What People Say About VictorsFood
With a new team to pull together, several coming from interstate or overseas, I needed to find a way to help them bond, and build work relationships that would sustain them beyond the 9 to 5. Our VictorsFood team building experience gave me all I wanted and more. The day itself was all that was promised, entertaining, engrossing, and tasty. But the real payoff was in the weeks and months that followed.
I had started with a group of individuals who were being polite to their new colleagues. I now had a team that had an experience over which they bonded, and were now doing the running all themselves, at work and after work. I could not be more pleased.
— Enrico Coiera, Director, Centre for Health Informatics, UNSW
It was the most amazing experience ever.
— Sharlene Youssef
The event was so successful and the feed back has been amazing. Thank you for the part you played, for inspiring so many people to embrace healthy cooking and of course for introducing them to the fabulous quinoa!
— Jenni Anderson, Event Manager, Impact Communications / Coca Cola event
Thank you for an excellent evening. Victor and Evelyn professionally managed the process and outcome. With their patient and skilful guidance our teams produced an excellent meal and we enjoyed every minute of the experience.
— Glenn Szecsodi, National Supply Chain Mgr, OneSteel
An excellent evening that promotes team work and laughter with guidance and great food at the end.
— Lee Hudson
Overall good fun and good ideas. Excellent team work by people I didn’t know with a great “ice-breaker” of eating our own gastronomic delights :-)
— Alan Bell, Executive GM, Chandler Macleod
It was a great event for us and our clients, Lion Nathan, something different and unique and everyone really enjoyed themselves. The VictorsFood team were all very lovely, easy to work with and great and managing a group of people with all different cooking levels!
— Jenni, ISS Marketing
Thanks for making our Away Day so challenging but at the same time a very enjoyable team event! The whole day was carefully planned and very attention to detail. We all enjoyed it very much and we did take it seriously as well. I am sure we'd organise another one in the near future!
— Feng Gao
Finally a team building solution that truly levels the playing field from the top, to the bottom of the org chart! The VictorsFood team are strategic and innovative - seeking first to understand our desired outcome, and then delivering a fun and engaging team building experience. I recommend VictorsFood to all of my contacts without hesitation.
— Will Noble, Founder & Managing Director, Ouvrir
This was really a surprising event. To be honest I wasn’t in the mood and wasn’t particularly looking forward to it but within 5 minutes I was sold. The venue was excellent, the organisation 1st class, the food was inventive and I really enjoyed the company of my team!
This was the most enjoyable team building event I’ve ever been involved in. I found the Chefs were excellent, creating a very good relaxing/learning atmosphere. All the feedback I’ve heard has been very positive. I thought we worked together well as a team, no fuss, no bother, no egos; it was quite impressive.
I enjoyed it so much I’ve organised a display of my culinary techniques today (Sun); I’m getting the family around (wife, son, daughter, her partner and mother-in-law) for dinner. Haven’t quite decided the menu yet! Thanks again.
— Paul Lund, Chief IT Architect, Insurance Australia Group (IAG)
The day was fantastic. The host & hospitality were "A" class. The team had loads of fun. Great food, service, techniques and most of all great company. Everyone enjoyed the meals cooked up and most were surprised they actually had some great cooking skills. ;-) I would most definitely be booking again with VictorsFood and would highly recommend to anyone. Thank you again.
— Shenni Louis, Assistant to Group Chief Information Officer, Insurance Australia Group (IAG)
I thought the event was wonderful. Considering that the participants did not know each other at all, the team building style of the event made working together very easy. Everyone seemed to have a great time, learning skills as we went.
— Tegan Higginbotham, Research Assistant
This would have to be one of the best team events I have attended. Everyone in the group really enjoyed the experience and are still all raving about the food that we created. Victor & Greg made the night enjoyable and informative for all and I think we have all come away with new recipes to add to our repertoires.
— St George Bank
Victor's team facilitated an excellent ice-breaking event for a network of HR Managers last year and within about an hour, the attendees who had never met were interacting like old friends.
The event was fun, without being frivolous, totally engaging, bonding and educational, perfectly suited to our objectives. I heartily recommend VictorsFood team building.
— Phil Redding, Endor Referral System
Instead of going to restaurant after a hard strategy planning day, I decided to take the team to a VictorsFood team building session.
Our aim was to get the team to work together in an environment out of their comfort zone, to allow them to do something they would not ordinarily get the chance to do and to feel proud sitting down to eat something they created from scratch.
We had a fab night, great fun and we all learned some great cooking as well as team building skills.
— Marie Campion, GM, Member Services & Marketing, Institute of Company Directors
Thanks so much Jim. A great night.
— Alexandra Austin, Senior Event Manager, James Gordon Workshop
I had a ball! So much fun! Learned so many neat tricks for cooking, and got some great insights into the art of fine dining! It was an excellent team building experience. Loved it!
