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4 days of hands-on Food and Design from 12-15 august
Step inside a story.
Imagine walking up the timeworn steps of a majestic, centuries-old building in the heart of Dordrecht. The air carries whispers of history, and as the doors of the Food Design Playground open, so does a new chapter in your creative journey.
For four immersive days, you’ll find yourself surrounded by fellow food design explorers from around the world. Together, in this extraordinary space where ideas ferment and flavors become language, you’ll dive deep into the world of food and design.
Guided in person by Marije Vogelzang, you’ll embark on a hands-on, hearts-on process to craft your own conceptual dinner—a meal that speaks, questions, surprises, or soothes. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or a curious beginner with a love for food, Marije will walk with you step by step, stirring your imagination and helping you shape an experience that’s uniquely yours.
Expect days rich with wonder, inspiration served daily, and nourishing shared lunches that become part of the creative ritual. With Marije’s personal attention and over 25 years of experience in the field, you’ll not just learn—you’ll transform the way you think, create, and connect.
This isn’t just a workshop.
It’s a feast for your mind, your senses, and your soul.
searching
for inspiration and connection
Excited
about food, and it’s transcendental qualities.
Curious
To discover new ways of thinking with food.
Sensitive
To what you can express with food
Let’s create together.
Imagine being able to create:
- a dinner that brings back forgotten memories
- a dinner that reveals the invisible labor behind every ingredient
- something to help you fall in love
- a meal that helps people grieve
- a dinner that slows down time
- a dinner to help people realize how f*cking amazing it is that there’s food in the first place!
- a dinner where no one speaks, yet everything is said
learn to see the world of food with new eyes
This retreat is for food lovers who:
- are interested in food beyond taste
- want to be guided in person
- like to be challenged mentally and creatively
- look for tangible and tasty inspiration
- want to train their creativity on food
- want to experience the magical side of food
What to expect: four days of creative nourishment
From the moment you arrive at the Food Design Playground, you’ll step into a carefully curated rhythm of inspiration, creation, and reflection.
We’ll begin with a welcoming breakfast beneath the vaulted ceilings of the monumental building—an opening ritual to meet your fellow explorers, ground yourself, and spark curiosity. After this warm introduction, we dive straight into the world of food design. Your first classes will awaken new perspectives, offer tools for creative ideation, and begin shaping the journey ahead.
Each morning becomes a studio of the senses. You’ll move between hands-on classes, feedback sessions, and quiet moments of creative flow. We’ll explore what it truly means to work with food as a material, a messenger, a memory-maker. You’ll learn how to create meaningful concepts, refine your ideas, and design experiences that touch people beyond taste.
And of course—every day at noon, we pause for a shared lunch. Thoughtfully prepared, seasonal, and nourishing, this is not just a meal, but part of the experience: a moment to connect, reflect, and taste the day as it unfolds.
Afternoons are yours. Use them to deepen your project, sketch, research, or forage for ideas in the charming streets of Dordrecht. The city is a hidden gem—full of old-world beauty, riverside cafés, and unexpected inspiration. You’ll also receive guidance on the culinary side of your work, so your ideas can begin to take edible shape.
On the final day, it all comes together.
You’ll present your conceptual dinner to the group—your story told through textures, temperatures, rituals, and surprises. Then, we sit down to eat—each dish a reflection of someone’s journey, a moment turned into matter, a concept made tasteable.
What’s included:
- Welcome breakfast on day one
- 4 shared lunches (one each day)
- All classes, workshops, and personal guidance by Marije Vogelzang
- Culinary guidance by on the third day by an amazing chef
- A beautiful workspace in the historic Food Design Playground
What’s not included:
- Dinner (except for your final presentation—your own creation!)
- The food materials for your conceptual dinner (as you’ll define what you need during the process)
- Accommodation (but we’re happy to recommend wonderful hotels in Dordrecht)
This retreat is more than a course.
It’s a space to connect—to yourself, to others, and to food as a creative force.
It’s about stepping out of your routine and into a playground for the senses.
It’s a short journey that might just change the way you eat—and think—for life.
Food Design retreat
Step into a place where food becomes language, and eating turns into storytelling.
This retreat invites you to slow down, tune in, and shape an edible experience that reflects your inner world.
You’ll be creating alongside a small, diverse group of fellow explorers—each bringing their own tastes, memories, and ideas to the table.
