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Business Events and Team Building At Otaokitchen
Business Events and Team Building At Otaokitchen
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Cooking is naturally the perfect way to entertain your guests while having a great time exploring unforgettable regional foods. Otao kitchen has experience in hosting numerous types of events such as Christmas party, team building, corporate hospitality and client events. 
Regular business events and team buildings are essential to maintain good relationships within your group and perhaps  to facilitate the integration of new hires. There are many activities designed to strengthen the bond between your members. So what types of team building are there? And which one should you choose for your team?

Skill-based team building with our master classes

If you feel like you team should work on improving a particular skill, then this is the type of activity you need - you can try our Master Classes. These amazing experience can transport your team from Japan to Spain and around the globe with 16 menus to choose from. The classes are 2-3 hour length activity that are specifically designed to teach cooking skills and around the world food cultures. In this class, you will explore leadership, conflict management and negotiation.
Teams will learn step by step of each recipe with a chef. It is great for your group spending time together to cook while connect with others in small conversations and stories. The group will then finish the prep, clean up and get ready to cook the first course. The chef will serve local wine and beers then they will demo and supervise the cooking of the first course. Your team will eat what the dish they cook. Then, they start to cook the remaining dishes and enjoy their creations. This is our most popular format as people like the hands on aspect of cooking and willing to take things slower.
FEATURES
  • Master classes 2-3 hours with expert chef to facility group cooking activity
  • With 16 menus to choose and we cater to most dietary requests
  • Suit every cooking level and in door experience
  • Can include friendly competitive pressure on the teams
  • Price from $179pp for group 10-32 people with all foods and drinks 
  • Group bigger than 40 guests will be divided into smaller parties 
  • Contact us for a date and time

Networking with our social cooking party

Sometimes, all you need to improve working relationships is to spend some time with your colleagues in a relaxed environment. This type of team building activity doesn’t focus on developing a particular skill, but simply provides an occasion for your team members to engage in casual conversation and get to know each other better. Team bonding is easy to organise and a relatively inexpensive way to reinforce the bonds within your team, so don’t hesitate to use it to get the best out of your team members.
This is why taking your team to a cooking class can be an excellent idea. If your group members want to party a little and do catch up, then they can enjoy our Social Cooking Party are designed with streamline cooking less or no prep. Your guests can go in to make and cook, just having great food and fun. This way we can cater to many dietary requirement and levels of cooking. We can cater from 20-150 people.
FEATURES
  • The ultimate organic way of building the relationship and connecting to people from 10-150 people
  • Cooking experience with your own chef or chefs with fundamentals of fresh ingredients and flavours
  • Prepare a range of quick, healthy and authentic Asian recipes with cooking tips, tricks, and techniques
  • Refreshment drinks throughout the class with many dishes to try with complimentary 2 glasses of wine and beer - extra can be accommodated -no BYO.  
  • We will get you exclusive use of our venue, indoor and outdoor function spaces available depending on your budget.

Activity-based team building

Competitive Cooking Challenges are perfect for corporate team building, hens' and buck parties, family fun cooking days, our competitive cooking events are designed to inspire creativity and a little friendly competition. Our challenges are based on the popular TV series is a timed culinary challenge to see who can stand the heat of the kitchen.
Your group will be divided into teams, and each team will work under the guidance of a professional chef to create a meal that will be judged. An Otaokitchen judge will sample the finished products and determine the winning team based on taste, presentation and creative use of the ingredients. We have these formats for your team: Food Truck Cooking, Amazing Race, MasterChef and Team Olympics.
FEATURES
  • A fully interactive cooking session, everyone cooks together. 
  • Friendly competitive pressure on the teams
  • Explore fundamentals of cooking ingredients, spices and flavour profile
  • Listen to cooking tips and tricks and recreate the dishes at home with online recipes
  • Flexible with timing from 2 + hours for 6-60 people

Value-based team building

Value-based team building consists in all team members participating together in a charitable activity. This type of activity provides an opportunity for everyone to show their teammates the best sides of their character. Working together to give back to the community is a particularly memorable experiences to share with your team members. And not only will it strengthen the bonds within your team, but it will also increase employee engagement. Indeed, employees are more likely to care about a company that includes human values in its policy and acts on them. Value-based activities include, for instance, helping r, or running a food drive and donating the profits to a charity of your choice.

FEATURES

  • A fully interactive cooking session, everyone cooks together. 
  • Each group will make enough food to feed 15-20 meals or people
  • Can include friendly competitive pressure on the teams
  • Explore fundamentals of cooking ingredients, spices and flavour profile
  • Create a delicious meal to your palette then enjoy a homemade meal with complimentary beer and wine
  • Chef led so there are no cooking disasters

 

Contact us for your next team building or corporate event.

