HelloFresh UK has launched 2026 with a custom-built experiential installation at Waterloo Station, designed to ‘Bring Back Dinnertime’. The activation runs from 20 to 22 January and occupies the station’s main concourse.
Commuters passing through the station are invited to step inside a life-sized HelloFresh delivery box, which has been transformed into a fully functioning family kitchen. The installation brings a domestic setting into one of London’s busiest transport environments.
Live dinnertime experience
From 5pm each evening, a family will cook and eat dinner inside the box, offering a live view of dinnertime from preparation through to sitting down together. The first family to take part is the Pelo family, who have previously partnered with HelloFresh on family-focused campaigns.
Encouraging reconnection and balance
The experience has been designed to encourage people to pause, step away from the working day and reconnect over an evening meal. Alongside the installation, HelloFresh is distributing 9,000 miniature HelloFresh boxes across the three days, each containing a custom dinnertime bell and recipe cards highlighting recent menu developments.
“Dinnertime has become one of the first things to be squeezed when life gets busy. With ‘Bring Back Dinnertime’, we wanted to create a moment that physically stops people in their tracks and reminds them why having a shared evening meal matters.
Johanna Gerhold, Brand and Comms Director, HelloFresh UK
Putting a real family kitchen inside a HelloFresh box at the heart of Waterloo Station, we’re showing that dinnertime doesn’t need to be perfect or complicated – it just needs a little space and intention.”
Creative collaboration
The installation was created in collaboration with HelloFresh’s media agency Initiative and its experiential out-of-home division Rapport IMPACT, combining immersive design with live performance in a high-footfall public setting.
“As we move into 2026, we’re seeing a real shift back towards meaningful, IRL experiences. This activation pushes the boundaries of technology and high-end scenic production, while staying rooted in something deeply human. By blending immersive design with live performance, we’ve created a moment that brings people together – reflecting HelloFresh’s passion for protecting and celebrating dinnertime.”
Thom Rapley, Head of Impact Media, Rapport IMPACT
The Waterloo Station installation positions experiential design as a tool for storytelling in high-traffic urban locations, using live participation and domestic scale to create moments of connection within the public realm.
