FOOD PLAYGROUND, a cooking studio launched recently in Singapore, is looking to serve up cultural market tours and cooking classes to leisure and business event travellers.
Led by managing director Daniel Tan, who was with The Ascott Group and Pan Pacific Hotels Group, and another business partner, Food Playground’s three-hour Cultural Cooking Classes begin with a half-hour visit to a local wet market, where participants are introduced to local spices, tropical fruits and the locals’ way of life, followed by 90 minutes of cooking instructions on two popular local dishes and an hour of dining and interaction. It is priced at S$99 (US$80.50) per person.
Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily at his cooking studio, which has a well-equipped kitchen for 16 pax and a spacious dining area, Tan said: “Singapore is a food paradise, but it is rare for a tour here to feature local cooking classes. We realised that travel (consultants) may have found it difficult to include cooking classes as part of a tour programme because cooking schools here require a minimum headcount of 10 people.”
Tan said programmes at Food Playground would proceed as scheduled as long as there were two participants.
Food Playground has started hosting groups of inbound tour consultants to introduce them to Cultural Cooking Classes, and “feedback has been very good”, said Tan.
Programmes offered are commissionable, but the commission rate has yet to be firmed up.
“I’ve also had several enquiries from companies wanting to do teambuilding at Food Playground. We can tailor the programme for private groups by featuring specific dishes or creating a cooking competition for teams.”
Earlier this week, Food Playground had its first corporate group – a product launch and cook-out for some 20 international media representatives, hosted by a multinational home appliance manufacturer.
