The organiser of this cooking team building in Phuket was indeed very organised and we had had this event locked into our schedule for many months. So it was nice to finally meet everyone in person and conduct the activity that we had been talking so much about.
It was a highly customised version of our popular Masterchef cooking challenge and was held at Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach for 14 management and strategy consultants. In total, the event lasted 5 hours, which is a pretty long time for a cooking team building. However, the additional activities and challenges that we brought in for this event gave participants plenty to do and it was great to see everyone fully engaged throughout the event.
Set on a stunning wooden deck overlooking the Andaman Sea, the view was outstanding. A great spot for a nice, easygoing shared team experience. It is the atmosphere that makes our cooking team building program so enjoyable. It’s got such a nice feel to it and is one of my personal favourites as a facilitator because I have an opportunity to really get to know the participants and host at a personal level.
The director and his wife were keen cooks at home and were leading the way all day. The care and attention that went into each of their dishes showed on the plate. It was even more impressive that they were vegan and they produced vegetarian and vegan alternatives to some famous and not-so-famous Thai dishes. We supplied tofu, soy protein, vegan fish sauce, and oyster sauce alternatives to allow the Thai flavours to be showcased in a way that was suitable for vegans. It’s always a tough challenge to make tofu flavourful but they surpassed expectations.
The Gen Z participants struggled a little more and they freely admitted that they never cook. But, considering this, they managed admirably. Perhaps less ‘Michelin Star’ and more ‘Michelin Tyre’ though….
It was no surprise to anyone then that the vegan team went on to win. In fact, teams were so impressed that recipes were shared after the event and vegan fish sauce was taken home.