The 21st March 2023 saw the first ever Gratte Prix held in our King’s Cross Head Office! The heat was on as staff battled it out to be crowned the fastest of them all…
We have been proud partners of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport for well over thirty years. The partnership is one held very dearly by Gratte Brothers and MB Motorsport but even more so by Mark Blundell (Sporting Director) personally, as Gratte Brothers represent the former Formula One Driver’s first-ever corporate sponsor. The alliance is a testament to the approach that underlines the values of both Gratte Brothers and the MB Motorsport organisation, insomuch that success is achieved by nurturing strong relationships with like-minded partners.
To celebrate the continuation of our partnership into 2023 and beyond, the MB team facilitated a hands-on simulator day at our Head Office. This included the temporary installation of two custom-built race simulators. In the traditional style of Top Gear, a magnetic leaderboard recorded the all-important race times with many competitors taking multiple attempts to improve their time. Staff battled it out to win accolades including Fastest Driver, Most Competitive and Most Entertaining Driver. The competition for each title was fierce and made for a truly enjoyable and successful team-building day. The triumphant winners of these awards were;
🏆 Fastest Time: Sam Rogers
🏆 Most Competitive: Rob Given
🏆 Most Entertaining: Annette Alphe
Group Managing Director, David Gratte, said of the day:
“The first ever Gratte Prix at our Head Office was a great opportunity to celebrate our long-standing partnership with MB Motorsport. It was brilliant to see so many people get involved and we’ve heard nothing but positive feedback since! We would like to wish Jake and the MB Motorsport team the best of luck for the upcoming BTCC season and look forward to celebrating their inevitable successes.”
Mark Blundell, Sporting Director of MB Motorsports, added:
“It was a fantastic day delivering our first ever #GrattePrix alongside the team here at MB Motorsport. There was a real buzz in the office all day and we are really grateful for all the staff who got involved and competitive on the simulators! We’re really proud of our partnership with Gratte Brothers and look forward to welcoming as many of their team and clients trackside throughout the 2023 BTCC season.”
Make sure you check out our image gallery at the bottom of this page, or watch the video coverage to get a glimpse of the day!
With the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season just around the corner we thoroughly enjoyed getting into the spirit of things ahead of time. Across the season, Gratte Brothers and Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport will be working on a number of exciting opportunities and activations and we will be sure to share our updates with you all. Our thanks go to MB Motorsport for facilitating such a fantastic team-building day for us, and to everyone at Gratte Brothers who joined in with the Gratte Prix! We can’t wait to watch Jake show us how it’s done on the real race track this season.
The Gratte Prix Visits Gratte Brothers | Foodservice Solutions
At Gratte Brothers Catering Equipment Ltd, we know that a successful team is built on effective communication, trust, and collaboration. That’s why yesterday (4th October 2023), we hosted another unforgettable team-building day, the “Gratte Prix”, that offered our employees a break from the norm and a chance to boost collaboration, skill-building, and fun, all from the comfort of our office!
🏁 The Ultimate Team-Building Experience: MB Motorsport’s Driving Simulator
Yesterday’s team-building event brought an exciting and unique twist to the traditional office scene. We transformed our reception area into a high-tech driving simulator centre, complete with state-of-the-art equipment that put our team in the driver’s seat of a thrilling day.
Why Do We Value Team Days?
Building Trust: Trusting your teammates is crucial when you’re navigating a complex project or a busy kitchen. The Gratte Prix built trust through a shared experience: encouraging conversation and a chance to reconnect outside the demands of a busy inbox or job-list. The trust developed during this exercise will undoubtedly carry over into our daily work, acting as some ‘planned maintenance’ to retain the excellent sense of camaraderie among our team.
Improving Decision-Making: Just like in the world of catering installations, quick, effective decision-making is vital on the road (even if it’s just on-screen). Our team members had to make split-second decisions and trust their own judgment to secure the fastest track times possible. This skill will undoubtedly prove invaluable when faced with time-sensitive decisions in our day-to-day tasks.
Stress Management: Our work environment is very fast-paced. We are always exceptionally proud of the work our teams deliver, but it’s imperative that we integrate opportunities for fun to look after the wellbeing of our hard-workers!
The Winners
The leader-board was eagerly watched throughout the day, as competitors vied for the top spot. As the day drew to a close, there was a clear winner; Paul Gilhooly claimed first place with his incredible lap time, closely followed by Saul Smith in second. We were delighted to be visited by several suppliers and clients throughout the day, who all happily took part in the Gratte Prix. The prize for the fastest lap time in our supplier & client category was Jake Roylance from Whitbread! The winners not only walked away with bragging rights, but also a bottle of champagne each.
Thank You!
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated employees, and some of our clients and suppliers who participated wholeheartedly in yesterday’s unforgettable Gratte Prix. Your enthusiasm, teamwork, and willingness to embrace this unique experience truly embody the spirit of Gratte Brothers. Thanks also to the team at MB Motorsport for facilitating the second Gratte Prix. Your professionalism, expertise and coordination ensured the day went without a single hitch, and maximised enjoyment for everyone here.
Scroll through the gallery below for the day’s highlights…
(Image credit: Michael Pearce, MB Motorsport)
