The era of the pristine, Instagram-perfect dinner party may be officially over. According to the newly released IKEA Cooking & Eating Report 2026, the global kitchen is defined by "comfortable chaos," where traditional rituals are being rewritten by screen time, shrinking living spaces, and a desire for comfort over convention.
For Food & Beverage (F&B) professionals, the headline is clear: the dining table is losing its dominance. With nearly 1 in 5 people globally now eating dinner on the sofa—and nearly half of the UK population doing so—the industry must adapt to a consumer base that is increasingly mobile, time-poor, and digitally distracted.
The Migration from Table to Sofa
The traditional notion of "sitting down to eat" is becoming fluid. While 44% of global respondents still eat at a kitchen table, alternative dining spots are gaining significant traction:
The Sofa Surge: 18% of people globally now eat dinner on the sofa. In the UK, this figure spikes to 48%, suggesting a massive cultural shift toward informal dining.
Bedroom Dining: 4% of people globally eat in bed. This trend is most pronounced in the US and Hungary, where residents are twice as likely (9%) to dine under the duvet.
The Standing Room: 4% of respondents report eating while standing in the kitchen, highlighting the "fuel and go" mentality of modern life.
The Tableless Home: In a striking statistic, British households are nearly three times more likely than the global average to simply not own a dining table at all.
The Digital Dinner Guest
Screens have become a permanent fixture at mealtime, challenging the idea of food as a purely social connector.
Solo Viewing: 54% of people watch TV when eating alone.
Communal Viewing: Even when living with others, 40% of people watch TV while eating together.
Device-Free Zones: Only 7% of households enforce a "no device" policy at the table.
Lorena Lourido Gomez of IKEA notes, "These findings reveal how modern life is reshaping one of our most human rituals... reflecting growing concerns about loneliness and digital distraction, even as 60% say connection through food matters to them."
Comfortable Chaos & The "Spotless" Myth
The report debunks the myth of the perfect kitchen. Consumers are embracing "comfortable chaos," prioritising reality over aesthetics.
Space Struggles: 25% of cooks cite a lack of storage and surface space as their biggest frustration.
Waste vs. Wallet: Sustainability is driven by pragmatism. 55% of respondents admit to eating expired food to avoid waste, with Germany leading this trend.
Cooking Frequency: Despite the chaos, the passion remains. 82% enjoy cooking, with the global average sitting at 5 home-cooked meals per week. However, time is the enemy—38% of Gen Z and 33% of Millennials cite lack of time as the primary barrier to cooking.
Nostalgia over Novelty
While 25% of consumers want to try new foods, comfort reigns supreme.
Nostalgia: 40% of people enjoy eating foods tied to childhood memories.
The Sweet Tooth: 46% of global consumers identify as having a sweet tooth, rising to 64% in China.
The Spicy Divide: 47% of Norwegians love spicy flavours, compared to only 13% of Japanese respondents.
