stick to it. Your host will be working their schedule to accommodate you, so if you agree a day and time to start, ensure you are there on the correct day and be on time.
- Come prepared.
- Do your research, on the menu and on the restaurant in general.
- Ensure you attend in clean uniform with your knives. Ask the host if they have any specific requirements in this regard.
- Establish a point of contact in the hosting kitchen.
- Be clear on your expectations from the stage and communicate these to the stage host in your initial discussions to ensure they are realistic and deliverable.
- Be patient with your host. They are providing you with a valuable learning experience but still need to attend to the normal running of their kitchen.
- Respect the kitchen crew and the front of house staff.
- Be aware sometimes you may just be observing.
- Observe and respect the rules of the hosting kitchen.
- Stay humble. Respect that you are there to learn.
- Respect the equipment and utensils in the host kitchen.
- If it happens that you have a complaint or an issue within the kitchen, please communicate this as soon as possible to the head chef or your assigned contact.
- Behave in a responsible and safe manner in the kitchen.
- Do not disclose business interests to outside third parties.
After you've completed your stage let us know how it went! Send us an email to info@chefnetwork.ie with feedback on how your experience went or leave a comment on the hosts post so others can see what you learned!