Sensual, warm-hearted, unhurried. Culinary traditions as a window into European ways of life. No studio atmosphere, no cooking show. Authentic people in their own environment — farmers, winemakers, simple cooks. Pleasure without snobbery. Rural, honest, appetite-whetting.
What this format covers
●Culinary traditions of European regions
●Farmers, winemakers, fishermen and their way of life
●Regional cuisine as cultural heritage
●Seasonal products and traditional preparations
●People who live with and from nature
●European diversity at the table
What this format does NOT want
●Cooking shows or studio formats
●Michelin-starred cuisine or gourmet gastronomy
●Political or investigative topics
●Industrial food production
●Non-European locations
●Travel formats without culinary core
Visual expectations
Sensual images of food and preparation. Close-ups of ingredients, textures, steaming pots. Landscape shots of the region. Natural light, authentic kitchens and dining rooms. Warm color palette. Appetite-whetting food photography in documentary style — not staged like a cookbook.
Expected exposé structure
Title (region + culinary theme)
Logline (2–3 sentences: which region, which protagonists, which dish)
Exposé body text: protagonists, their daily life, their cuisine
The recipe / culinary tradition in context
Shooting location and season
Production company, author, contact
Example productions
Zu Tisch in der Provence
Zu Tisch im Alentejo
Zu Tisch in Oberbayern
Zu Tisch auf Kreta
Zu Tisch im Elsass
Editorial notes
Sunday early evening — culinary warm-up. Only ARTE slot exclusively supplied by ZDF. Strictly European regions. 26-minute format demands economical storytelling. No studio atmosphere — everything shot on location with the protagonists. The series has an established format, new episodes must fit in. Sensuality and authenticity are the key values.
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