As 2020 came to a close, we had time to reflect and join together in small, yet personal settings. When we could, we celebrated the things we achieved, listened to one another and showed our community support through the uncharted waters, of what has been the hardest hitting global pandemic, since the Spanish flu in 1918.
Future Forum in the UK showed us at the end of last year, the majority of 4,700 workers surveyed said they never want to go back to the old way of working. Only 12% want to return to full-time office work, and 72% want a hybrid remote-office model moving forward.
In the Netherlands, research conducted by PWC weighed up the cost benefit of working from home vs working from the office. Their report suggests that more people working from home can lead to a weaker organisational culture.
‘A weaker organisational culture can erode brand strength and therefore lead to less recognition by customers and less customer loyalty.’
Aperitivo: Prosciutto San Danielle with homemade grissini and mōi olive tapenade.
So what does all this mean for a young, innovative, Dutch company like nuud?
Founded in 2017, nuud offers effective, planet-loving deodorant. 100% natural, vegan and cruelty-free, nuud comes delivered to your doorstep in a CO2 neutral way and in a sugar cane tube. With already over 750K happy armpits, it’s safe to say nuud cares about customer loyalty.
In December last year, Nikki’s Cooking Project was approached by Martijn van Seters, Co-founder & Managing Director and Ieva Stuikyte, Marketing & Project Manager at nuud, to discuss the possibility of creating something special for their team in Amsterdam. A small, COVID compliant dinner together, to say thank you and a chance for everyone to let their hair down, pardon the pun.
mōi olive tapenade - available on the web store soon!
Primo: Tuna Crudo and Grapefruit salad with Lemon Pistachio dressing
For what had been a pretty turbulent year in business, it was clear from our initial conversations, that for nuud, getting the team together was an important part of the culture. Curating the event, Ieva had assured me everyone had been thought of. Even those in other parts of the Netherlands had a special dinner experience planned.
Virtual drinks would kick off at 7pm with everyone on screen, gezellig!
We discussed a few menu and delivery options and penciled in a date.
Unfortunately as the time approached, it became evident we had to pivot. New COVID regulations meant we had to split up the team in smaller groups and plan for a new date. Of course we were flexible, imaginative with what was possible and planned the new date. We even tweaked the experience to include Nikki herself as the in house cook for the secondi - main course!
Secondi: Pici Carbonara with Italian Truffle Sausage
Dolce: Tiramisu
On the night the vibe and atmosphere was really something special.
It showed clearly that being together is an essential part of building a healthy and supportive team culture in your company.
Guests at the event, rated the overall dining experience 4.5 out of 5 stars. They enjoyed most of all the experience of having an in house private cook and described the dishes as ‘restaurant quality, really delicious!’
The team enjoying secondi: Pici Carbonara with Italian Truffle Sausage
Even in times when we are challenged by constraints, let imagination, patience and optimism prevail, anything is possible.
x Nikki
Founder & Creator for mōi
Previously as Nikki’s Cooking Project
*all photos courtesy of Ieva Stuikyte