— Sophia Hill, Media Coordinator, NETT Magazine
It was great to be forced out of our comfort zone and have the afternoon to spend with colleagues with a goal in mind but without any "shop talk." The venue, instruction, service and food were of an excellent standard and I would recommend this team building activity to any group, large or small.
— Melaina Oldham
An amazing afternoon! Huge amounts of fun, with delicious outcomes, and great teamwork in action. Loved every minute!
— Lisa Jasienski, Change Manager, CommInsure
Not only did I learn a great deal about cooking in such a short period of time, I thoroughly enjoyed our cooking team building session. The food, wine and experience were something I will not soon forget, and the recipes and techniques are still part of our favorite home-cooking repertoire!
— Brett Raven, Solentive
Fantastic afternoon. Exceeded expectations. Wonderful fresh food and great environment. Our team thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
— Sarah Dunstan
We had a wonderful time at the MasterChef Challenge. It was a great way to interact with people we had never met before, as the environment was comfortable and relaxed.
Because the recipes were not too challenging (albeit delicious), it allowed us to get to know our co-chefs and chat while we cooked. Victor is a fantastic teacher - I personally learned quite a lot. Sitting down to the tasty meal was the perfect way to end the night. I would certainly recommend it to our clients, in fact I already have!
— Jill Covitz, Event Organiser, Cambridge Events
Thanks very much. The whole team really enjoyed the event and are still talking about it.
— Paul Graham, Managing Director, Symrise
It's great to get out of the office and do something fun together as a group. You always learn things you didn't know about people which enhances your relationship when you get back to work.
The food was delicious and the venue was fantastic with the lovely breeze coming in the bi-fold doors. It was great to have the help of an expert chef when you needed it.
— Lynette Knight, Operations Office Manager, Symrise
I appreciate the time it made me take to relax and have fun with my co workers. Most of our days are spent living and breathing the job. You can also become very insular due to the pressure of today's jobs.
To have to take the time to attend an organised workshop such as your own gave me the first chance to have a laugh with my co workers in a long time. It actually reminded me that I do really like the people I work with and that we have a great team. Thank you!
— Hazel Collingwood, Senior Account Manager, Visy Glama
Couldn't fault a single detail of the cooking experience - well set up, well informed and very easy to follow instructions. I personally had an amazing afternoon. I know the rest of the team also did.
Now I have the recipes I am going to make for the family as they were amazed at the photos I took of the food. I tried food that I wouldn't have otherwise tried, which again on a personal note was a great experience.
— Kylie Tesoriero, Project Manager, Visy Glama
We had a great experience – enjoyable and team building par excellence. Thank you.
— Sam Barbalatt, Medical Director, ENT Technologies
Great experience for team building!
— Shelley Middleton, Medical/ Pharmacy Rep, ENT Technologies
Everyone was still talking about it the next day and how well we all did so the impact and experience was good. Good teamwork and helping each other made us realise we were all working towards the same end and no need to compete with each other (i.e. there is no I in team) so a valuable lesson in a practical way was ably demonstrated.
— Maurice Lateu, ENT Technologies
I felt very welcomed and relaxed about the whole experience very quickly and really liked the energy given off by Victor - I didn't feel like we were just another group and the day had a freshness about it i.e. it wasn’t overly polished and mechanical, it was like a friend was passing on some great tips.
— Chris Walsh
The whole experience was fantastic and I have already recommended you to friends and colleagues. It was very engaging and inclusive as well as FUN!
— Michael Ruiz, Business Development Manager, Express Data
Great day, very fun, entertaining, fantastic team building experience. Thank you!!!
— Sophia Mather, TM, Brown Forman
I am usually a very shy person when surrounded by many people but VictorsFood was great for team building and I enjoyed every bit of it, not at all uncomfortable with anything.
— Kapila Chauhan, Accountant, Actuant Australia Ltd
Each year we have a sales conference wherein all the Territory Managers come to Sydney for a few days. On one of the nights we all get together for dinner. This is the only time we as a company are together at the same time. This year we decided to do something different.
Along came VictorsFood. What a great idea. I loved it. Feedback from the guys and office staff was also very positive. Everyone had a great time. One quote from one of our WA TM’s was “it was bloody marvellous”.
— Sue Southerden, Accounts, Actuant Australia Ltd
Victor and Jim are passionate about their business and they love people and quality food. They offer a unique service teambuilding cooking great food with the view, upbeat music, hightech equipment, awesome staff! It is lots of fun, dynamic and you will learn heaps about you and your peers in action!
— Anick Patry, Presenter & Edutainer
Just wanted to let you know we had a great time yesterday evening. We had one staff member saying it was the best team building event they have ever been to and another who had never cooked before ended up doing the prawn flambé! We all had a ball!
