Corporate Teambuilding & Events

What’s happening in the kitchen?

Kitchens, cooking, and great food bring people together. That’s why the Midwest Culinary Institute now offers culinary teambuilding, designed for corporations, agencies, and other organizations seeking to build or mend bridges, strengthen work relationships, innovate, and more.  

This exciting alternative to the tired “ropes courses” and meeting retreats in the woods takes associates out of their comfort zones and into a professional kitchen with a highly skilled culinary expert. The prospect may seem daunting to those with little or no culinary experience, as well as  for those who think they know how to cook. The fear factor soon dissipates as together participants work to achieve culinary—and team—goals.

Who’s in the kitchen?

A typical MCI team-building cooking class consists of a three-hour experience. Up to 20 participants, divided in teams, tie on their aprons and immediately jump into a crash course on using culinary utensils. They then proceed through a well-orchestrated cooking session to innovate by amalgamating their individual tastes and personalities into one unique, successful culinary creation that will be shared with all.

What are the takeaways?

Each team comes away with an extraordinary workday experience, based on what is an ordinary, everyday life experience: cooking and enjoying great food. Participants tell us they experience “a celebration of fun” while building a basis of knowledge for creating dishes at home for friends and family.

Other valuable “deliverables” include:

• Teambuilding without really trying
• Camaraderie built through communication and accomplishment
• The opportunity to experiment and share ideas while bonding with colleagues
• A chance to create and taste interesting, delicious cuisine
• A printed memento of all the dishes created during the day

Plus all participants receive an official Midwest Culinary Institute apron to wear proudly as a symbol of success in the kitchen.

What are the requirements?

While some specific requirements may vary from group to group, the following safety guidelines apply to all:

• All participants should wear closed-toe shoes with low heels (1/2 inch or less).  Rubber soled shoes are suggested to maximize stability on wet or soiled floors.
• Participants should avoid clothing that drapes off the arms or wrists, which may pose a potential hazard around stove tops.
• Remember the maxim "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” To make it more comfortable to remain in the kitchen, participants should  wear light breathable attire or layers (on cold days).

Want to know more?

For more details on MCI culinary teambuilding, as well as a helpful assessment of whether it is right for your group, please contact Ruthann Kanitz  via email or at 513-569-4981. Our culinary team-building experts will customize a program that meets your organization’s objectives on the timeframe that’s best for you.

Midwest Culinary Institute—your entrée to a successful future