Celebrate the season with a party out on the town with colleagues.
The winter season signals the time to organise some much-needed festive fun to unwind with colleagues after a hard-working year. From high octane thrills to chilled out team bonding sessions, our choice of venues to take the party outside the office provides something unique for everyone, with some take-home gift ideas thrown in for good measure.
Café Nerd
Altrincham’s independent boardgame café and co-working retreat provides a friendly and welcoming space promoting healthy food with healthier competition. Over 200 board games are available to choose from to enjoy as a group with helpings of fresh salads, açai bowls, and smoothies to keep
colleagues fuelled up for the day. In-house events taking place across the winter also provide an alternative to take part in, including yoga, quizzes, whisky tasting, and chess club evenings.
Café-nerd.co.uk
Flight Club
New to the city centre’s vibrant social scene, Flight Club’s supercharged version of the traditional game of darts creates a great social experience for larger groups
of up to 300. Plenty of private and semi- private event spaces are available for teams to take over one of the darts playing areas to compete in head-to-head tournaments
at the throw line or simply sit back and enjoy the lively atmosphere, with seasonally inspired sharing plates, pizza paddles, and cocktails all up for grabs.
Flightclubdarts.com
Compendium Escape Rooms
Adding a time pressured element to the party to boost team creativity and problem- solving skills through an escape room experience is a great choice for staff who fancy a challenge during their night out. Compendium beckons large groups to Bury to immerse themselves in a set of live action themed rooms, each featuring its own unique set design and plotline. With just under 60 minutes to navigate through the room’s intricate puzzles and riddles together, the session guarantees some fast-paced fun.
Compendiumbury.co.uk
Teamsport Go Karting
There’s 550 metres of nail-biting bends for staff to test their nerves with during this stress busting party option for adrenaline junkies. Colleagues can buckle up and take to the track in speeds of 40mph to beat each other for pole position or set up their own tournament to beat their personal fastest lap time. For those needing to slow down, the track also has plenty of chilled out areas to kick back and catch up with the team over a drink before returning behind the wheel.
Team-sport.co.uk/go-karting-manchester/
Cheshire Cookery School
A shared cookery lesson provides a unique setting to collaborate with colleagues in an informal setting which is inclusive for everyone. There’s a course to suit all tastes at Cheshire Cookery School, with full day classes in bread making, Italian cuisine, pies and pastries, and middle eastern and meze. Delivered by some of Altrincham’s top chefs, the team are in capable hands of cooking up something delicious to take home once the party is over.
Thecheshirecookeryschool.com
Gift Ideas:
1. Desktop golf | £5.99
A desktop golf kit might be the perfect solution to stop those pulling a sickie for a nice relaxing day on the greens. Featuring two golf balls, clubs, fairway and even a bag of sand to make things a little harder, the kit also includes a little book of fun facts to freshen up your colleague’s knowledge of the game.
Whsmith.co.uk
2. Henry desk vacuum | £12.99
For those who just can’t manage to keep their desk tidy, a miniature Henry hoover is a win-win to clean up the workplace and boost staff productivity levels. Easy to use and always smiling, the hoover also has extra vacuum attachments and crevice tools to reach every last crumb stuck in the keyboard.
Findmeagift.co.uk
3. Personalised coffee cup | £25
A personalised travel coffee mug is a practical strategy to prevent staff from stealing each other’s morning cuppa. Made from eco-friendly materials, the inside of the lid can also be engraved with a name and drink of choice making the gift especially unique for each colleague.
Sundaysdaughter.co.uk
4. Aromatherapy bath salts | £12
Help your staff relax and unwind after their year of hard work with some soothing bath salts to leave them feeling more grounded and refreshed. Ocean & Bee’s trio of eucalyptus, lavender, and bergamot is packed with magnesium to ease anxiety and irritability.
Oceanandbee.co.uk
5. Wireless charging pad | £15.99
A handy wireless charging pad sat on the desk is a thoughtful touch in case staff forget to bring their charger during the morning rush. Compatible with all branded devices and earphones, this pad also supports charging through thick phone cases for greater ease.
Anker.com/uk