Through shared meals, conversations, and creation, something bigger begins to simmer: connection, resonance, and unexpected inspiration.
It’s not just about cooking—it’s about thinking, feeling, designing, and remembering through taste.
You’ll leave not only with a concept on a plate, but with a renewed sense of what creativity can feed.
Why a retreat?
When you step into the Food Design Playground, you’re not just attending a retreat—you’re equipping yourself with a new way of seeing, sensing, and creating. The tools, insights, and experiences you gain will continue to unfold long after the final bite of your conceptual dinner.
This retreat is a catalyst. It expands your creative vocabulary, strengthens your design thinking, and sharpens your ability to turn abstract ideas into tangible, sensory experiences. You’ll learn how to craft a concept, build a narrative through food, and think about every detail of an experience—from the texture of a napkin to the sound in the room and the silence between courses.
Here’s what becomes possible after this retreat:
- You can create powerful food experiences—not just dinners, but installations, rituals, performances, and workshops that engage the senses and stir the mind.
- You’ll be able to pitch and present your concepts clearly, with confidence and intention—whether for a client, a cultural institution, a restaurant, or your own creative practice.
- You can collaborate with chefs, designers, curators, or event organizers, speaking the language of concept and experience fluently.
- You’ll know how to develop your own rituals and formats, whether it’s a memory dinner, a mourning meal, a playful picnic or a meditative morning tasting.
- You can translate complex ideas—like grief, climate change, or identity—into edible metaphors, making abstract topics accessible, emotional, and unforgettable.
- You’ll have a portfolio piece: your conceptual dinner, documented and developed, that you can share with the world.
- You’ll have built a network of like-minded creatives from across the globe, many of whom stay in touch, collaborate, or cross-pollinate ideas long after the retreat ends.
- You’ll understand how to use food as a tool, not just to feed the body but to provoke thought, connect people, raise questions, and offer comfort or joy.
And most importantly:
You’ll walk away knowing that your creativity is real, tangible, and worth serving. That food is more than a trend, more than nutrition—it is your medium.
This retreat doesn’t just fill your notebook.
It fills your practice, your confidence, your appetite for what’s possible.
Moa Marklund studentI loved that the Lick It Challenge was so sensitive and kind with its delightful little workshops. I particularly enjoyed the Proust experience session, which truly created new realizations and fostered fresh ideas. I am grateful for the space you created for us, bringing together people from different practices and experiences, yet sharing a likeminded approach to the edible.
What do you get for your investment?
You'll create your own, unique conceptual dinner.
- Four days of hands-on creation.
- A group of likeminded people to share your experiences with.
- An amazing venue for our advantures
- Be the first to do a live food and design retreat at the Playground
- personal guidance by Marije and a very skilled chef
- go home with an actual project
Starting at just €697, join Marije for 4 days at the Food Design Playground
From August 12 to 15
Join us today to save your seat in this one-of-a-kind experience
Be one of the first in the world to benefit from Marije Vogelzang’s expertise and creativity. Few people have a chance to combine their passion with their work to create a lasting legacy that can change the world. This is yours.
Do not join this course if…
Marije’s courses are not for everyone. She only works with small groups so don’t join if you’re looking for:
recipes
Food inspiration is often shared through recipes, and the internet is full of these for free. But this is different—you’ll discover a type of inspiration you didn’t even know existed.
food styling
Yes, beautifully styled food can be stunning and food styling is definitely useful. But this course isn’t about how to shape your food—it’s about shaping the food experience. Of course, the way food looks important, but we will go beyond looks.
large events
Crafting a conceptual dinner in only 4 days is already a challenge. Making a dinner for more than 2 people would be too demanding. Once your conceptual dinner is finished, you can always scale up.
something to do in between your work
When you join this retreat, do yourself a favour and make sure you can focus all your attention on this experience. If you feel you’ve got too many other things going on, join one of the online courses. They can easily be combined with a hectic schedule.
Deep diving into food design
If you want to get to know everything about food design and learn the basic skills of food and design, have a look at the annual Food and Design Dive. Or complement the food and Design Dive with the Advanced Food and Design Dive program.
Where could you be in 5 weeks?
Find yourself becoming a master of conceptual dining… or you could continue to search for ways to create something meaningful.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS.