Fans of IKEA and Tiny Chef can look forward to a delightful treat this February as three new episodes featuring the beloved stop-motion star will be released. This playful collaboration invites everyone into the IKEA kitchen to rediscover the joy of cooking through the Tiny Chef, the charming vegan character known for turning simple meals into moments of happiness.
Coinciding with the launch of IKEA’s innovative plant-rich falafel ball, the series celebrates creativity, new possibilities, and everyday joy. It aligns perfectly with IKEA’s 2026 focus on Cooking & Eating, encouraging fun, sustainable, and delicious food experiences at home.
“At IKEA, we believe food brings people together and enriches everyday moments,” says Lorena Lourido Gomez, Global Food Manager at IKEA Retail (Ingka Group). “Serving over 600 million guests annually, we have the privilege and responsibility to make healthier, sustainable food choices accessible and affordable for the many. We are excited to partner with Tiny Chef, showing people that plant-based eating should be joyful, creative, and full of flavour, not just better for the planet. We believe this partnership will bring a smile, while inspiring people to try something new.”
Tiny Chef agrees. “It’s a dweam come twue to pawtner wif mi fwends at Blikea! We bof want to bwing good fwends bland good food to da table. Ash a herbivowr, myself, Bly was sho excited to hep shawr da dewicious fwavor of Blikea’s new fawafel balls wif da whole world! Bly can’t wait to cook up mowr fun togethow wif Blikea!” says Tiny Chef.
Partnering with Tiny Chef, IKEA brings plant-rich cooking to life with humour and warmth, showing it can be joyful, accessible, and “imperfectly perfect,” just like real life.
The story begins with Tiny Chef visiting an IKEA store in search of a spatula, only to find a job application. What follows is a heartwarming journey as Tiny Chef becomes an ambassador for IKEA’s new falafel balls and joins the restaurant team as a Food Co-worker.
At the heart of this collaboration is IKEA’s falafel ball. Made with chickpeas and inspired by IKEA’s iconic meatballs, it offers an affordable, flavourful option to make plant-rich eating familiar and inviting. Available worldwide, including a children’s version, it reinforces IKEA’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility at the table. Across over 30 Ingka Group markets, plant-based dishes are always priced the same or lower than animal protein alternatives, making sustainable meals easier and more affordable. This collaboration is part of IKEA’s year-long Cooking & Eating initiative, introducing over 200 new products for preparing, storing, and enjoying food, alongside in-store and community activities celebrating shared meals. Whether exploring plant-rich dishes or savouring family favourites, IKEA and Tiny Chef show that cooking together creates more than meals, it builds connection, hope, and a feeling of home.
IKEA’s People and Planet Consumer Insights show that people under 30 are most likely to follow vegetarian or vegan diets, yet only 15% regularly eat plant-based meals. Meanwhile, IKEA’s Life at Home Report finds that cooking together strongly correlates with happiness at home.
The new Tiny Chef episodes will release from February 2 to 9 on Tiny Chef’s official channels, with additional promotion across IKEA’s social platforms in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia. Customers can also explore and shop Tiny Chef’s kitchen essentials now at IKEA.com.
Availability of IKEA’s new plant-rich falafel balls may vary by market.
About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations in 32 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents 87% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on Ingka.com.
About Tiny Chef
Tiny Chef’s following started on social media with the goal of teaching friends young and old, the joys of plant-based cooking. He believes the special ingredient in life is kindness. Chef loves meeting new fwends, going on adventures, and cooking tiny dishes from his tree-stump kitchen.
Through joy, laughter, and adorable chaos, Chef is undeniably himself in everything he does. He may be tiny, but he dreams BIG!
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