
Worlds first TV Dinners for U restaurant opens in London to mark the launch of new free streaming service, U
Average Brit spends four and a half years watching TV in their lifetime, with 208 dinners eaten in front of the television annually
Half of all evening meals now eaten in front of the TV screen, the equivalent of over 208 million TV dinners a week
Worlds first TV dinners restaurant set to open in response to study findings, using food science to enhance viewing experience
UKTVs free streaming platform U, with 8,500 hours of content, has created the pop-up eatery which promises to elevate the TV dining experience by pairing food with curated TV shows available on U
Tuesday 2 July 2024 The worlds first TV Dinners for U restaurant is opening in London in a fortnight, providing guests with the ultimate TV dinner experience - scientifically pairing food with a curated list of TV shows available on new free streaming service, U, to suit every taste.
The experience was created off the back of research, which revealed that Britain is officially a nation of TV addicts - with three and a half weeks a year spent in front of the telly, the equivalent of four and a half years across an average adults lifetime.
Whats more, over half (57%) of all evening meals are eaten whilst watching our favourite shows.
A quarter (27%) of respondents who took part in a study of 2,000 adults admitted they eat a meal in front of the TV every single day, with the average person watching an hour and 40 minutes of television daily.
U, the new free streaming service from UKTV, which launches on 16th July, has teamed up with food scientist Dr Stuart Farrimond to curate a menu of dishes to enhance the viewing experience of new and well-loved shows that are available on the service.
Guests can choose a number of shows to watch including brand new entertainment show, Battle in the Box, based on a hit Korean format, which sees pairs of comics and celebrities battle it out for pride, prizes and most importantly, floorspace.
Food science expert Dr Stuart Farrimond began by identifying five genres available on U and spent multiple hours and tested dozens of recipes and possible flavour combinations to perfect the menu.
Dr Stuart Farrimonds findings include:
Factual & Real Life - with calming foods that aid clear thinking
Entertainment & Comedy - a mood-boosting menu for sharing
Action-adventure Shows - intense flavours for added excitement
Comforting Classics - comforting foods that feel familiar
Crime Drama - food to evoke intrigue and concentration
The restaurant will provide guests with a specially curated menu, informed by science, to enhance and elevate the TV viewing and dining experience. Once diners have selected their U show of choice, theyll be invited to pop in their headphones and settle in to enjoy their TV dinner.
Dr Stuart Farrimond, Food Science Expert, said:
The fact that TV dinners were invented in the 1950s is testament to how, for as long as televisions have been in our homes, we have eaten in front of them. The combination of good food and a great TV show offers an immersive escape and a multisensory experience that Brits love to enjoy. By applying the latest flavour science research to the selection of TV shows available on the free streaming platform U, I have devised meals that, whether youre watching a comforting classic or edge-of-your-seat crime drama, are designed to intensify and enhance the TV viewing experience.
Penny Brough, Chief Marketing Officer, UKTV said:
Were a self-confessed nation of TV addicts, who love nothing more than watching our favourite shows during dinner. With our TV Dinners For U restaurant, were taking this moment of enjoyment to the next level, combining Us extraordinary range of free quality content with a science enhanced food menu to create a truly unique, and first of its kind, immersive dining-viewing experience. After all, great quality television that people truly love deserves great food.
The research also showed that when it comes to TV dining habits, a whopping 95% of Brits admit to having eaten dinner in front of the telly. Even the beloved Sunday roast is susceptible to being eaten in front of the box, with more than a third (36%) of Brits admitting to having done so at least once in the past year whilst one in five (19%) admit to watching TV during their Christmas dinner!
Changing viewing habits mean that the TV dinner isnt always on the sofa, almost half (49%) will try and catch TV on their phone or tablet wherever theyre eating, if they cannot get in front of the TV. More than half (51%) of those polled believe watching TV pairs well with eating dinner, and with three in ten (30%) Brits inspired to adapt their dinner to what theyre watching on TV, the TV Dinners restaurant will offer a menu of dishes curated to pair perfectly with the programmes available on U.
According to the study, the top dilemmas when making telly choices include; the mood were in when watching (52%), the length of the programme (47%) and the genre of the show (47%). Over three-quarters (77%) of Brits admit to re-watching a favourite show, some of us as many as five times.
From fact-hounds and car enthusiasts to armchair sleuths and reality TV junkies, U will be home to almost 8,500 hours of free content, comprising of new programming, exclusive shows, award-winning originals, and iconic programmes from the BBC.
