IKEA teams up with Tiny Chef for plant-rich miniseries tied to new falafel ball launch

IKEA has partnered with the stop-motion character Tiny Chef on a new three-part miniseries released in early February, linking playful storytelling with the global rollout of its new plant-rich falafel ball and the retailer’s wider focus on cooking and eating at home.

• IKEA released a three-episode miniseries with Tiny Chef from February 2 to 9 to promote joyful, plant-rich home cooking.
• The collaboration coincided with the global launch of IKEA’s new falafel ball, inspired by its iconic meatballs and made with chickpeas.
• The series supported IKEA’s 2026 Cooking and Eating focus, which included more than 200 new food-related products and activities.

The short-form series invited viewers into the IKEA kitchen through the lens of Tiny Chef, a vegan stop-motion character known for turning simple meals into moments of warmth and humor. Across three episodes, the collaboration aimed to reframe plant-rich cooking as accessible, creative, and enjoyable, rather than prescriptive or perfection-driven.

The release coincided with the launch of IKEA’s new falafel ball, a plant-rich product designed to mirror the familiarity of the company’s meatballs while offering a chickpea-based alternative. The timing aligned with IKEA’s broader 2026 emphasis on cooking and eating, a year-long initiative focused on encouraging sustainable, enjoyable food experiences at home.

“At IKEA, we believe food brings people together and enriches everyday moments,” said Lorena Lourido Gomez, Global Food Manager at IKEA Retail. “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.”

The storyline followed Tiny Chef as he visited an IKEA store in search of a spatula, only to encounter a job application. The narrative then unfolded with Tiny Chef joining the IKEA restaurant team as a Food Co-worker and becoming an ambassador for the new falafel balls. The episodes leaned into humor and warmth, emphasizing what IKEA described as an “imperfectly perfect” approach to everyday cooking that reflected real life rather than idealized outcomes.

At the center of the collaboration was IKEA’s falafel ball itself. Made with chickpeas and inspired by the company’s best-known food product, it was positioned as an affordable and familiar entry point for customers interested in plant-rich eating. The product was made available worldwide, including a version designed for children, reinforcing IKEA’s emphasis on inclusivity at the table.

Across more than 30 Ingka Group markets, IKEA continued to price plant-based dishes at the same level or lower than animal protein alternatives. The retailer framed this pricing approach as a way to reduce barriers to trying plant-rich meals, particularly for families and frequent restaurant visitors.

The Tiny Chef collaboration formed part of a wider Cooking and Eating initiative that spanned products, experiences, and community engagement. IKEA said it planned to introduce more than 200 new products related to food preparation, storage, and enjoyment over the year, alongside in-store and local activities centered on shared meals.

Consumer research underpinned the campaign’s focus. IKEA’s People and Planet Consumer Insights showed that people under 30 were the most likely age group to follow vegetarian or vegan diets, yet only 15% of respondents reported eating plant-based meals regularly. Separately, the IKEA Life at Home Report found a strong correlation between cooking together and higher levels of happiness at home, a finding that informed the emphasis on shared, joyful food experiences.

The Tiny Chef episodes were released between February 2 and February 9 on Tiny Chef’s official channels, with additional promotion across IKEA’s social platforms in the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia. Customers were also able to explore and purchase Tiny Chef kitchen essentials through IKEA’s website.

Availability of the new plant-rich falafel balls varied by market.

Ingka Group, which operated IKEA retail operations in 32 markets and represented the majority of IKEA retail sales globally, described the collaboration as part of its ongoing efforts to innovate around everyday life at home. Tiny Chef, whose following grew through social media content focused on plant-based cooking and kindness, brought an established audience and distinctive tone to the partnership.