The rise of the large table: a response to our times
In an increasingly connected yet paradoxically individualistic world, catering is becoming a space for social reconnection. The concept of communal tables, which originated in Denmark with the tradition of fællesspisning (“eating together”), embodies this desire for sharing and conviviality.
In France, Le Pain Quotidien was a forerunner, introducing large tables for sharing in its outlets to encourage exchanges between strangers. A model that has spread to many European capitals, responding to a deep-seated need for commensality, a term championed by Nadia Sammut of La Fenière restaurant, which evokes the art of sharing a meal to create social ties.
The health crisis has amplified this desire for conviviality. Telecommuting, the digitalization of interactions and the rise of the liberal professions have fragmented our lives, reinforcing the desire to gather around a table, to share a meal in a warm setting.
Copenhagen, Berlin, Paris… cities that are breathing new life into communal meals
Photo credits: © Giuseppe Liverino
Northern Europe has seen the emergence of inspiring models where the meal becomes a moment of collective sharing.
In Copenhagen, Absalon offers affordable community meals where everyone shares large plates.
Berlin has seized on this trend with places like Michelberger Restaurant, where large tables create a spirit of camaraderie.
In France, third-party food outlets are gaining ground. Le Télégraphe, an urban hostel initiated by Marion Kaplan, embodies this philosophy of encounters and transmission around food.
When a wood fire sublimates the experience of sharing
For centuries, fire has brought people together. In villages, people used to gather around the communal oven where bread and family dishes were baked. Today, this tradition is being revived by restaurants and bakeries that are putting the wood-fired oven back at the heart of their culinary offerings.
The promise of wood-fired cooking is twofold: an inimitable taste, enhanced by natural smoking and intense heat, and a show in the dining room. A wood-fired oven open to the dining area becomes a central point of attraction, arousing the curiosity of guests and reinforcing the immersive dining experience. This trend can also be observed in certain coworking spaces or third places, where food becomes a pretext for gathering and collective creativity.
Bread, wine and fire: the magic of dishes to share
Great, convivial dishes find their essence in this authentic cuisine. Meat roasted slowly in the embers develops deep aromas and unrivalled tenderness. Bread, with its crispy golden crust, reveals incomparable texture and flavor thanks to wood-fired cooking. Slow-cooked dishes are the obvious choice for generous tables, where patience and mastery of the fire exalt the flavors.
In the south of France, Lo Pichotome in Forcalquier is one of those pizzerias that use wood-fired ovens to create a unique, immersive taste experience. Here, the enveloping heat of the oven doesn’t just bake the pizzas, it creates a setting where sharing becomes natural, where each bite recalls an ancestral culinary tradition.
Restaurants and bakers: why adopt this cooking style?
The combination of communal tables and a wood-fired oven offers many advantages for professionals. It’s a powerful selling point, emphasizing authenticity, show cooking and differentiation. It’s also an
Wood-fired ovens for this new trend
A number of professional wood-fired ovens have set themselves apart to keep pace with this evolution. The
Le Loule
2m² and 4m² Baker
L’Artisan 130 and L’Artisan 160
The table of the future: back to basics or reinvention?
The common tables and wood-fired oven respond to the same quest for authenticity and sharing. As the world of catering continues to evolve, these trends give new meaning to the act of gathering around a meal. A return to our roots, yet a modern and inspiring reinvention, proving that conviviality is more than ever a value for the future.
Photo credits: © Giuseppe Liverino