Us TV Dinners restaurant will be open to the public on Wednesday 17th July 2024 in Londons Holborn and is available to book for free here
Location: 300 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7JH Dates: Wednesday 17th July 2024 Times: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Tickets: Free, limited tickets available on Eventbrite
Alongside viewer favourites and popular back-catalogue hits such as The Bill and Classic EastEnders, audiences will be able to enjoy ne
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
17/04/2026
The World Fencing League (WFL) has announced DAZN as its primary global streamin...
17/04/2026
ARRI Releases ALEXA 35 SUP 6.0 and LPS-1 SUP 1.3 Software Updates
ARRI has announced software updates for its ALEXA 35 Live camera and Live Production System L...
17/04/2026
Sennheiser has announced Spectera Studio, an offline system planner for its Spec...
17/04/2026
Deltatre and the German Football Association (DFB) have announced DFB.TV+, a DFB-owned direct-to-consumer streaming service developed and operated by Deltatre. ...
17/04/2026
Global sports marketing agency IMG has announced new senior leadership roles, designed to strengthen how it supports rightsholders and partners in the midst of ...
17/04/2026
NAGRAVISION and Harmonic have announced a watermarking-as-a-service solution for...
17/04/2026
NETGEAR and EVS Broadcast Equipment have announced a global technology partnersh...
17/04/2026
America's broadcasters are launching the NEXTGEN TV Converter Box Program, a new initiative designed to provide millions of American viewers with a low-cost...
17/04/2026
Quantum Corp. will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N1726), presenting what it ca...
17/04/2026
Leadership and Staff Announce '20/20 Vision' Playbook...
17/04/2026
TNT Sports has announced a multi-year agreement for U.S. media rights to the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Three events will air on truTV - the 24 Hou...
17/04/2026
Scripps Sports has announced a multi-year broadcast partnership with PBR (Profes...
17/04/2026
Adder Technology, a specialist in connectivity solutions and high performance IP KVM, today announced the latest release of AIM, its IP KVM matrix management so...
17/04/2026
Victory , a free sports streaming platform from A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC), has announced a multi-year content distribution partnership with the Dallas Cowb...
17/04/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level have one major thing in common: the intensity and attention to detail ramps up dur...
17/04/2026
Quickplay has announced the full-scale deployment of Gray Media's streaming ...
17/04/2026
Clear-Com has introduced the FreeSpeak Cell cellular-based wireless intercom system that uses LTE and 5G infrastructure to support large-scale production commun...
17/04/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off Saturday, April 18, with the show floor and exhibits opening April 19-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show features more ...
17/04/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
17/04/2026
Versatile ribbon mic kit revealed
The latest arrival to the AEA line-up brings together three contrasting models from their Nuvo range, delivering a versati...
17/04/2026
Revealed following sold-out MPG Awards ceremony
Following another sold-out MPG Awards ceremony at The Troxy in London, the MPG have released a full list of ...
17/04/2026
L3Harris towed array systems provide U.S. Navy submarines with extended acoustic...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Cobalt Digital and SineSix Media Partner to Transform Accessibility Compliance into a More Engaging Viewer Experience at NAB Show 2026
Collaboration integrates...
17/04/2026
Strengthening Appear's North America team with a new Vice President of Business Development
Appear ASA (Appear, OSE: APR), a global leader in live producti...
17/04/2026
New framework helps broadcasters, streaming platforms, and sports organizations apply AI to live video for monetization, metadata, highlights, and downstream wo...
17/04/2026
New whitepaper gives broadcasters and OTT operators independent, codec-by-codec evidence that the VisualOn Optimizer transforms viewer quality of experience.
V...
17/04/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces New Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive 100G
Brie Clayton April 17, 2026
0 Comments
World's first immersive cinema camera f...
17/04/2026
NAB 2026: Vubiquity and Eluvio Showcase Streaming Solution that Significantly Re...
17/04/2026
What Makes a Good Marathon Running Playlist? We asked Xander Dawson, an eighth-semester saxophone major at Boston Conservatory running the Boston Marathon thi...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
At NAB Show 2026, PTZOptics (Booth N1902) will showcase a live sports streaming demo created in collaboration with Moondream, offering a new look at how Visual ...
17/04/2026
The Eindhoven University of Technology is a research university in the Netherlands spanning 25 buildings, specialising in engineering, science and technology. D...
17/04/2026
Documentary Editor - US, Remote
Brie Clayton April 17, 2026
0 Comments
Documentary Editor
April 13, 2026Freelance Video Cameraman - Los......
17/04/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces New Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF 100G
Brie Clayton April 17, 2026
0 Comments
Revolutionary digital film camera brings cinem...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Dubformer, the AI-powered dubbing platform, and Adapt, a global leader in AI-driven localization and dubbing solutions, have enabled Goalcast, the inspirational...