Gold medal-winning events

In the good old days when most of Britain's workers were in factories or down mines, a team building session usually meant a boozy night down the local pub. The art of team building has come a long way since then, but here at Chillisauce we love a traditional night out and we’ve got an event that mixes the best of both worlds.

EBC Group based in Kidderminster wanted to reward their staff for their hard work with a night out which would include some form of interactive entertainment. Fun Manager Ian, no stranger to a night down the pub himself, suggested a Pub Olympics with a drinks reception and buffet- a gold medal-winning option.

Ian hired the function bar of top local hotel, and our team of Will, Grant and Kim headed there armed with a range of games to test even the most experienced Pub Olympian.

After everyone had warmed up with a few isotonic drinks from the bar and enjoyed some high-energy snacks from the buffet, the games got under way. Everyone tried their hands at giant Jenga, darts, giant Connect 4, table football, giant skittles and Twister. The Olympic spirit shone through as it was not the winning but the taking part that counted, making for an excellent night:

‘The event went very well. Will, Kim & Grant did a great job for us… & I received plenty of good feedback. You personally did a good job as did the suppliers, so I’m sure that we will be requesting your services again in the future.’

http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/pub-game-olympics/productid_4903/

Teambuilding-tastic

When you have a corporate group who don’t know each other particularly well, or have only ever interacted briefly in a work environment, it’s important to break down barriers as soon as possible and get all of the group contributing and communicating. Teambuilding games play a hugely important role in this.

BASF got in touch with us wanting some indoor team building activities for a group of 23 in the North West. Ian looked after the group from start to finish, booking them into a spectacular medieval castle in Cheshire for Teamtastic- a great combination of fun-filled team building activities.

The BASF team navigated through minefields, put up tents blindfolded, built bridges out of spaghetti, tamed Mr Wiggle and solved some testing brainteasers:

‘We had a great time. Everything came together wonderfully and the teambuilding activities provided by your company were excellent. Everyone got involved and we definitely had a lot of fun trying to put up a tent blindfolded. It was really good so many thanks to you and your team for your input into our event.

I would definitely consider your company again if I get to arrange another event and would have no hesitation in recommending you to others.’

http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/team-building-activities/productid_806/

Hidden treasure

If you want to see a city in style and enjoy a fantastic corporate event while you’re at it, you simply can’t beat a Limousine Treasure Hunt. Amgen wanted a fun daytime event for a group of 24 based in Cambridge, so this is exactly what Corporate Fun Manager Ali suggested.

The hunt started and finished at the Trinity Centre and took in many of the city’s historic sights where the groups were challenged to take photographs, answer location-based questions and retrieve a challenging list of items. Unlike a conventional treasure hunt which may find you pounding the pavement for hours on end, the groups were ferried everywhere in the lap of luxury.

As the feedback shows, the event was a huge success:
‘The day was absolutely brilliant. I have had so many emails from our department to say how much they enjoyed it. It was really well organised and the girls that came to supervise us were brilliant. We would certainly recommend Chillisauce to any other company that required a team building event.’

Click below to check our our Limosuine Treasure Hunt packages:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/team-building-days/limousine-treasure-hunt/

Johnson and Johnson have a grape time!

Johnson and Johnson, the medical and pharmaceutical giants, contacted Chillisauce wanting a venue for a full day meeting followed by an evening team building event, a private dinner and overnight stay in Berkshire. The aim of the evening event was for the group to unwind after a hard day’s work, and hopefully learn something whilst they were at it.

Corporate Fun Manager Isabel had a vintage idea- wine tasting at a picturesque 17th Century country house. Isabel booked the group’s meeting, activity, wine tasting session and bedrooms, and they were suitably impressed by Isabel's comprehensive and professional service:

‘The service was excellent. You certainly made it easy and provided the one stop shop to organising the event. I will certainly be using Chillisauce moving forward and have recommended to others within the business.

The wine tasting was excellent and everyone really enjoyed it. Alex (the sommelier) was fantastic in getting everyone involved. Again overall, it was fantastic and I look forward to working together with you in the future.’

