Breaking Bread

Intimate and full of flavour, supper clubs are reviving the art of shared dining

- DANIELLA THEIS

IT is hard to beat the feeling of coming together over good food. It is a time to connect, laugh and share stories with friends, family or partners.

But what about dining with strangers? Many cultures around the world do so, and even in the UK there is a history of people eating this way.

During the World Wars, communal kitchens were established to combat food shortages and improve national health, but these were later disbanded and the notions, in ways, forgotten.

"There is a difference between hosting private supper clubs for couples or individual groups," says chef William Rhys Hamer, head chef of Wild Kabn Kitchen.

Formed as a collaboration between himself and Kabn Company, who offer luxury off-grid retreats on the shores of Loch Fyne, Wild Kabn runs supper clubs once a month from a Victorian greenhouse on Ardkinglas Estate.

"The vibe is completely different," William says of the clubs. "I always tell guests who come for communal supper clubs that the people around the table are the most important part of the night. The food is just the vessel. The main thing is about interacting with one another, and through that you create these connections.

"We had one last weekend where people were exchanging numbers," he adds. "It is incredible what these exchanges can do. That is the power of what food can do: bring together people from all these different aspects of life."