There is something rather lovely about the idea of a shared meal. Not a tasting menu, not a chef’s table experience, not a dinner reservation that requires setting three alarms and sacrificing your firstborn to secure a booking. Just people gathering around food.
That is the thinking behind The Big Lunch, the annual community initiative that encourages neighbours, friends and strangers to come together over a bite to eat. Since launching in 2009, millions of people across the UK have taken part, whether by hosting street parties, sharing dishes in village halls, organising picnics in parks or simply pulling up a chair and getting to know the people who live nearby.