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Want to stay in Richmond & Abbotsford?
Want to stay in Richmond & Abbotsford?
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If you are looking for place to stay in North Richmond and Abbotsford. Read here.

PULLMAN MELBOURNE ON THE PARK HOTEL PACKAGES

192 Wellington Parade,Melbourne VIC 3002 Australia Phone: +61 3 9419 2000

Website: https://www.pullmanonthepark.com.au/

Pullman Melbourne On The Park blends fresh, upscale style with five-star amenities and service to create a chic yet comfortable oasis in the heart of Melbourne CBD. Keep visiting this page for latest specials and offers.

Pullman Melbourne on the Park’s streamlined, contemporary rooms provide a haven from the bustle of the city after a day of exploration, events or networking. Every room offers views of the city, the MCG and the treetops of nearby Fitzroy Gardens from an elegant space in a soothing neutral palette. The view can even be enjoyed from your bath or walk-in rain shower – or you can change the bathroom’s Switchable Privacy glass walls from clear to prettily opaque with a touch. Relax on a chaise lounge or from a separate living area, or take advantage of room service and your room’s dining table for two. The top-most floors include access to the Level 18 Club Lounge and your room’s own Nespresso machine.


AMORA HOTEL RIVERWALK MELBOURNE

649 Bridge Road, Richmond, Victoria 3121

Tel. 03 9246 1200 

Website https://www.amorahotels.com/amora-hotel-riverwalk-melbourne/

A picturesque setting overlooking the Yarra River sets the tone for this stylish boutique hotel. Built around a spacious central courtyard Amora Hotel Riverwalk Melbourne takes full advantage of its charming park and river environs. The Hotel is ideally located within the popular Bridge Road shopping precinct and only 4 kms from the Melbourne CBD. The hotel has 111 spacious accommodation rooms and 7 conference rooms. The restaurant is open for breakfast lunch and dinner. The bar offers a light snack menu and selection of drinks. This newly renovated 4.5 star hotel is only 6 minutes from Otao kitchen. Ask the hotel for 5% discount for Otao kitchen customers, members and followers.

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QUEST ABBOTSFORD

611 Victoria St, Abbotsford Victoria 3067

Tel. 03 9426 1800

Website https://www.questapartments.com.au/properties/vic/abbotsford/quest-abbotsford/overview

Quest Abbotsford serviced apartment style hotel rooms offer guests a relaxed and comfortable Melbourne accommodation experience perfect for short or long stays. Quest Abbotsford is located within walking distance of the Little Saigon Restaurant Precinct, minutes from Abbotsford Convent Arts Precinct, Collingwood Children's Farm and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 

Abbotsford has a mix of industrial architecture and green spaces, and is popular with both families and creative types. Converted factories, hip cafes and cool bars line Johnston Street, while Abbotsford Convent hosts artsy workshops and is home to markets, cafes and artists’ studios. Families feed the animals at Collingwood Children’s Farm, and rent boats from the Edwardian boathouse in nearby Fairfield.

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Parking in North Richmond & South Abbotsford?
Parking in North Richmond & South Abbotsford?
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North Richmond & Abbotsford Victoria is a vibrant inner-suburb of Melbourne, just 3km outside the Melbourne CBD. There’s plenty to do in North Richmond & Abbotsford, but it’s most famous for its shopping, eating and drinking, watching spots from Melbourne Cricket Ground, the largest sports stadium in the southern hemisphere. North Richmond & Abbotsford is well served by public transport. Having a plan for parking in North Richmond & Abbotsford will make your life a lot easier. There are lots of options for cheap parking in Richmond, but as the closest suburb to the MCG it’s crowded when there’s a big game on with over 100,000 people.

The best way to get to here is via train or tram, with lots of route choices. You can get to Richmond’s train station from Flinders Street Station in the CBD, with a travel time of about 10 minutes. Tram numbers 70, 109, 48 and 75 will also get you from the city into various parts of North Richmond/Abbotsford.

There’s limited street parking in North Richmond & Abbotsford, if you want to try your luck. Most street parking is timed, and some spaces are reserved for local permit holders. Your best bet is to look on side streets away from the busier areas such as Bridge Road, Victoria Street, Swan Street or Church Street – but always pay attention to the signage. Remember parking will be harder to find in peak times or where there are events on so leave lots of time to look for a spot.

If you’re looking for a park near Bridge Road, you can’t beat Richmond Traders. This car park is accessed from 261 Bridge Road and offers easy access to shopping on the main strip. It operates from 6.00am to midnight each day and you can pay for parking with cash or credit card. This is being upgraded till 2021. 

