Noma and other high-end restaurants

[Binky Profile]

OH's nephew visited this weekend. He has a long-time friend who is a chef. We didn't think too much about this but it turns out that he works all the Michelin starred restaurants he can. Nephew says he did a turn at Noma in Copenhagen, wasn't paid and didn't expect to be paid, it was all for the experience. Did a stint at L'Enclume also. Is this how the famous restaurants behave, not paying some of their staff as it's considered 'good experience' and aspiring chefs should be grateful for the chance to work in the kitchen?

[liketocook Profile]

Yes I think so Binky, when DS1 thought being a chef was what he wanted to do as a career and was working as a commis chef, he spent two weeks working under Tom Kitchin over in Edinburgh. Completely unpaid and he had to fund his own accommodation etc. but reckoned it was worth it. He said it was real eye opener and seems to be a rite of passage if you want to get ahead. It did seem to be, as after that he landed a junior sous chef position at a local fairly high end hotel. He didn't have the experience for this but they really rated he done this so gave him a chance on a temporary crontact which within a couple of weeks was made permanent..
Fast forward a few years and he did decide cheffing wasn't for him, did a degree and and masters and is now a statistician!

[Sloe-Gin Profile]

I have a high end chef friend (A Gordon Ramsey scholarship winner several years ago) who does similar 'placements'. French Laundry, Raymond etc.
I never ask about the money aspect, but its hugely aspirational.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

It seems to be quite common to do an unpaid internship in a Michelin star restaurant

Judy Joo got into trouble because she kept claiming she'd worked for Gordon Ramsay (implying she was a chef he favoured) at Hospital Road when in fact she'd done occasional shifts for the experience - and had in fact received quite a lot of training

It depends how it's done - the training and experience Ms Joo got isn't available at a school like Cordon Bleu, and if it were it would cost a lot more than she lost by not being paid (she can afford it anyway, though obviously others can't)

[KeenCook2 Profile]

just came across this article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... -in-demand

[Meganthemog Profile]

A friend of mine has done stints with Marco Pierre White and Albert Roux - she didn't get paid but did it for the experience.

[Binky Profile]

So, it appears to be a well-trodden path. Nephew's friend is happy with the experience and exposure he's had to Michelin starred restaurants and the celebrity chefs. And he's lucky in that his family can support him on the unpaid jaunts.

We started talking about this as nephew was in a holiday cottage with others and the chef. Chef friend did all the cooking (for 11 friends) and said it was a walk in the park in comparison to a restaurant kitchen!

[scullion Profile]

i suppose the unpaid internship is a little like a taster of the old apprenticeship where people would pay to learn a trade. as long as they are learning and happy with that, it's a tried and tested method.
if they aren't learning and just being exploited it's slavery!

[Earthmaiden Profile]

The unpaid internship seems common in many walks of life, not just the restaurant trade. Including those who are already graduates and have thus accrued student loan debt. I suppose in a way it is a privilege and it shows they have determination - but people still need to live. I don't see why they shouldn't be paid a little. Scully mentions paying to do an apprenticeship. Most people I know who have done apprenticeships were paid a small amount.