In March 2025, Amazon Luxembourg's Product & Program Management Tech Team in Data & Analytics gathered for an in-person corporate cooking class focused on Italian pasta-making. Fifteen colleagues flew in from across Europe to align on strategic goals and strengthen team bonds through a hands-on culinary experience led by ChefPassport and chef Matteo Ressa.
Results at a glance
- 15 team members from multiple European locations came together in Luxembourg for a hands-on pasta-making workshop
- The team created fresh tagliatelle from scratch using traditional techniques and KitchenAid pasta attachments
- Part of a multi-day offsite that included strategic alignment, SDI training, and culinary team-building
- Team leader Serena Mantovani highlighted the experience on LinkedIn, praising the session for strengthening team bonds and energising the group
A fantastic way to strengthen team bonds.
Why Amazon chose a hands-on cooking experience for their offsite
When you bring colleagues together from across Europe for an offsite, you want more than PowerPoint slides and meeting rooms. Amazon's Product & Program Management Tech Team in Data & Analytics needed a balance: time to align on vision and goals, space to develop as individuals, and a memorable shared experience that would let people connect as humans, not just job titles.
Serena Mantovani, who organised the event, structured a two-day programme that paired strategic planning and SDI training with something entirely different—a hands-on pasta-making class with ChefPassport. The culinary session offered a natural shift in energy: tactile, collaborative, and social, where colleagues could laugh, experiment with flour and eggs, and share the results around a table.
What happened during the pasta-making session
The team gathered in a modern Luxembourg kitchen for a session led by chef Matteo Ressa. The focus was Italian tagliatelle—fresh egg pasta rolled, cut, and cooked from scratch. Participants worked in small groups, cracking eggs, kneading dough, and feeding sheets of golden pasta through hand-crank machines and bright red KitchenAid attachments.
The rhythm of the class created natural opportunities for conversation and collaboration. Colleagues who normally interact over Slack or Zoom found themselves troubleshooting dough consistency together, comparing noodle thickness, and arranging fresh pasta nests on floured trays. The kitchen filled with the smell of butter, sage, and tomato sauce as the team plated and tasted what they'd made.
After cooking, the group sat down to share their meal—a simple, satisfying moment that capped a day of learning and alignment.
Why the session worked for this team
ChefPassport handled the logistics: the venue, the ingredients, the chef, the equipment, the dietary accommodations, and the event flow. Serena could focus on her team, not on coordination spreadsheets or ingredient lists.
The cooking format worked because it was active, inclusive, and low-pressure. No one needed prior kitchen skills. The shared goal—making fresh pasta—gave everyone a role, and the tactile, sensory nature of the work created a different kind of engagement than a boardroom session.
Serena later reflected on LinkedIn that the cooking class was "a fantastic way to strengthen team bonds," and she praised the team for bringing "energy and passion" to the offsite. The combination of strategic work, personal development, and hands-on cooking left the group "recharged, motivated, and ready to make a difference."
What similar teams should know
If you're organising an offsite for a distributed team, a culinary experience can be a grounding, memorable complement to your agenda. It's particularly effective when you want colleagues to connect beyond their usual roles, or when you need a format that works for diverse skill levels and dietary needs.
ChefPassport works with teams from 8 to 80+ people in Luxembourg and remotely worldwide. We handle the planning, the chef, the ingredients, the venue coordination, and the follow-up, so you can focus on your people. Whether your team wants Italian pasta, Asian dumplings, or Luxembourg specialities, we'll create a session that fits your goals and your schedule.
Interested in a corporate cooking class in Luxembourg for your next offsite or team event? Get in touch, and we'll build something tailored to your team.