Food Design Playground is live!

Welcome to Food Design Playground: Where Ideas Are Edible

Something curious is happening in the heart of Dordrecht. Behind the heavy doors of a monumental building with creaking floors and stories in the walls, a new kind of space is coming to life. It’s not a restaurant. Not a gallery. Not a school. But something in between—and far beyond.

This is Food Design Playground.
A home for edible ideas. A testing ground for food experiences. A place where your taste buds might bump into philosophy, where a spoon might whisper a story, and where eating becomes something more than just… eating.

Why a Playground?

Because we believe food is serious play.
It shapes our culture, touches our memories, and carries meaning far beyond nutrition. At Food Design Playground, we use food as a material to explore emotions, ethics, rituals, and imagination. It’s where we ask: What if a dinner could help you understand loss? What if bread could carry your dreams? What if a bite could tell you who you are?

What Happens Here?

Workshops. Experiments. Pop-up dinners. Food rituals. Tastings with your eyes closed and your mind wide open.
We invite chefs, artists, scientists, and everyday curious humans to join us in co-creating new experiences. You’ll find ceramics still warm from the kiln. Audio stories guiding you through edible installations. A library full of books you didn’t know you needed. And sometimes, nothing but a quiet table and a strange spoon.

Who’s Behind It?

Food designer and eating experience pioneer Marije Vogelzang (yes, that’s me) created this space after 25 years of designing edible adventures around the world. After running experimental restaurants, leading design departments, and dreaming up food futures, I wanted to build something grounded. A physical home for this growing field of food design. A place where people don’t just learn about food—but feel it.

Can I Visit?

Yes, but only when something’s happening.
We’re not open every day like a café. We open like a portal—when there’s an event, a workshop, a dinner. You can check the calendar on www.fooddesignplayground.nl and sign up for our newsletter if you don’t want to miss out (and we will sell out, just saying).

Whether you’re a curious eater, a creative professional, or someone who simply wonders if food could do more than fill a belly—this place is for you.