A former Vice President at Bosch has turned his expertise from the automotive industry into a new venture in the food sector, offering unique corporate workshops with a culinary twist. Rajesh Darji, who left his high-profile role after 22 years, launched his Leamington Spa-based business, Scratch Cook Social, earlier this year. His company provides private dining experiences, catering, and now, a new offering—the Spice Blending Team Building Experience.
Darji, who is a self-taught chef, has combined his extensive leadership experience with his passion for food to create an immersive team-building workshop designed to foster better collaboration in the workplace. Drawing from his years of managing global teams, Darji’s workshops offer companies an innovative way to engage staff, especially in the wake of challenges brought on by the pandemic.
The three-hour Spice Blending Team Building Experience takes participants on a journey of spice exploration, with Darji guiding them through the process of blending flavours while discussing the dynamics of team innovation. He uses his background in delivering high-tech solutions in the automotive sector to parallel the challenges of corporate collaboration with the art of blending spices.
“Through spice blending, we appreciate the unique qualities of each spice, just as we do with each team member,” Darji explained. “The power of collaboration emerges when these spices—like colleagues—come together to create something greater than the sum of their parts.”
The workshop involves participants experimenting with nine different spices and forming smaller teams, ideally comprising individuals from different functional areas within their company. Each team is then tasked with creating a unique masala blend, using their creativity to reflect their blend’s purpose.
After the challenge, participants enjoy a specially curated meal cooked by Darji himself, while their custom spice blends are ground and prepared for them to take home.
Darji believes that his spice workshops offer businesses a tangible way to improve team dynamics. “Team innovation helps companies measure how well they can react to unexpected changes in the business environment,” he said. “It’s not about one department making or breaking the company; it’s how all departments—whether finance, engineering, or sales—collaborate toward a common goal.”
Darji’s journey from a successful career in automotive engineering to a food entrepreneur has been shaped by his diverse experiences living and working abroad. Born to first-generation Indian immigrants, he graduated in Automotive Engineering from Coventry University before working in the US and Germany. His extensive travels have influenced his culinary style, incorporating flavours and techniques from Indian, French, Italian, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese cuisines.
He added: “Indian food is often perceived as spicy, but it’s much more than that. I enjoy experimenting with global ingredients while retaining Indian flavours and presenting them in a contemporary way.”
In addition to the workshops, Darji showcases his culinary skills at pop-up dining events in Leamington Spa. As he approaches the first anniversary of Scratch Cook Social, he’s looking forward to expanding his business and continuing to share his love of food and creativity with others.
For more information on Scratch Cook Social and the Spice Blending Team Building Experience, visit: https://www.scratchcooksocial.com.
