Mark Rude, managing partner of the Casper, Wyoming, office for New York Life Insurance Co., recalls meeting Amber Pollock at an event hosted at Backwards Distilling Co. in Casper. She founded the distillery with her sibling Chad Pollock. “I appreciated that it’s a small business that was really doing great,” says Rude. So when it came to hosting a team gathering over Zoom during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rude tapped Pollock for the presentation. “I wanted to support her company, yes, but it was also Amber, the atmosphere, and her presentation [that were impressive].”
Rude rounded out the program with an a cappella group and a virtual chef. “Amber made drink boxes with the spirits and shakers, and we sent it to all the participants ahead of time,” Rude explains. The feedback from the team was “all 10s,” he notes. “Amber’s presence and her explanation of how and why they do the cocktail shaking was such a hit. It was unique for us because we’re trying to build teamwork and culture, and bring us all together.” When the COVID-19 restrictions were initially lifted, Rude and his team met for a follow-up event at Backwards Distilling Co. “It was great because everyone felt they already knew Amber from the Zoom call,” he adds. “They still talk about it.”
In a similar vein, Cookshop owner Meredith Mortensen reflects on the customized classes she offers at her cooking school in Portland, Oregon. “[The classes] enable all levels of cooks to learn, bond as a group, and connect over a hands-on project,” she says. “They get to learn from experienced chef instructors and actually be part of creating the meal.”
Founder and CEO of Hopscotch Collective in Portland, Angie Plitch, agrees, referring to an earlier event she arranged at Cookshop. “[The] beautiful and welcoming space and small-group format provided the perfect setting for team bonding,” she says. The event was organized as part of a previous role she held as a strategic-planning director for Nike Inc. in Beaverton, Oregon, with attendees learning how to make soft pretzels, mustard, beer, and cheese sauce. “It was rare for us to step outside our usual work environment and engage in something completely different,” says Plitch. “My colleagues appreciated the chance to learn new skills while having fun together. They also commented on how welcoming and inclusive the environment was, which made it easy for everyone to relax and enjoy the activity,” she continues. “Our team-building goal was fully realized, and participants shared they felt more connected to one another after the experience.”
Nike Inc. Product Director Katie Ruoff collaborated with Mortensen before “landing on making handmade tacos and eating family-style together, which was perfect,” she says, adding that Cookshop’s Chef Luca Ponti was “professional, approachable, and charismatic.” The team not only gained new insights into cooking but also learned more about their colleagues. “The time spent in breakout teams preparing tacos, followed by dining together and discussing individual contributions, created a meaningful experience,” she says.
For Plitch, special touches that elevated the cooking experience included receiving Mortensen’s detailed instructions of the pretzel-making session, “so we could re-create the experience on our own,” she says. For Ruoff, the team appreciated Mortensen’s “thoughtfulness of catering to food allergies and preferences [and] receiving the recipes for what we made, which was a nice touch,” she notes.
Such food and drink venues offer a particular approach to the event experience. At Waters Edge Winery & Bistro in Kalispell, Montana, owner Angela Zuba says, “We focus on educating guests not just on the wines but also on the sensory experience of wine tasting, including scent and flavor profiling.” Zuba advises planners to “consider the unique aspects of our venue. For example, our tasting room allows for a behind-the-scenes view of our wine production, which adds a memorable element to the event.”
At the Season and Taste Cooking School in Boise, Idaho, chef educator and owner Christina Murray reveals several group options, including fine-dining plated dinners, chef demonstrations, hands-on culinary arts classes, and cooking competitions. “With the cooking competition option, we have created the Tapas Bite Night, aka, ‘Fight Night!’” says Murray. “The host chooses team captains, and then captains alternate while choosing their team. Ingredient trays are hidden from the guests, and the groups create their own flavor profiles. Teams are given rules, timed, and then judged on various components of their dishes.”
In Seattle, Sur La Table offers classes led by culinary experts with a focus on technique and current food trends, notes Kristin Flor Perret, head of brand marketing for the kitchenware retailer. The cooking program here engages participants in interactive classes, such as “knife skills, pasta-making from scratch, or exploring international or vegan cuisines,” Perret adds.
When hosting a team event centered on these culinary classes, the consensus among those who have done so—planners, chefs, and owners of cooking programs—is to start with the end goal of the event in mind, “whether it’s deepening connections, fostering creativity, or simply having fun together,” says Plitch. This ensures groups select a class that can be customized or tailored to their specific needs and expectations. Ruoff advises planners to get input from attendees ahead of time on what food they would be interested in learning to cook. She also recommends that meeting planners consider giving the participants two or three options and letting them pick because, based on her experience, this inspired excitement in her team. With the increased popularity of food and drink team-building events, hosts also recommend planning “one to three months in advance, depending on the time of year,” says Murray.
Ultimately, “it’s about bringing people together through a shared love of good food, great wine, and meaningful conversations,” says Zuba. “Whether it’s a team-building event or special celebration, we ensure each experience is both educational and enjoyable.”
backwardsdistilling.com
portlandcookshop.com
seasonandtaste.com
surlatable.com
wewinerykalispell.com
