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Swedish retailer IKEA has opened a ‘Do-It-Yourself’ pop-up restaurant in London where the diners become star chefs in their very own eaterie.
Doors opened to the The Dining Club last Saturday (September 10). It will be located at N&C Showrooms on Shoreditch High Street until Sunday September 25.
Completely free of charge, members of the public can book to host a brunch, lunch or dinner party for up to 20 friends and family.
They can take over the restaurant, choosing their menu from a range of sharing dishes, including some Scandinavian classics, and will even have the restaurant named after them.
Under the supervision of a head chef, and supported by own sous chef and maître de, diners will ‘orchestrate an intimate foodie experience in a homely kitchen environment, to mimic an actual dinner party, but one where diners can host many more guests than usual’.
The cleaning up will be taken care of too, so hosts can spend quality time with their guests.
Patrons can also book a spot in the ‘Food for Thought’ workshop area where interactive master classes are hosted by an array of guests including Instagram star Pixie Turner and Edd Kimber, winner of the inaugural ‘The Great British Bake Off’ in 2010.
The workshops cover topics such as Swedish Baking, Fermentation, Clean Eating, The Future of Food, Sustainable Eating and Food Styling Tips.
For those without a booking for The Dining Club, there is still much to do and see within the space, including an IKEA shop with homewares for sale. Also on display are kitchen showrooms in various sizes and styles. Upon visiting, the general public will also leave The Dining Club with an IKEA treat.
IKEA business leader Jordi Esquinas 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 [see separate story] 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.”