Click below for our wonderful Wine Tasting packages:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/team-building-days/wine-tasting/

Stand up and deliver

Stand up comedian Tom hit the stage in Earls Court on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year competition- the X Factor of comedy. Supported by a large Chillisauce contingent he came second on the night and made it through to the semi-finals in April.

With £1000 on offer for the winner, the competition is starting to get serious!

Clowning around

HBOS contacted Chillisauce wanting a light-hearted corporate event for two large groups of staff after a morning conference in Leeds. After a hard morning's work, the delegates wanted to get to know each other in a relaxed environment and have fun. Corporate Fun Manager Ali had the solution; send in the clowns!

Ali booked the two groups, both over 100 strong, into top Leeds hotels where they were taught circus skills by six skillful clowns who had the delegates in stitches. The group learnt to spin plates, tight rope walk, use a diablo, unicycle and juggle. Apparently some HBOS employees enjoyed the team building activities so much that they seriously considered quitting their jobs and running away with the circus!

‘Thursday went very well indeed-I have received much praise for the day and the afternoon especially, so I would like to pass that on to you.

The guys you sent to the hotel were really friendly and put everyone at ease with their intros and humour. I have to say, when they got changed into their fancy shirts it really transformed them- they looked FAB!!! I would be more than happy to use you again and I will keep you in mind for any future events.’

Check out our Circus Skills packages here:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/team-building-days/circus-skills/

February newsletter launched

The February Chillisauce newsletter has been released. This month you'll get the lowdown on our best Chocolate Making, Cocktail Making and It's a Knockout packages, and get the chance to win a box of luxury chocs thanks to our friends at The Chocolate Society. Click below to view the newsletter in its full glory:

http://chillisauce.cmail3.com/e/336103/5zkp6/

Crystal clear

When Virgin Media wanted to improve the team work amongst a group of middle managers in a relaxed environment, Ian organised an entire day of events that promoted team building values and were great fun.

As the group were based in Newcastle, Ian booked them into Northumberland's premier 4 star hotel which stands in 1,000 acres of stunning parkland. After a morning meeting, the group took part in a recreation of the 90's TV classic Crystal Maze in the hotel's grounds, enjoyed a sumptuous dinner in the hotel's restaurant, and spent the evening collecting clues to solve a murder mystery. After such an action packed day, everyone retired to their rooms reflecting on what a success the event had been.

'Our client had a great time and thought the hotel was fantastic. Everything was set up perfectly... the food was good and the murder mystery event was really enjoyable.

The Crystal Maze activity was also very good. You guys have been first class to deal with and I would not hesitate to use you again for similar events and will certainly recommend you to other business contacts.'

Take a lot at our Crystal Maze-inspired team building events:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/team-building-days/crystal-maze/

Your Valentine's Day dilemmas solved: The aftermath

We asked for your Valentine's Day dilemmas and we were inundated with requests for advice. Dr Toby Spray picked out five examples of common problems and tried to point our readers in the right direction.

We caught up with the five hopeless romantics to find out how Valentine's Day went:

‘I’ve left it too late to book a restaurant. What can I do?’ Chris, 29, from Dartford.
You need to turn this difficult situation to your advantage. There’s nothing more romantic than a picnic, so head down to your local supermarket and buy some champagne, strawberries, several litres of soup, a rug, a camping stove and a large knife. Get your girlfriend to meet you at your local park treat her to a picnic to remember. It can get pretty cold at night in February so keep your soup bubbling on the stove and snuggle together on the rug. Parks can be dangerous places after dark, so keep the knife handy in case you’re attacked by muggers or drug-crazed doggers.

What happened?
‘It was a great success. My girlfriend stood me up, but I met a lovely young man called Graham in the park and we’ve become lovers.’


‘I’ve blown all my cash down the bookies and I’m down to my last £10. My wife is expecting a fancy meal in a posh restaurant, how am I going to pay for it?’ Owen, 41, from Skegness.
Stick the lot on Hawley On Fire in the 4.40pm at Doncaster. £10 to win at 33/1 makes you £340. Easy money.

