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Dining room table losing central status

The dining table, once a focal point of family life, is vanishing from British homes due to a lack of space, a preference to eat in front of the television and a rise in divorces.

Sales of dining room furniture have dropped eight percent over the last five years, according to the survey by market research firm Mintel. In contrast, sales of home office furniture have jumped 40 percent and those of bedroom furniture by 37 percent in the same period.

Similar research by vegetarian experts Cranks found that almost one quarter of British households do not own a dining table, and of those that do, more than half said its primary function is no longer for eating regular meals.

Traditionally, families in Britain and across the world used the dining table as a meeting point for the family to talk and discuss their day while eating dinner. Many also convened for lunch and breakfast. But the time constraints of modern life, with parents often out of the house working until late, and the temptation of eating dinner in front of the television have eroded this age-old tradition. Nearly one third of families surveyed by Cranks only use the dining table for special occasions such as Christmas and birthdays.

A mere five percent said they sat around it every day, it said. “Today, dining rooms have become almost defunct as a place where a family enjoys an everyday meal together around the table,” said David Bird, a senior market analyst for Mintel on Friday. “For many grazing or eating on the hoof have replaced meal times, while for those who do sit down for dinner, it is often merely a case of a self-service meal eaten on the lap in front of the television or a bite at a local eatery,” he said. A breakdown of the traditional family model because of rising divorce rates, later marriages and more people living alone added to the shift in people shunning the dining room chair for television sofa, said Bird. In addition, people are living in smaller flats and houses which simply lack a specific dining room area, he said. afp

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