Seminars and company events
Cooking It is an independent cookery school at 37 Gloucester Road in Bishopston, Bristol. It runs corporate team-building events for groups of 10 to 34 people, and the in-house venue seats up to 34. Instead of a meeting room with a box of props, the team works in a real teaching kitchen with a chef, then sits down at long communal tables to eat what it cooked.
Organizers choose between two formats. A competitive cook-off suits sales teams, mixed departments and groups that want energy and a clear winner: teams work in brigades, take on a challenge and present their dishes for judging. Collaborative cooking suits teams that are integrating new starters, rebuilding trust or simply wanting a relaxed away day. Everyone works toward one menu and jobs are shared across the kitchen. Sessions are designed for mixed levels of kitchen confidence, and the chef allocates jobs accordingly.
Packages run from two hours to four hours, with themes that include brunch club, curry night, Mexican street food, tapas and mezze, Italian, Persian, a mystery bag challenge, a bake-off and a Michelin-style technical challenge. A cake-decorating session of one hour and 45 minutes and a three-hour bake-off, where guests take their creations home, are also offered. Each package covers a stated headcount and adds a rate per extra guest, so group size affects the quote. Send the school a rough date and group size and it replies with what fits.
The venue can also be hired for work that is not cooking. Its own pages list meetings, workshops, training, private dining, tastings, supper clubs, pop-ups, product launches and PR showcases, as well as filming and photography.
Rooms and capacities
There are two working spaces. The commercial kitchen has seven induction hobs (28 rings), two commercial ovens, mixers, fridge and freezer space, stainless steel work surfaces, cookware and utensils, a dishwasher and cleaning facilities. A central island and large windows give natural light, and there is high-speed wifi.
The event room is a bright, open space with a sound system. It seats up to 26 people at two communal tables or holds around 50 standing. It can be hired with the kitchen or on its own, which makes it usable for a talk, a workshop or a drinks reception without any cooking. Toilets and cleaning materials are provided.
For team-building days the school states its corporate bookings at 10 to 34 people. Larger standing events of about 50 use the event room without the cooking format.
Catering
Food is the point of the day. Guests cook the meal with the chef and eat it together at the end of the session. For private parties the venue has a fully licensed bar on site and offers exclusive use of the school. Dietary requirements are built into each booking, so tell the team about them when you enquire.
Weddings and private parties
The official pages do not offer weddings. They do offer private cooking parties for birthdays, hen and stag dos and baby showers, with exclusive use of the kitchen.
Getting there
The school is on Gloucester Road in Bishopston, a north Bristol neighborhood, with public transport and nearby parking. The kitchen has easy access for loading and unloading. The pages do not mention accommodation, so overnight guests book hotels separately.