— Anne Gately, NETT Magazine
The wonderful and friendly team made the experience really enjoyable. I liked the Q&A at the end and the ability to ask you and your team questions and also that you encouraged us to email or call you if we have any issues with the recipes in the future. Thanks so much for a great experience!
— Juanita Chrisostomos
The memory of that wonderful food and Wanitha's sunny smile has brightened the last couple of rather grey rainy days.
I must admit I wondered how a good boy from the US of A, like you Victor, could attempt Malaysian Hawker food, but I didn't remember you had Wanitha in your batterie de cuisine! She is fabulous value and a truly lovely person and a perfect match for your course.
You have contributed so much in Sydney over the years, and continue to do so with these classes and now your tours.
— Sally Hammond, Australian Regional Food Guide
Learning from Victor is like being taught by a soul generous in spirit and encouragement. The ideal teacher...
— Not Quite Nigella
It was excellent, and exceeded my expectations. I have already encouraged some friends to book a class.
— Colin Porter
A VictorsFood cooking class was a great birthday gift for my husband. The class was very comprehensive and we enjoyed a lovely meal. We left with great recipes to use and impress. Worth driving over the bridge for and would highly recommend it. So much fun; Great way to spend the day.
— Leanne Ring
The end result was amazing. It was a bonding experience to sit down with people I barely knew and enjoy a hearty and delicious meal together which we had all contributed to in one way or another.
— Penny Whitfield
We had a ball, learned lots, and thoroughly enjoyed the fabulous fruits of our labours with great wine and conversation. Our friends are still talking about it, and David’s culinary skills are a source of admiration when his daughters come to dinner. Thank you. We will be doing it again!
— Janelle Wallace
The cooking class with Victor at EQ was a fantastic experience. Everything was so well organised. Victor has eyes everywhere, making sure that everybody learns to the max and has fun doing it!
We created an unbelievably exquisite meal and I went home feeling totally nourished, both body and soul. Thank you, Victor and team!
— Dominique Beck
http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/victorsfood/waterloo
I loved the fact it wasn’t just about cooking but the enjoyment of cooking, of sharing food and even the history of food. The enthusiasm of the presenters was contagious and they encouraged questions. It whetted my appetite for more!
— Paola Matthews
Great recipes, ingredients, venue and fun!
Would highly recommend to others.
I thought it was a great hands-on learning experience.
I have the artistic talent of a dingo and the creative brain of a small horse. So it's amazing that something I made was enjoyed, and looked nice too! Thank you for having us, and thanks for letting me set fire to your kitchen, the only time I've managed such a feat and meant to.
A fantastic environment in which to learn. We were all relaxed, enthusiastic, and keen to master our new recipes & then enjoy the food and the great views afterwards.
The food, the experience, the guidance, the cooking tips, the whole day was fabulous. For someone with virtually no cooking sense at all, I felt like a pro.
A good day out which I would highly recommend to my friends.
— Kylie, Rebecca & friends
“What can I say? You are a star!!! Everyone loved the evening; they sang praises about the food and the setting. My cousin’s husband is a “food man” himself and he was full of praise. The wines were great as well and very well received. Thank you for making it a success – it will be a birthday I will always remember.
— Gita Gopalan (One of our many regulars.)
The atmosphere you created with the great venue and your relaxed but focused teaching style gave me the confidence to have fun and learn, setting me on the road to be the best cook I can be. Since that day I have been experimenting and learning further, leading to some very enjoyable weekends with food, friends and wine.
— Andrew Harris (Another regular!)
The class on Sat was mentally a breakthrough. I have more confidence around the kitchen from sourcing the products to cooking to finding short cuts when things go wrong.
— Andrew Harris (Again! One of our many regulars.)
We found the cooking class thoroughly enjoyable and are looking forward to plying our new skills with friends!
— Damian O’Keeffe
A big thank you for a fun, exciting and educational cooking class!
Food was scrumptious not to mention healthy!
I am looking forward to
re-creating the dishes for family and friends and using my newly acquired cooking skills for future cooking endeavours.
I will be sure to recommend your services to family and friends and will definitely consider your other cooking classes.
— Mary
I just wanted to say thank you so much for a fabulous Mexican culinary adventure. It really advanced my learning to have someone so dynamic and passionate sharing valuable knowledge and experience with us.
The setting, with its wonderful view, was perfect and the music definitely helped to create an energetic and creative vibe. The result of everyone’s combined effort was delicious and sitting down together to share the different dishes was a great way to finish.
I tried the salad yesterday and it was pretty successful. Next time…
— Penny Whitfield (Another regular!)
The food was fantastic, the company fun and you and your stories plus method of teaching made for a great experience! I have been spreading the news to let others know what a fun food experience it was!
