COLTA investigates the phenomenon of collective catering through an innovative approach that brings together semiotic, aesthetic-philosophical, and service design perspectives. At its core, the project is based on the idea that collective catering is not just about eating together—it is a model of community, a complex network of relationships linking individuals, objects, values, spaces, recipes, temporal rhythms, and forms of conviviality.

In this context, issues related to sustainable development, politics, communication, health and hygiene, education, nutrition, technology, and taste intersect, and COLTA aims to shed light on them. The project explores key questions: Who are the actors shaping this collective? When can we truly speak of collective catering? To what extent can a collective be constituted through food and its staging? Studying the collective catering table thus becomes a unique lens through which to investigate broader social dynamics.

A fundamental phase of the project involves a historical inquiry, spanning both distant and recent pasts. On one hand, a historical-anthropological analysis examines religion-based rituals centered on shared meals. On the other, the project investigates the emergence and evolution of collective catering as a phenomenon shaped by industrial society and shifting lifestyles.

The study then moves to the present, profoundly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the crisis has deeply impacted the sector, it has also opened new opportunities for transformation. Today’s challenge is to overcome the traditional stereotypes of collective catering – often seen as anonymous spaces offering mass-produced, standardized, and low-quality food – and instead promote new values, tailored solutions, and models rooted in local communities and environmental sustainability.

Looking ahead, COLTA seeks to define future trends and development scenarios, offering strategic guidelines to inform the ongoing debate on collective catering. By engaging policymakers, chefs, and industry associations, the project fosters a renewed awareness of the sector’s potential.

Deeply rooted in ethical and political values, COLTA addresses a topic of crucial importance at this historical juncture. 

COLTA is funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU – Notice PRIN 2022 – PNRR (M4.C2.1.1)
Project Code: 2022TM7WEJ - CUP B53D23023180006