Do you struggle every year to come up with something new to do for your team away day? Particularly if you are split between different offices or some of your team works from home, it can be difficult to find something that will really bring you together. It can be easy to just go for dinner and drinks, after all, there’s nothing that quite gets people talking like a sit-down meal is there? Well, now you can have that experience, mixed with an activity. How? With a cooking class.
It might not be Bake-off, but just look at
how much fun those contestants seem to have, even if there is a disaster. It’s
the same with a cooking class. You don’t have to be Chef Ramsay, and your
instructors definitely won’t be. It’s a class where you can relax, learn, have
a laugh, and hopefully, have a meal at the end of it!
Team Work
Working together as a team during your
cooking class, even if you all have separate dishes, is a major part of the
experience. Those who know what they’re doing will help those that don’t.
Depending on the type of class, you may be in teams of two, all in one group,
or working separately to create an amazing dish that you’ll all enjoy. Cooking
together isn’t always the easiest of things to do, so it teaches your group the
importance of communication, how to transfer knowledge, and how to be
understanding when someone makes a mistake. Timing is always crucial when
cooking, so the team will learn how to respect other deadlines, and to understand
how to stay calm when one curial part takes longer than another.
Learn Something New
Learning a new skill is always fun. Whether
you pride yourself on being good in the kitchen or not, everyone will learn
something from a cooking class. Starting from the basics, you’ll be taught that
cooking really is for everyone. In turn, it can make your team more open to
learning new skills at work. After all, if they can create a meal from scratch,
then the rest of the team can help them to learn that new software programme!
You Won’t Be Talking About Work
One of the best things about a hiring a
cooking class venue in London is that you won’t be talking about work. No one
will have the time to start discussing project deadlines, you’ll all be focused
on the task at hand. This is what makes an away day truly memorable. It’s a
chance to keep the work in the office and spend time with your colleagues doing
something fun. It’s a chance for everyone to unwind and get to know each other
better. People can act very differently when they’re not in an office
environment and when you’re talking about cooking instead of work, new
friendships can easily form.
No Hierarchy
When you attend a cooking class, everyone
is the same. Everyone listens to the instructors, and everyone has their part
to play. Your boss isn’t your boss anymore when you are both peeling potatoes.
Taking away the hierarchy enables new bonds to form that will stay when you
return to the office. You can talk about your lives outside of work and it’s a
chance for all of the team members to be on equal footing – something that
doesn’t happen very often in any corporation.
It Includes Everyone
Let’s face it, a lot of us hate the mention
of a team building exercise. They’re usually either outdoor activities, encourage
competitiveness, or are an excuse to talk about work even more than usual. With
a cooking class, everyone can get involved. From the new intern, to the few
people that have been at the company for 30 years, a cooking class doesn’t
discriminate on age or gender. Everyone will be willing to take part and try
something new as it’s a relaxed and welcoming environment. There are likely
going to be some people that you don’t see very often during your working day.
Whether they are in another office, work part-time, or work remotely, a cooking
class is something that no one is going to be apprehensive about joining.
You Eat Together
What bonds a group of people together more
than eating a meal together? When you’ve made it yourself, it’s even stronger. Being
able to sit down together as a group over the food that you’ve prepared
together is really something special. You’ll all already be nice and relaxed,
and you can take the time to congratulate yourself and each other on a job well
done. Get the conversation flowing and make sure it stays away from all work
topics and you’re sure to have a team building day to remember.
Don’t Forget
When are you having the
cooking class? Are you going for brunch, lunch, or a full evening meal? You
need to make sure you know how much food everyone will be getting before
booking!
Think about allergies. It’s
likely that someone on your team will have an allergy, so make sure you and the
instructors are aware of this in advance.
Don’t stop the party. While
a cooking class is great, you want to continue that feeling on for the rest of
the day/night. Get everyone together and head to the local bar afterwards so
the conversation and goodwill doesn’t stop.
Take a photograph. A group
photo is essential at any team building event!
Cooking classes have really become a
popular team building activity for a range of businesses. No group is too big
or too small, you can find a cooking class venue in London for any size of
group. Just remember that it’s meant to be fun, and while food is a serious
thing, you don’t need to take the day too seriously. A cooking class isn’t a
competition, but a time for everyone to relax and learn a new and exciting
skill together.
You can easily find cooking class venues by using the Canvas search function. Canvas is a venue-finding platform for spaces in London, with the most advanced and detailed search function on the market. Whatever you need to specify for your event, you’ll be able to find it through Canvas. If you’re looking for a cooking class, all you need to do is select “Cooking Class” under “What type of event?” and you’ll have a list of both the venues that offer cooking classes and spaces where you can host your own.
When you’re looking for a cooking class venue in London, it’s useful to know how many guests you would like to invite and what kind of equipment you’ll need. If you’re preparing cooked ingredients, you’ll just need counterspace and utensils. However, if you’ll be cooking fresh ingredients, you’ll need enough hobs, grills or ovens to make sure it all gets cooked. A good way around this is to pair your guests up or get them to work in teams, so you won’t need one stove per person. You can also rotate through different stages of the meal, so only one group is using the hob at any time
If you’re looking to impress your date, look no further than a cooking class in London. You’ll both come away with a new skill, and you’ll be able to impress your partner with your amazing cooking on your next date. Most cooking classes are in small intimate groups, so you can meet other couples as you’re cooking up a storm.
clients to an event or activity to help break the ice. Cooking classes are perfect – you can split into pairs or teams, and if you’re feeling competitive you can organise a blind tasting to see who makes the best meal. If you want to forge new relationships, try breaking up the clients between your team members so everyone works with somebody new. They’ll appreciate the effort – it’s not an event they’ll be forgetting in a hurry!