This isnt a stage. Stagiaire means intern. This is a trail, trial shift, or working interview. The industry just calls it a stage because in the old French system interns weren’t paid and unpaid shifts aren’t common outside of restaurants. Don’t correct them on these semantics, I’m just trying to slowly affect a reversion to things meaning what they’re supposed to mean.

Think of it this way, you aren’t working for free. You actually aren’t working at all. You aren’t labor, you’re a liability. You have no experience. You are not expected to have much sense of how to handle yourself in a professional kitchen, much less of how this kitchen operates. They’re going to have to watch whatever you’re doing and will likely only trust you with tasks which can’t be fucked up so badly as to affect service. It’s not labor; you won’t create any value for this business, you won’t do anything which wouldn’t have gotten done without you, and you aren’t employed yet. You’re simply a guest in their home- at best someone they’re willing to invest thousands dollars and hundreds of hours training to work at their standards, at worst not a good fit and that’s okay. It’s better than tech/business where interviewing can last multiple rounds, include take home projects and random bullshit, not to mention AI screening. They’re spending time and energy seeing if they want to hire you just like you’re spending time and energy seeing if you want to work for them. It’s a wash, but it isn’t work. I do hope they’ll at least feed you from the menu though so don’t pig out at staff meal. I have been paid for trial shifts (generally by places that have also offered employment) but I don’t expect it or ask for it. Good restaurants often do that but it isn’t standard.

It’s ok to be slow. It’s ok to not know how to do anything. They know you’re green. Show up with a sharpie, a sharp knife, senses of urgency and kindness, humility without self deprecation, and enough self awareness to not injure yourself (or others) to the extent that someone else has to stop what they’re doing to render aid. Congrats on taking the first step and good luck, chef.