Victoria Gardens is a shopping centre on the corner of Victoria and Burnley Streets or connecting with Bridge Road East End Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre car park gives you access to one of the major shopping hubs in Richmond – with supermarkets, cinemas, and food retailers close at hand. This is some of the cheapest parking in Richmond if you’re parking for just a few hours, but stay over 6 hours and parking gets expensive.

If you’re heading to Church Street for a short-stay, you could consider Church Street Car Park. This car park is open 24 hours a day but has a maximum parking time of 2 hours most of the time. The only times with no maximum parking time are before 6am and after 8pm on Saturday and Sunday.

If you're heading to Victoria street you could consider the Hive shopping car park. This carpark is open to serve aldi and woolworth supermarkets and other shops. The first hour is free then you will pay $4 per hour after. The Victoria street parking is about $2 per hour.

If you need to visit Epworth Hospital on Bridge Road, there’s limited undercover parking available. Hospital parking is filling up quickly and never cheap, but it’s an easy option when you really need to be there. The car park entrance is on Bridge Road. 

Located off Bridge Road and close to Epworth Hospital, Allowah Terrace Car Park is operated by Ace Parking and is both convenient and cheap. This car park is open 24/7 and has no height restrictions. It’s also just a short stroll away from the MCG, so it’s a great spot for game day parking or night time events at the stadium. Just get there early!

This one isn’t a car parking location, but an app to help you find one. PayStay is a convenient way to search for available on and off-street parking spaces, and to use cashless payments too. 

When using the app, you’ll be able to check it for parking availability in an area. It will show parking availability as low, medium, or high, so you’ll know just where you need to go. Once you have a spot you can use the app to pay for parking and to set reminders to let you know when your parking session is about to expire. It’s super useful!

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Team Bonding Process is Simple and Transparent
Team Bonding Process is Simple and Transparent
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Tired of struggling with too many details that go into any team building activity such as learning, togetherness or having fun? Otao kitchen's team bonding is built to handle all those details and more. Whether your next event is virtual, in-person or a combination of both, we’ll make sure it runs smoothly from start to finish. 

Our chefs and event managers love what they do. These are people who understand both the art of team building cooking. Their genuine enthusiasm is infectious. They have the ability to inspire and engage, while fostering positive, authentic connections that will last long after your event is over.

  • Selection. We have a dozen of cooking themes for you to cook, entertain, share and celebrate. Contact us helps you select a program to fit your goals, budget and calendar perfectly.
  • Customising. There’s real power in strategically customising a team and work party event to fit with the business culture, staff inspiration and goal of your team event.
  • Booking and planning. Your chef and host  organises event details for you so you can enjoy the event as well.
  • Event Day! Your chef and host deliver the cooking event, engage your team, achieve your goals, and wrap things up with a strategic debrief.

Where We Do Team Bonding

We have a brand new 200m2 cooking studio in Abbotsford, Melbourne - just 3km from Melbourne CBD or virtually online. Otao kitchen’s greatest strength is that you join us in our kitchen so you can experience the real cooking. Many of our programs can be done at your office. Other times a nearby venue makes more sense. We’ve staged successful events at countless hotels, restaurants, convention centers, and theme parks across the globe.

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A Guide to Team Building Activities in Melbourne
A Guide to Team Building Activities in Melbourne
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For a Melbourne team to work effectively, it needs team players that communicate, support and collaborate with each other. While you can foster these qualities with time, it’s rare to find a team that work well together at the start. Collaboration has to be developed through group activities. 

If you’re looking up activities for team building, Melbourne team activities are packed with events and classes that will transform your team into a cohesive unit. Fun group activities in Melbourne offers include cooking classes, painting classes, and escape rooms. Your employees will develop friendships, create memories, and build trust, translating to productive, effective work units. 

This page covers why you should invest in team-building and lists some of the best team building activities in Melbourne has available to help you get started.

Importance of Team Building Cooking Activities

Team building cooking aims to create a fun and exciting environment where employees can interact while learning new skills. Throughout the cooking activity, they will learn about their strengths and weaknesses and develop the skills to work in harmony with each other. However, it would be best if your company didn’t rely on one-off corporate cooking events. Otao Kitchen hosts many cooking activities that allow your team to challenge themselves and build skills that will transfer to the workplace. 

Group Cooking Classes in Melbourne

A group cooking class is the perfect team outing. Melbourne is filled with foodies, so connecting your teammates with local chefs makes for a fun and exciting social kitchen escapade. 

