The Sunday Table
How a Chance Cancellation Led to One of the Best Meals of my Life, and the Idea for The Sunday Table
By Kelly Shaw, The Ship Founder
a sunday kind of love
When I was younger, I used to daydream about Sundays. Not the ones I was living as a child, but the ones I imagined for myself as an adult. I saw a long, beautiful table. Crumpled linen napkins. Half-finished glasses of wine. Children laughing. Stories being told. Food passed without hesitation. It wasn’t about perfection—it was about presence. A table full of life and connection.
Years later, I found myself dining alone in the Emilian countryside at Casa Maria Luigia, the villa by Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore. I was staying there for a couple of nights and had hoped, just maybe, to get a table at their restaurant Francescana at Maria Luigia. It had already built a reputation, and bookings were full—but on arrival, I got lucky. One cancellation. One seat.
I arrived expecting great food and a little solitude. But what I stepped into was something far more unexpected. They placed me at a long table with twenty strangers—travellers from around the world, each with their own reasons for being there. And as course after course arrived, so did conversation. Laughter. Curiosity. By dessert, we were passing plates and pouring wine for each other like old friends.
We spoke different languages. Came from different places. But somehow, around that table, none of it mattered. It reminded me how powerful a shared meal can be—how it opens us, softens us, invites us to be part of something larger than ourselves.
That night didn’t just stay with me. It shaped the way I think about hospitality. And it quietly planted a seed.
Bringing That Table Home
I want to recreate that same spirit, not in northern Italy, but right here in our corner of Hampshire. A space where you can come alone and still feel part of something. Where food is generous, conversation flows easily, and people leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.
That’s how The Sunday Table began.
Each week, we host two sittings of a shared, three-course meal, served family-style. No menus, no pressure—just seasonal food, served from big platters in the middle of the table. Roast potatoes passed instinctively. Stories traded between bites.
You might arrive with friends. You might be seated next to someone you’ve never met. Either way, by the end of the meal, it feels as though you’ve broken bread together before.
Why Sharing Still Matters
In a world that’s always rushing, heads down, tight schedules—sharing a meal is a small but radical act. It slows us down. It lets us look up. It creates room for surprise.
Because when we eat together, we connect in ways we don’t always expect. We listen more. We laugh more. And we’re reminded that life is better when it’s shared - not just the food, but the stories, too.
On Sundays, it’s not about what’s on the plate (though we’re proud of every dish). It’s about what happens around it.
A Place to Feel At Home
If you’ve been longing for something a little slower, a little more thoughtful—you’re warmly invited.
You don’t need to bring anything but your appetite and an open mind. Come with your family. Come solo. Bring your neighbour. Or come and meet someone new.
This is the Sunday I dreamt of growing up. And now, it’s real — and waiting for you.
Book your seat at The Sunday Table.
We can’t wait to welcome you.