Worcestershire players enjoy cooking challenge

WORCESTERSHIRE PLAYERS ENJOY COOKING CHALLENGE Eight Worcestershire players swapped their bats and balls for whisks and wooden spoons when they took part in a staff cookery challenge at New Road. The players joined coaches and other staff at the club to demonstrate their culinary skills in a fun day organised by PCA Personal Development Manager Lynsey Williams and Scott Fuszard, Worcestershire’s Head Chef. The players split into teams for a cook-off, which was judged by staff members. Red Tomatoes, comprising Olly Westbury, George Rhodes, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and George Scrimshaw, were voted the winners for their tasty courses of roasted red pepper and tomato soup, coq au vin with vegetable side dishes and Moroccan vegetable tagine. The winning team. ” It’s been great to see the players in the kitchen learning how to prepare food and develop some new skills,” Williams said. ” Both teams produced some tasty food which was enjoyed by all the staff. This experience forms part of the PCA Personal Development Programme at the club which this off-season has seen the squad receive education in the areas of gambling and sleep management, as well as taking part in a wheelchair basketball session through our links with Worcester University.” In addition to improving their cooking skills, the day also proved a useful team-building exercise ahead for the players of the new domestic season. ” It made sense to combine this cooking skills session with a larger staff get-together ahead of the start of the season,” Williams said. ” Adding in the competitive element helped focus the day and playing and non-playing staff thoroughly enjoyed tasting, giving feedback and casting their votes. ” We followed the tasting with a fun team building exercise that challenged mixed groups to build a vehicle that could carry an object the furthest across the table using wind power only. This took everyone out of their comfort zones, encouraged discussion and creativity and was lots of fun too.”