One of the most popular team building activities is cooking together. It may sound simple or like an everyday task but cookery is a great way to bond in a relaxed and unpretentious environment. If you’d rather edge towards the pretentious side anyway there are options for you too as we’ve picked out the best team building cooking classes for everyone from expert chefs to the ones of us that think al dente is an Italian dentist practice.
When picking your location you might want to go for something close to the office if it’s just an afternoon team building event you’re looking to organise. If you’d rather branch out we highly recommend exploring the UK and making the cooking a part of a longer retreat. If your team is predominantly working remotely it’s always a good idea to get a couple of days in the calendar when you finally get together.
10 Charming Cookery Classes in the UK
Here they are, our absolute favourites when it comes to immersing yourself in a cooking experience in the UK. After having taken these cooking classes there will be no more meal deals, just jaw-dropping lunchboxes in the office!
1. Enrica Rocca Cookery School
In North Kensington, you’ll find this fantastic opportunity to cook in an 80-square-meter open-plan kitchen. The space has a warm, homely feel to it where the interiors are inspired by Italy and gives the impression of being in someone’s private kitchen while still being luxurious and well-equipped. In fact, this venue is family-run by sisters Charlotte and Claire, who took over after mother Enrica moved back to Venice where she’s now running the sister (or should we say mother?) location. We highly recommend Enrica Rocca’s Pasta Masterclass and the four-hour Italian Feast Cooking Class. Both come with free flow of wine included. Also, make sure you check out the beautiful conservatory that can seat up to 30 people. It will look perfect on the company’s LinkedIn.
Best for Italian cooking
Price ££
Location North Kensington, London
2. Raymond Blanc Cookery School at Belmond Le Manoir
If you’re looking to get out of the city and make a culinary experience a part of your retreat, Raymond Blanc is the top pick for you. You have the opportunity to stay the night here in a beautiful room or suite, all with classic country house charm. Moving on to the most important thing: cooking! The class is three hours where you’ll learn to cook a three-course meal with help from Mark Peregrine who’s been a chef for more than 30 years. All ingredients are fresh and of the highest quality and during the course you’ll get tea and coffee to keep you focused on cooking the best meal of your life. Courses are available for all skill levels so whatever you and the team need, you’ll be sure to find it here.
Best for Learning to cook like a Micheline star chef
Price £££
Location Oxford
3. Bellavita Academy
Another Italian favourite in London – Bellavita Academy is a cookery school in Wapping offering wine tastings, wine and food pairing courses, and Italian cooking classes for all levels. This is a great option if you’re looking for something in South London that keeps really high standards and always provides personal service. The atmosphere is relaxed yet with a real professional kitchen at your service. If you want to just use the kitchen without engaging in a class you can even hire the space as a venue for events, company parties, or just some cooking with coworkers.
Best for Wine tastings and Italian cooking
Price ££
Location Wapping, London
4. Food From 4
Of course, our number four on the list has to be Food From 4! In Ian’s kitchen (on number 4) focus lies on unpretentious vegetarian food that finally puts veggies at the centre of attention. If you and the team are looking for a cookery class that’s simple, straightforward, and with a lot of warmth you’ve found your match in this wonderful cookery class. Why not take this opportunity to stay the night in the area and explore the beautiful surrounding nature too? We think this is a perfect option for startups with a lot of young employees who’s never cooked before but want to learn how to make great veggie meals.
Best for Vegetarian cooking
Price £
Location Chalfont St Peter, Chiltern
5. Bread Ahead
If you and the team have a bit of a sweet tooth this one goes out to you. This London hotspot made a name for itself with its unrivalled doughnut recipe and instead of keeping it secret, they decided to share the knowledge. Learn how to whip up these mouth-watering masterpieces or take one of the other courses here such as the gluten-free workshop or the Scandinavian baking class. This might be the option for you if you feel like a three-course dinner is way too intimidating but still want to try out some new techniques in the kitchen. If you play it right you might spark a new passion, leading to fresh doughnuts with the coffee break on Fridays.
Best for Baking
Price ££
Location Borough Market and Sloan Square, London
6. Dudwell Cookery School
Founded by warm and bubbly Caroline Waldegrave, this course is a four-day retreat with cookery classes framing the experience. Caroline is really the main ingredient here that makes sure everyone feels at home and learns something new. You can even tailor a course here for you and the team to learn a specific new skill in the kitchen or just simply hire the kitchen if you’re in the area looking for some after-work team bonding.
Best for Smaller companies
Price £££
Location Bath, Somerset
7. Plant Academy
If you’re a modern startup there’s really no other place to go as all young teams know the future is plant-based. Plant Academy offer different classes for all levels with the common denominator being that they’re all evolving around vegan cooking. Plant Academy is founded by chef and entrepreneur Laurent Lovatt who’s the mind behind Feed Your Mind Candy. If you have a lot of cool young employees you really won’t want to miss booking this East London gem. Even if you’re not a vegan there’s nothing stopping you from picking this alternative as even carnivores won’t know what hit ‘em after this feast.
Best for Vegan cooking
Price £
Location Hackney, London
8. Sur La Table
We wanted to include an online class and did plenty of research in order to find the best one. Ultimately, the choice was easy as Sur La Table is unlikely to have any components worthy of the name. The best thing about this class is that it’s all live so you can ask questions as you go along. It’s the closest you’ll get to an in-person class while still remaining in the office kitchen. Why not invite your employees over to your own kitchen to properly bond in a relaxed environment? We also recommend doing this class as an activity part of a retreat as you can take it with you anywhere in the world.
Best for Online cooking classes
Price £
Location Online
9. River Cottage
Are you looking for the perfect company cookery retreat? River Cottage is what you should tap into Google Maps! Here you’ll be able to fully submerge yourself in cooking as you’ll be enjoying four full days of classes while staying in a 17th-century farmhouse in Axminster. There are also plenty more options if you’d rather shorten your stay. We do, however, recommend splurging a little and going all the way to get the most out of the experience. All classes are led by professional chefs and you’ll be sure to be in safe hands as you relax and get cooking.
Best for Multiple days of cooking
Price £££
Location Axminster, Devon
10. Cawthorne House
This might be the most wholesome of all the options here and it goes out to all the hipsters of 2015. At Cawthorne House, you’ll be able to stay at the B&B in a beautiful townhouse in North Yorkshire and on the evening of arrival you’ll learn how to make your own sourdough. As you wake up in the morning you’ll make your very own loaf of sourdough bread that you can take home. It’s simply the best use of time as most of the work will be done as you’re sleeping. The accommodation is also gorgeous and in the morning you’ll be served one of the best breakfasts you’ve ever had. Cawthorne House is a great option for smaller teams looking to get away just for a night and have a low-effort cooking activity as part of the experience.
Best for Sourdough
Price ££
Location North Yorkshire
