The UK has experienced a 22% decline in weekly family meals, with more than a quarter of Brits eating at least one meal a day on their own, according to new research.
Furniture giant Ikea found that only half of British families find the time for a sit-down family meal at least once every week – a sharp fall from 72% in the previous generation.
Ikea said that the results show that British dinner parties are “under threat” – with 42% of Brits claiming they can’t cook, and nearly a quarter feeling that they don’t have enough space to host a dinner party. This is despite almost 30% of people wanting to entertain guests at least once a month, the Swedish chain claimed.
It has launched a fully immersive do-it-yourself restaurant to encourage consumers to cook and eat together. Opening its doors this weekend, the restaurant will offer members of the public the opportunity to host a brunch, lunch or dinner party for up to 20 friends and family. Supported by their own sous chef and maître d’, the host and their guests will orchestrate an intimate dining experience “where cooking together is celebrated and eating together is inspirational”.
Jordi Esquinas, business leader for Ikea, said: “At Ikea we feel that the joy of cooking and eating together is not just about making food, but about creating lasting memories, along with connecting and sharing with those you love. Our research has found that more of us want to host dinner parties but feel that they are unable to do so. With the launch of The Dining Club, we hope to create the perfect place to bring people together to enjoy a meal from beginning to end without the stress.”
To further inspire people to create wonderful food and memories together, Ikea has selected food that can be prepared, shared and eaten as a group at The Dining Club. These dishes include Scandinavian classics, such as venison and wild mushrooms, as well as modern sharing dishes.
The research is confirmed by a previous survey of 2,000 people, which showed that almost half of all meals in the UK are eaten alone.
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