IKEA launches global långbord events to celebrate Cooking & Eating Year and bring communities together

IKEA launches global långbord events to celebrate Cooking & Eating Year and bring communities together

(IN BRIEF) IKEA is launching its first-ever global celebration of the Swedish långbord, with more than 200 stores in at least 14 markets hosting communal dining events beginning September 13. The initiative marks the start of Cooking & Eating Year, aimed at bringing people together through food in a time when shared meals are increasingly rare. Events will range from free breakfasts in Sweden and Germany to a Cooking Session Festival in Paris and apron-themed activities in Spain and Italy. IKEA executives highlighted that growing customer interest in healthy cooking and eating has driven 16% growth in the cooking business over the past three years. With over 80 years of expertise in life at home, IKEA plans to expand its cooking and eating product lines and sustainable food offerings throughout the 2025–2026 financial year.

(PRESS RELEASE) LEIDEN, 12-Sep-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — For the first time, IKEA stores worldwide are uniting to invite customers to gather around a Swedish långbord—a long communal table symbolizing hospitality, togetherness, and informality. Beginning September 13, customers in more than 200 IKEA stores across at least 14 global markets will be welcomed to join the experience, which marks the launch of IKEA’s Cooking & Eating Year initiative.

The movement seeks to reignite the simple joy of preparing and sharing meals. With loneliness, hectic lifestyles, and limited kitchen spaces making communal eating less frequent, IKEA aims to reestablish food as a source of connection. “Food is more than fuel. It is a universal language of love, heritage, and belonging. Yet, in modern life, shared meals are becoming rarer. We believe it is time to bring people back together around food,” said Lorena Lourido Gomez, Global Food Manager at IKEA Retail (Ingka Group).

The långbord activations will be held primarily in IKEA restaurants—the heart of the in-store food experience—and tailored to each local market. In Sweden, 20 IKEA stores will serve free breakfast to 500 IKEA Family members each, aiming to bring together 10,000 people in one morning. In France, nearly all stores will host långbord gatherings, with Paris staging a Cooking Session Festival featuring live chefs, DJs, and IKEA-designed kitchens. In Canada, all IKEA restaurants (excluding small formats) will offer IKEA Family members a $1 breakfast on September 13, with proceeds supporting Breakfast Clubs of Canada. Germany’s stores will serve free breakfasts for the first 150 IKEA Family members and reward apron-wearing customers with €10 vouchers, alongside commercial and culinary activities throughout the day.

Seven European countries—including Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia—will also celebrate Apron Day with creative in-store events. In Spain, apron-wearing customers will receive a free pan, while Italy will treat those in aprons to complimentary lunches with family-friendly programming. Other participating markets will adapt the theme to local contexts, from cooking workshops to special discounts.

Tolga Öncu, Ingka Retail Manager (COO) at IKEA Retail (Ingka Group), noted:
“With over 80 years of expertise in life at home, IKEA is uniquely positioned to make cooking easier, more affordable, and more sustainable for the many people, regardless of budget, space, or lifestyle. For a while we have been seeing an increased interest from customers to eat healthier and cook more at home. In just the past three years, our cooking business has grown by 16% and reached a 5% global market share. We want to build on this momentum by leveraging our home furnishing knowledge and expanding our offer to bring the joy of cooking to even more customers in this financial year, starting September 1.”

The långbord celebrations are only the beginning. Over the 2025–2026 financial year, IKEA plans to launch more than 200 new cooking and eating products—from smart kitchen storage solutions to new dining tables—while also expanding its range of healthy and sustainable foods, including plant-based falafel balls and fish balls alongside its iconic meatballs.

About Ingka Group

With IKEA retail operations in 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents about 90% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on www.Ingka.com

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SOURCE: Ingka Holding B.V