mise en place mayhem

A Fast-Paced Relay Where Prep Work Gets Competitive

Before you cook like a champion, you’ve got to prep like a pro. Mise en Place Mayhem turns the everyday art of ingredient prep into a thrilling team-based race: one that blends speed, precision, and a whole lot of strategy.

In this hands-on challenge, your team will face a themed series of culinary tasks tied directly to the main event ahead. The catch? It’s a true relay. Only one person can work at a time, meaning communication and quick thinking are just as important as knife skills.

As you slice, zest, chop, and dice your way through the mayhem, the clock ticks and the pressure rises. The fastest team may just unlock a key advantage for the main event, but only if your prep meets the mark.

Expect high energy, a little chaos, and a lot of laughs. Whether you’re the calm and quiet precision player or the adrenaline-fueled finisher, every teammate plays a crucial role.

Think you’ve got what it takes to master the mayhem? Let’s find out.

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more about mise en place mayhem

 A Fast-Paced Prep Relay Where Speed Meets Skill

Welcome to Mise en Place Mayhem: a culinary relay challenge that’s as thrilling as it is essential. Before your team can cook like champions, you’ll need to prep like professionals. This high-energy event tests not just your knife skills and kitchen know-how, but also your communication, teamwork, and timing.

In Mise en Place Mayhem, your team will work together to complete a series of ingredient prep tasks, but here’s the twist: only one person works at a time. It’s a true relay. As soon as one teammate finishes their task, the next jumps in. The faster and more accurately your team completes the relay, the better positioned you’ll be heading into the main cooking challenge.

How It Works

  • Teams will receive a list of prep tasks that directly relate to the theme of the day’s main cooking competition.

  • Before the challenge begins, your team will strategize and assign a teammate to each task based on their skills.

  • The relay begins with the first team member. Once their task is complete and approved, the next teammate begins, and so on.

  • Judging is based on speed and accuracy: sloppy prep work can cost you time or points!

Example Theme: Tacos

If the day’s main dish is tacos, your Mise en Place Mayhem prep challenge might be to create a perfect salsa base. That means you’ll need to handle:

  1. Onion Opener – Dice one onion to chef’s standards (even size, clean cut, no crying allowed)

  2. Tomato Tango – Core and dice two tomatoes with finesse and minimal mess

  3. Pepper Precision – Seed and dice one jalapeño or similar chili with careful cuts

  4. Citrus Finale – Zest and juice a lime, then finely chop fresh cilantro, precision is key

Each stage will be timed and checked by a judge before the next teammate can begin.

The Payoff

  • The ingredients your team preps will go directly into your final cooking competition.

  • The fastest and cleanest team may earn a bonus advantage, like a pantry pick priority or a time boost.

Why It’s Awesome

Mise en Place Mayhem is fun, frantic, and full of strategy. It’s where team dynamics shine, and where even the quietest chef might show they’ve got the fastest knife in the room. It’s also a powerful warm-up that gets everyone thinking, moving, and preparing to crush the main event.

Ready to race the clock and prove your prep power? It’s mayhem, but with a mise en place mindset.

  • Culinary Experiences are interactive cooking competitions designed for people who love to watch cooking competition shows, and have always wanted to try it for themselves.

  • These experiences are designed for:

    • Friends and family gatherings

    • Visitors to Sonoma County

    • Locals looking for a group activity

    • Corporate or team-building groups

    • Wine club groups and special interest groups

    No professional cooking experience required!

  • Most experiences are designed for adults. There are three options to consider in designing your experience:

    1. Adults over 18 only;

    2. Mixed group of adults over 18 and teens aged 11-18;

    3. Teen groups aged 11-18 only

    We will work together to design the perfect experience for your group, regardless of age!

  • No. Experiences are designed to be approachable and enjoyable for all skill levels. A little experience in the kitchen is helpful, but your group will work in teams, so you will likely have at least a few people with experience.

  • Locations vary based on your group’s needs.

    • Small groups (6-12) can often use a standard size kitchen, either at your own home, or a rental property for visitors

    • Large groups (12-16), or those in need of a larger space, can use the Cooking for a Crowd kitchen

  • Group sizes vary depending on the experience, but most events are designed for medium-sized groups. Since the experiences are competition based, the minimum group size is six people. Teams will be divided into groups of three or four, depending on group size. The maximum size is 16 people.

    If you are interested in a larger experience, we can work together to provide it. (Our biggest group has been 50 people!)

    If your group is smaller than six, contact us, and we can try to schedule two smaller groups together. The nature of the competition requires at least six people.

  • Pricing includes:

    • All food & ingredients

    • At least two hosts, or more, depending on group size

    • Setup & cleanup related to the experience

    • Any additional costs (such as wine purchases or venue fees if needed) will be clearly stated and agreed upon in advance

  • Pricing varies by experience and group size. Most experiences start at a per-person rate, with add on item pricing available upon request. Current pricing will always be listed on the experiences page.

  • Yes! All experiences are private experiences!

  • No. We are not licensed to provide alcoholic beverages, and you will be using knives!

    Depending on location of the experience, you may be able to offer your own drinks following the competition, while you eat and judge each other.

  • Yes, many dietary needs can be accommodated with advance notice, including vegetarian and gluten-free. Please share any restrictions when booking.

  • Most experiences require nothing beyond comfortable clothing and a willingness to participate. Any specific requirements will be communicated in advance. If you have long hair, bring something to tie it back.

  • We recommend booking at least 2–4 weeks in advance, especially for weekends and peak travel seasons.

  • Cancellation policies will be clearly outlined at the time of your booking. Because food needs to be purchased in advance, experiences must be cancelled at least three days prior to the event, and may incur a cancellation penalty.

  • Tipping is never required but is always appreciated if you feel the experience exceeded expectations.

  • Experiences can be booked directly through our website. Fill out the contact form, and we will get back to you to determine group size, date & time, and help you choose the best combination of experiences to suit your group.

  • Experiences are hosted by Cooking for a Crowd. Depending on the size of your group, you will have at least two people hosting. They will lead all activities, setup and cleanup related to the experience, and make sure you and your group have the best time possible!

  • If you’re unsure which experience fits your group, reach out — we’re happy to help you choose or create something that works.

Frequently asked questions

Schedule an experience

If you're interested in booking an experience with us, complete the form with a few details about your needs. We'll review your message and get back to you within 48 hours.