We absolutely love the Traitors TV show. In fact, I even applied for season 3 but I never heard back, damn. Therefore if you’re equally as hooked to the series, why not consider this as a theme for your office Christmas party this winter?
I should mention it doesn’t have to be an office party, you could just book this with your friends, but I can see this being most popular with teams around 10-20 people who want to bring everyone together for a fun celebration before they split off for their Christmas holiday.
Where Does It Take Place?
We were at the Brighton Pavilion Gatehouse, which is a self catering property, down the bottom of Church Street, a mere 12 minute walk from the station, making it an easy journey back for those taking the train in.
There is a long room through the back where the main event takes place, as well as a decent sized waiting area at the front as everyone in your group arrives and enjoys a welcome tipple.
This venue has been chosen by Adventure Connections as an ideal large group accommodation, while they also have a number of options in case you all want to stay in Brighton afterwards, including townhouses and even country houses.
The Christmas package can be booked with OfficeChristmas, while the event is run by West End Events, a themed and immersive party specialist who run a number of Christmas party events, with themes like the Gatsby Ball or James Bond Skyballs.
So What Happens?
On arrival, we were welcomed with a glass of prosecco, my favourite drink so I’m instantly smiling. Of course, you know everyone you speak to might be a traitor soon, so you’re guard is up. No I’m joking; I had a great time mingling before all the madness begins.
There were even some cloaks dotted around with lighting shining up so you can get some great photos.
After this, the game is explained by your main host for the evening, before you head on through to the seating area. There is a long table for everyone, where you will be eating and playing the game.
You’ll receive a festive 3-course meal, as well as half a bottle of wine per person (however you can opt for the all inclusive package which includes unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks).
We were placed into smaller groups, so our group of 24 people became 3 groups of 8. This means it’s easier to communicate between each other.
We were given a scroll which we had to privately read and find out our role going forward. From that point on, the game truly begins, as you try to suss each other out and work out who are the trai…Imposters.
The Food
Dine Indulge are to thank for the 3 course masterpiece, a premier private chef and bespoke catering service providing tailored restaurant quality food throughout the UK. I can’t state for certain whether this will match what you eat on the day, but below are the meals we had, to provide an idea of the quality and choices on dishes.
Throughout the menu, there are vegetarian alternatives, while if you state any dietary requirements then they’re happy to adjust their food to match your request.
Starters
There were two options, the first being garlic prawns, pepper & paprika cream sauce with rosemary ciabatta, watercress and parsley. The alternative that I picked, as I’m not big on prawns, was the garlic mushrooms medley, pepper & paprika cream sauce with rosemary ciabatta, watercress and parsley.
The sauce was absolutely incredible, I wanted to sip it up yet equally didn’t want to be rude in front of others, but a few more glasses down and I wasn’t holding back, leaving not a drop on my plate.
Mains
For the mains, I went for the meat option, which was roasted chicken breast & pulled thigh, mustard & lemon gravy, pancetta chipolata, roast new potatoes, carrot & orange puree and sugar snap peas. This felt like a slight twist on a traditional roast dinner, while the chicken was really tender. It was also tasty without being too guilty, meaning you have some extra room for the dessert to come.
Of course, if you’re after the vegetarian option, then this did sound very tasty, being a feta & walnut stuffed Hasselback butternut squash with grilled red peppers, roast new potatoes, carrot & orange puree and sugar snap peas. I was actually quite tempted to go for this, but the protein from the chicken won me over.
Dessert
I believe when you book you get the choice of two desserts. On the day, we had a treacle tart with a caramelised pecan crust and clotted cream. Ah man I love clotted cream. I used to eat it when we would visit Cornwall, but that was literally half a lifetime ago, so I have missed this.
This was the perfect sweet end to the food before we went back to drinks galore.
How Long Does It Go On?
We arrived for around 6pm, but the ‘first act’ didn’t start till 7pm, while the event finished at around 10pm, ideal for those looking to jump on the train home.
Each course is split between the rounds of the game, so you have time to eat before going back into game-mode and trying to work each other out.