Looking forward to seeing you again soon.
— Elva Churches (Another regular!)
Thank you for another Wonderful & Fun day! Once again a successful learning experience, great food, interesting guests!! What a great way to spend the fourth of July! While there, I waxed eloquently on how much fun I thought your Paella & Tapas class will be. I just hope so many did not request a spot that there is not room for me!!
— Elva Churches (Again!)
Thanks to Victor & Greg not only for the fantastic class & experience, but the wonderful stories & company!
— Toni Allan & Scott Simpson
I was a little apprehensive about tackling a Mexican cookery class because although I love eating Mexican food, I haven't had much experience of cooking it. However, I forced myself out of my comfort zone to brave the challenge of baring my ignorance in front of 11 complete strangers.
As soon as I arrived, my mood instantly lifted. Not only did I find parking without too much difficulty but the apartment where the class was held was light and airy with fabulous views. Vibrant music wound its way through the room around the large wooden table and counter where most of the action would be taking place and a bottle of wine stood, cap off, at the ready for those of us who needed a little liquid encouragement.
All of the novices wore chef’s hats with our names written on them which made us feel familiar and comfortable with each other from the start. Victor introduced himself and also his colleague and friend Tawnya and then gave us an illuminating talk on Mexican food, his extensive experiences of cooking with it and eating it here, and more particularly in Mexico and the States. We were also given various different Mexican ingredients to try with information on where we could purchase them. This information was also written down on a fact sheet to take home. Finally he gave us a brief and extremely helpful lesson in knife skills.
We were then split into two groups; six of us led by Victor and the other six by Tawnya and shared the task between us of creating the different recipes that Victor had put together for our class that day. We worked steadily, both individually and as teams, helping each other with chopping and cutting, taking turns to wash bowls and swapping culinary confessions all the while.
Some of us were noticeably more experienced cooks than others but we all seemed to recognise our strengths and work towards the common goal - of getting the food ready in time to be able to sit down and eat it in a relaxed and orderly fashion.
The end result was amazing. It was a bonding experience to sit down with people I barely knew and enjoy a hearty and delicious meal together which we had all contributed to in one way or another.
Victor and Tawnya are both very talented chefs, and patient and gifted teachers who really know their subject matter well. Victor brings a tremendous passion, vibrancy and inspiration to the class and shows a real interest in the cooking and eating habits of his pupils while Tawnya projects a steady good humour and great sense of fun and provides a calming influence (along with the wine) for any frayed nerves.
I learnt some very useful information at the class as well as meeting interesting new people. I can definitely recreate some, though not all, of the dishes we cooked and I have a far better overview of the Mexican cuisine and its many varied ingredients. I would highly recommend this class and would definitely sign up for another one.
— Penny Whitfield (A very enthusiastic regular!)
http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/victorsfood/waterloo
Anyone can read a cook book and take it from there. Victor's classes are a great opportunity to learn from a superb chef who is able to teach in a relaxed environment - a real experience.
— Jason Denisenko (One of our many regulars.)
Cooking with Victor is a feast for the senses: tendrils of heady, aromatic, spice-infused steam wafting from simmering pots; a riot of colour tossed in a sizzling wok; a spoon dipped, sipped, tastebuds zinging in response to rich, complex flavours; the heft of a razor sharp knife held in the hand, the wonder as it slices surely, evenly through fresh, yielding produce; Victor’s voice, patiently, masterfully tutoring, his manner calm and focused, every word fascinating; or Wanitha’s excited, bubbly, passionate delivery, her larger than life personality imparting her own delicious, unexpected style.
Above all there is the feeling of community, that incredible, elusive sense of “all is one” that comes from surrendering totally to a shared purpose. So many different hands, so many different personalities, chopping, slicing, stirring, blending, grilling, frying, tasting, working together in blissful harmony till at last the sumptuous array of dishes is complete and laid out on the long table.
Learning achieved, creative juices spent, it is a deeply satisfying feeling to relax around a communal table together, sipping wine, conversing with new friends, enjoying the superb city views and sharing the fruits of your labour. And, oh, what fruit! Every one of Victor’s classes is so different in terms of the cuisine it presents, but each culminates in a superb feast of mouth wateringly luscious fare that is rapidly devoured by happy, contented cooks, still filled with wonder at their new found culinary skills and achievements.
Be warned, these cooking classes are dangerously addictive! Attend one and you will be eager to sign up to learn about another, and yet another cuisine. You will leave with a very full belly, deeply satisfied and armed not only with recipes to reproduce the feast you have just enjoyed, but also with more useful tips, gleaned in just a few short hours, than you have probably accumulated in a lifetime of cooking! Enjoy it all… I sure did!
— Judy Passlow (Another enthusiastic regular!)
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