Inneventive launches Cooking Academy

Take someone who never eats sushi – let alone prepares it - and throw her in a room with a professional chef where she has two minutes to make a plate of Japan’s finest and you’d expect disaster - especially when the spotlights are on, the cameras are rolling, the crowds are watching and there is a competitor on the other side of the counter.

But my first ever attempt at a sushi making challenge was actually free from catastrophe and not only did I learn the basics of a new skill but I discovered a new appreciation for the art of making and enjoying beautiful food.

The cookery challenges took place at London’s Vinopolis and were hosted by events experts and preferred suppliers of The BNC, Inneventive. I went along with other BNC members to the launch party of its Cooking Academy and got to experience firsthand a kind of ready-steady-cook with class, writes M Ruel

A recipe for teambuilding success

Inneventive are an energetic and hospitable bunch, eager to please and create solid ideas for events with style and spirit. Spying an unused square in one of Vinopolis’ voluminous halls they have turned it into a cool, classy events space where corporate teams can cook up a storm. There is a whole menu of cooking challenges on offer for groups large or small and during the Cooking Academy launch evening we got a taster of just a few: sushi, canapé and chocolate truffle making.

I turned up to see what all the buzz was about and was met with a fantastic friendly welcome from the Inneventive team and a room full to bursting of events people keen to see what Inneventive can offer. Thrilled by the prospect of a ‘hands on’ event (at last!) people queued, drinks in hand, ready to make something to eat or to take back proudly to the office the next day. 

Lights, camera – sushi!

With just one sushi making demonstration to absorb and memorise, my adversary and I watched intently as the chef’s hands whizzed over clumps of rice, pressing them gently into petite fluffy mounds. Next, he cleverly crafted silky bundles of fish and, as if doing a magic trick, flipped them onto the plate, presenting to one and all a piece of edible art. Amazed by his skill and speed I was hypnotized, forgetting that in a few short seconds I would have to perform my own style of sushi enchantment. I tried to make mental lists of all the things I had to do:  the seaweed rolling, the rice moulding, the salmon folding, the ginger spreading, the cucumber chopping and the spice sprinkling all the while trying not to look nervous in front of a crowd of over 100 event managers and trade press.

Amazingly, thanks to the chef’s guidance and the adrenalin from an on-the-spot challenge to learn and try something new I really, really enjoyed it. I’ll never remember all the names of the things I had to make: sushi, sashimi, makizushi, nigirizushi, hosomaki but I had great fun doing it and came away from the evening with a better understanding about and a passion for making sushi. Next time I’ll try and win the challenge (my opponent beat me!) and I’ll try to behave better with a pointed instrument (the chef, sensing bloodspill due to my nervous hands shaking all over the sushi swapped my dagger-like knife for a rounder one!).

So all that remains to be said is “Arigatou,” Inneventive, for an excellent evening and good luck with the Cooking Academy. Ideal for corporate groups large or small, this stimulating teambuilding event or incentive idea is going to be a great success.

For a full list of what the cooking academy can offer go to: www.inneventive.co.uk - I’ve heard that the pasta challenge is fantastic fun, and tasty too.