Open daily | Book in advance to secure your place
Open daily | Book in advance to secure your place
You might agree on orange and chilli for your team’s chocolate bar, then spend longer debating its name than making it. That’s part of the fun of chocolate team building: colleagues have something to work on together, with decisions that feel a little different from the ones waiting back at the office.
At The Chocolatarium in Edinburgh, you can choose a challenge that involves designing and pitching your own chocolate bar, or book a more relaxed making-and-tasting experience. This guide will help you choose an activity that suits your team and sort out the details before you book.
Whether you want colleagues to work together on a challenge or enjoy a relaxed afternoon away from their desks, choose the format before you book. A chocolate-making experience and a competitive team challenge can feel quite different.
Chocolate team building brings colleagues together through activities such as making chocolate, choosing flavours and completing shared challenges.
Some events focus on enjoying the experience. Others give teams a task to tackle together, with decisions to make and a finished creation to present.
At The Chocolatarium in Edinburgh, the Chocolate Bar Challenge involves designing and making a bar, developing its brand and packaging, then pitching it as a new product. The Scavenger Hunt & Tasting Challenge combines a Royal Mile hunt with chocolate making and tests your team’s chocolate knowledge. Both run for 2.5 hours and are listed for groups of 8 to 32 people.
A shared task gives people a natural starting point for conversation. Choosing a flavour combination or discussing a product name can be easier than making small talk with a colleague you barely know.
Once you’ve made your chocolate bar, you still need to name it, design the packaging, and prepare your pitch. Let colleagues decide how to share those jobs. Someone who dislikes presenting can help develop the product without having to stand up and sell it.
For teams that spend most of their day at a screen, making something by hand offers a welcome change of pace. You have an activity to focus on, time to chat and something tangible at the end.
Keep your expectations realistic, though. A team afternoon can help colleagues get to know each other, but one event will not resolve an ongoing communication problem. Choose it because it suits your people and your purpose.
Before comparing packages, decide what you want from the event.
If you are bringing together colleagues from different departments, a shared challenge gives them a reason to collaborate. You could mix the groups so people work with someone outside their usual team.
After a demanding few months, your team might prefer an afternoon making chocolate and chatting. If you’re booking a thank-you outing, leave enough time for people to enjoy each other’s company.
Before you book, send a quick poll by email or Teams: “Would you rather design and pitch a chocolate bar together, or make and taste chocolate without a competition?” Use the replies to narrow down your choice.
Start with an approximate headcount, then ask how your group will be organised.
At The Chocolatarium, groups larger than 16 are split into smaller groups because of room sizes. We can accommodate larger bookings across multiple time slots. Check the arrangement before booking, particularly if keeping everyone together matters to you.
Think about your team mix as well. For a collaborative challenge, avoid automatically putting every department into its own group. Mixing colleagues can create more opportunities to meet someone new.
Allow time for arrival and the activity itself. If people are coming from separate offices or travelling into Edinburgh, give them a clear meeting time and location.
Leave a gap before any restaurant reservation or train departure. A tightly packed schedule can make an enjoyable afternoon feel rushed.
For an event during working hours, confirm whether staff need to return to the office afterwards. Tell everyone the expected finish time so they can organise their day.
Compare the total cost for your group, including any minimum charge, rather than looking only at the price per person.
Your budget may also need to cover transport, a meal afterwards or refreshments elsewhere. Agree on those extras before sending the invitation, so colleagues know what the company will pay for.
If your headcount is still uncertain, ask when you need to confirm final numbers and what happens if someone cannot attend.
Ask colleagues to share dietary requirements privately before you book.
The Chocolatarium provides plant-based alternatives on its Tour of Chocolate and Truffle-Making Experiences. Its dietary guidance also explains that cross-contamination is possible. For a team challenge or a specific allergy, discuss the selected activity with the venue rather than assuming every option will be suitable. Read the dietary information before confirming your plans.
Give people a discreet way to share access requirements. Someone may need information about seating, mobility access or how much walking an activity involves.
Check the accessibility information and discuss any individual requirements before booking. For an activity that includes a scavenger hunt, make sure the walking element suits your group.
Ask who would like to present the chocolate bar before assigning the job. Give the group time to prepare, so nobody has to come up with a pitch on the spot.
If you’re a manager, resist taking charge of every decision. Let colleagues choose the flavours and work out how to sell their creation, even if you'd do it differently.
Keep competition friendly. There is a difference between having fun with a challenge and making people feel their performance is being assessed.
Managers can help by joining in, listening to ideas and letting others make decisions. The event is a chance to work together in a different setting, so allow people to try a role they would not usually take at work.
Once you have booked, send one clear message with the details people need:
Explain whether the event is a team challenge or a relaxed outing. People will feel more prepared if they know what to expect.