You can stand beside your co-workers as you learn how to slice and dice and then celebrate the achievement with a delicious meal. Whether you’re looking for corporate summer outings or a more intimate setting, you can find new kitchen studio at Otao Kitchen for your employees to build trust and cooperation. Through group cooking classes, your team will:

  • Bonding
  • Creativity
  • Cooking 

Virtual Classes for Team Building

As the world continually adapts to the “new normal,” remote work has become commonplace. While some may love being able to roll out of bed and have their office a few feet away, remote workers lose out on the relationships typically built through in-person communication. 

One way to alleviate this burden is through online group activities. If you’re setting up team building activities, Sydney or Melbourne doesn’t have to be the stage. You can perform these games from the comfort of your own home while still benefiting from the much-needed social interaction.

Corporate Group Outings in Melbourne

Corporate team-building exercises don’t have to be a nuisance. With a little planning and the right atmosphere, you can organise an activity that boosts morale while building camaraderie. 

If you’re trying to find the most memorable team building activities, Melbourne cooking school Otao Kitchen can deliver, nothing beats a group cooking course—and you can host online group activities. Otao Kitchen has a variety of classes that can appeal to any palate. Contact us today to book group cooking classes for your company.

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Best Team Building Activities To Do While On Conference Calls
Best Team Building Activities To Do While On Conference Calls
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Corporate teams around the work have embraced remote work and find a new way to collaborate. Team building is an important part of collaboration and bonding. Team building efforts are most effective when done regularly, and result in a caring and connected team. 

When it comes to remote working with teams, virtual team building is especially important. Since the intention to communicate and collaborate needs to be at the forefront of all remote initiatives, making sure that your team feels emotionally connected is a good place to start. 

REMOTE TEAM BUILDING AND BONDING

Speaking to your team member in person is easier when in person as you can give your attention, pick up on nonverbal cues, and build rapport via shared experiences.

However, choosing to get together in person as one team does come with some challenge. Assuming it’s safe to travel, airfare and accommodations can be pricey, and each flight will add about 0.5 metric tons of CO2 to your carbon footprint. 

Selecting remote meetings helps fill in the communication gaps during those technologically-challenging moments. Let's look at some icebreakers and quick virtual activities to help your team kick-off your next conference call on the same page.

The key here is to make team catch up with consistent, rather than a random bonding exercise. In the long run, your team will become more familiar with the idea of opening up to other team members through some fun virtual activities like cooking. 

Here are some quick and ongoing team building activities to implement in your team conference calls to keep work moving forward in a collaborative and connected light.

THE HAPPY HOUR TEAM BUILDING 

We will be cultivating a fun and imaginative atmosphere, making delicious food and drinks to share in this virtual team-building ‘happy hour’ demonstration class. Through an approachable back-to-the-basics style of cooking and hospitality, we empower people to connect and develop as a group. Our chef instructors have structured a fun, engaging, and interactive program using food and beverages as a vehicle for inspiring deeper connections. We provide a variety of food-based experiences like home cook-offs, cocktail workshops, cooking classes, contests, and challenges. You can choose any of the menu themes below.

ONLINE COOKING CLASSES 

In this online cooking class, your team members can cook, connect and celebrate together. This virtual cooking event can be hosted by our chef in Melbourne to the comfort of the participants' kitchen anywhere via Zoom. You choose the menu, we may change a little to reflect the timing and send you a list of ingredients, so your members can include them in their normal shopping. Our menu below has been customised to use your local supermarkets (Australia - Coles, and Woolworth) or (New Zealand - New World, Countdown).   We can modify recipes and ingredients to suit any dietary requirements. The virtual cooking events can range in duration from 1 to 2 hours and are for a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 40 Zoom connections. All you need is a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone, a functioning kitchen, and a few pantry basics. Check the ingredient list before booking classes in Dumpling MakingStreet Food AsiaVietnameseThaiChineseIndianIndonesianJapaneseKorean or Vegan 

ONLINE COOKING CLASS  WITH A MAGIC BOX OF INGREDIENTS DELIVERED AUS WIDE

Online cooking classes with our magic box of ingredients are the best activity to do with your team or clients? Perhaps an alternative to your end-of-year party or a gift? Live private cooking classes with Otao kitchen chefs are the perfect way to enjoy great food, learn new tricks, and get together when it's not so easy to physically get together. We'll deliver everything including some stool (no meat/seafood) so you and your guests need to cook along at home, so all that's left is to log on our Zoom, hone your cooking skills, eat delicious food, and have a great time. Generally, we need 7 working days to deliver your boxes to a metro city, and it will be more for regional cities and towns in Australia. The meals will be vegetarian, and we will include in your note if you want to have the option to add meats and seafood.  Check the menu here: The Ultimate Dumpling Making, Japanese Ramen Making Class, Authentic Pasta making Class, Cooking with Native Ingredients, Plus you can ask for our drink Victorian option.

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