Nothing brings a team together like a good meal. And if it’s a hearty helping of jambalaya or gumbo – the timeless stars of New Orleans’ celebrated cuisine – it can mean much more. For corporations and businesses, that can translate into a memorable day out, close-knit teams, and a stronger work culture.
Tucked away on St. Louis Street in the heart of the French Quarter, that is precisely what the family-owned New Orleans School of Cooking has been serving people since 1980. It’s also known by the name “NOLA School of Cooking.” An encounter with the fun atmosphere, food, and folklore of New Orleans that lingers long after you have polished the cutlery clean. If you’re on the hunt for a fun team building activity in New Orleans, chances are this is your best option in town.
Cooked with the best ingredients
The Cajun and Creole cuisine of Southern Louisiana has traditionally spelled food lover nirvana. Crawfish, shrimp, oysters, crabs, ham, sausages, chicken, aromatic vegetables, and the ‘trinity’ of bell peppers, onions, and celery all come together in magical ways to cast a spell. What makes the New Orleans School of Cooking different, however, are the other ingredients that also find their way into the recipe: fun, warmth, history lessons, comedy, and folklore. Loads of it, in fact. It's what gives the charmingly renovated molasses warehouse – which once ranked #2 on the best food experiences in the world list on Tripadvisor – its signature vibe. This makes it the perfect stage for fun team building activities in New Orleans.
For corporations planning an offsite, incentive groups, schools, families, and other groups, there’s a generous buffet selection to choose from: from hands-on classes to off-site cooking demonstrations to participatory events and challenges where teams face off for friendly duels. The competition can get tough, but the atmosphere never ceases to be absorbing and uplifting.
What a typical class looks like
The highly interactive sessions typically begin with beer or wine. Before graduating to masterfully guided group competitions where teams try to outdo each other with culinary skills, intellectual prowess, and teamwork. And finally conclude with participants rolling off the floor laughing as chefs-cum-mentors crack jokes between helpful hints about the techniques, flavors, and legacies that make the kitchens of New Orleans legendary.
Learn from the veterans
Somewhere along the way, you’ll pick up the secrets of cutting, seasoning, and serving some of Louisiana cuisine’s evergreen icons from veteran chefs. Gumbo, jambalaya, pralines, bread pudding with whiskey sauce, crawfish etouffee, spinach and artichoke mushrooms, shrimp and artichoke soup, veggie pasta, red beans rice and pecan pie. All the while learning about the vibrant history of the place. And after the dust has settled and the prizes have been distributed, teams will sit down to enjoy the meal they have just created.
If you nurse a dream of becoming a chef one day, these fun team building activities in New Orleans are a great place to start. Even if you don’t, they can ignite a lifelong romance with food.
