Sixteen fathers gathered at Lopemede Farm in Oxfordshire for a unique supper club designed to help them share experiences and navigate modern fatherhood. The men, ranging from project managers to a drone expert, came together to discuss what it means to be a dad in 2026.
Founder's Personal Journey
Mark Briant, a self-taught chef, created Dads at the Table after feeling 'knocked sideways' by the birth of his daughter Lucía in 2024. 'I had this very romantic view of what being a father was going to be like, all cuddles and giving my daughter the bottle and laughing, and actually, it was huge sleep deprivation,' the 36-year-old told Metro. His daughter was strongly attached to her mother, leaving him feeling unable to contribute. 'I felt like I was failing in many ways, as a partner and as a father.'
Moving from London to Long Crendon during their first year as parents exacerbated his isolation. 'I saw some dads in passing that were seemingly smashing it and you can’t help but compare yourself. You can feel a bit alone in that,' he said.
Shift in Mindset
A phrase—'Baby needs mum, mum needs dad'—changed Mark's perspective. He focused on supporting his wife through cooking, batch-preparing meals and hosting date night dinners. When Lucía started weaning, he took the lead, which 'really helped change the mood in the house.'
Recognizing that not all fathers had cooking skills, Mark launched Dads at the Table with two components: a monthly supper club for open conversation and cooking classes teaching freezer-friendly basics and nutrient-rich recipes to support partners postpartum. 'For me a home cooked meal is one of the greatest acts of love you can show. It’s one of the most useful, generous things a man can do at home,' he said.
First Supper Club Success
The debut event featured a menu of whipped feta starter, lamb shoulder main, and pistachio tiramisu, prepared by Mark and his wife Mar. Attendees were encouraged to talk beyond surface-level topics like traffic or weather. 'All I ask is you talk a little bit deeper... Just get yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone,' Mark requested.
Despite his fears of a stilted atmosphere, the evening was a success. 'What I was happiest about was how quickly everybody just got stuck into it,' Mark said, noting that many attendees came alone. 'Lots of guys came by themselves, which is daunting, and hats off to them for doing that.'
One solo attendee, Roberts, said he simply wanted to meet 'like-minded men' and have a night off from parenting his two-year-old. 'There’s been a lot of discourse around the disappearance of third spaces—with men in particular only existing at home or work—but Mark has managed to create something really special outside of that,' he explained. 'Even on shared parental leave, I found local parenting groups very focused on mums. That’s understandable, of course, but dads who are trying to step up and be equal parents need somewhere as well.'
Overwhelming Demand
The second supper club, with capacity increased to 19, sold out within two days, driven only by a local Facebook post, a few flyers, and word of mouth. The third event already has a waiting list of 30. Mark is now gauging interest for cooking classes via online sign-up. His biggest challenge is scaling up Dads at the Table quickly to meet demand.
Broader Context
Initiatives like London’s Pints and Ponytails and the national campaign The Dad Shift reflect a growing movement to support fathers. Mark believes men are undergoing a shift in identity. 'We have changed our perception of what a man is expected to be, but we’re still in quite a messy period of figuring out what that looks like. You’ve got the negative side... the whole manosphere, Andrew Tate atrocity—but on the positive side of things, we still haven’t quite shone a light on that. I think there’s a lot of good men that are trying to figure it out quietly, in private, so when something really positive comes along, men are running to that as a beacon.'