What happened?
‘The horse came in! Thanks for the tip, it was brilliant. Unfortunately I thought my luck was in and I lost the lot on the next race. My wife has walked out on me and I’m now attending Gamblers Anonymous. I’ll give you 2-1 that I’ll quit before the end of the month.’


‘I’m a Mormon with nine wives. How do I keep them all happy?’ Donny, 50, from Stockton-on-Tees.
Being a polygamist on Valentine’s Day can be tough. Instead of trying to make each of your wives feel special, do something that you and your wives can enjoy together. 5-a-side football is ideal for a group of ten, so book a pitch at a sports centre and then hit a local pub for a few post-match beverages.

What happened?
‘My wives loved the football, it was a great idea. Unfortunately the rivalry between the two teams got a bit out of hand during the post-match drinking session and a huge fight broke out which left 4 of my wives hospitalised.’


'I’m in love with my Stepmother. My Dad works on an offshore oil rig and she’ll be on her own on Valentine’s Day. I’m taking her out for a meal but don’t know if I should tell her how I feel.' Bradley, 17, Aberdeen.
Go for it. If she likes your Dad, she’s bound to like you. You’re probably younger and fitter than your Dad; in fact I’m quite surprised nothing has happened in the past. Your stepmother is not a blood relative so treat her like you’d treat any other girl. Here’s my top tip: after you’ve finished the main course at the restaurant, grab your coats and tell her that dessert is served back at yours. Tell her to wait in the lounge, lie on the dining room table and cover your naked body in apple crumble and custard. Shout that ‘dessert is served’ and take it from there.

What happened?
‘My dad unexpectedly came home just as I was covering myself in custard. He threw me out of the house and I’m now living in a homeless hostel.’


‘Where should I go to meet single women on Valentine’s Day?’ Tony, 34, Lincoln.
One word: Off licenses. Valentine’s Day can be lonely and depressing, and when feelings of self-hatred kick in, most Brits hit the bottle. The trick is to pick the right kind of offie. If you’re into tracksuit-wearing chavs with huge earrings, hang around outside a corner shop selling £1.99 bottles of knock-off vodka. If you’re looking for a classier woman, a Nicolas wine store is a great place to pull. In both cases the technique is simple: ply the woman with alcohol until she’s perfect mix of drunk and desperate.

What happened?
‘The only single woman who went into the off licence all night bought five bottles of wine and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen her sleeping on the bins outside Iceland.’

Team check out Confex

Ian and Ali made the short journey over to Earls Court to attend Confex, 'the leading event for event organisers'. Over the course of the morning they enjoyed massages and spanked penalities past a computerised goalkeeper, as well as meeting plenty of exciting new suppliers.

They got the inside track on the latest cruises, flying and driving events to hit the market and Ian unsucessfully tried to blag himself a trip to Brazil courtesy of their tourist board.

Being dedicated professionals, the pair managed to resist the temptation of the rivers of complimentary champagne on offer and were back in the office by lunchtime!

Valentine's Day dilemmas?

It's Valentine's Day today, but as an old writer once said, 'The course of true love never did run smooth.' Valentine's Day can be confusing and stressful, so we've recruited Dr Toby Spray, a relationship and human behaviour expert from the University of Suffolk, to help you solve your Valentine's Day dilemmas. Don't know what to buy your girlfriend? Too shy to ask a guy at work to dinner? Dr Spray is here to help. Email t.spray@chillisauce.co.uk.

We'll be posting a selection of your emails later in the day complete with Dr Spray's expert advice.

Are you having a laff?

Tom, Chillisauce’s resident stand up comedian, took to the stage again on Tuesday night at a packed Bedford in Balham, London. Cheered on from the crowd by fellow Chillisaucers Suzy and Ian, Tom’s material about Sharia law, Valentine’s Day and stag weekends was a huge hit with a partisan crowd and he was voted the best act of the night.

Tom, who cites Bernard Manning, Roy 'Chubby' Brown and Jethro as his comedy heroes, combines comedy with his day job of writing about himself on blogs in the third person.