Strictly Come Dancing star La Voix surprised commuters on London’s South Bank this week when she staged an impromptu street performance with one of the most unusual bands in the city — an orchestra made entirely from vegetables.
As crowds made their way towards Waterloo Station, the singer and performer was joined by musicians playing carrot recorders, potato flutes and butternut squash horns, along with kitchen utensils repurposed as percussion. The playful ensemble performed a light-hearted tune encouraging people to head home and sit down for dinner, drawing smiles — and plenty of phone cameras — from passers-by.
@lavoixuk Hello Darlings, did you know that almost half of us eat together less than we did 10 years ago? That’s why I've teamed up with HelloFresh and The London Vegetable Orchestra to create the HelloFresh Kitchen Orchestra 🎶 a jingle played entirely on vegetables and kitchen utensils! 🥕 🥔 🥄 I had the absolute pleasure of singing alongside carrots, butternut squashes, potatoes, and saucepans to call everyone home for dinner this January. A little bonkers? Oui, but if a tune like this can bring families together for dinner time, I’m all in! ❤️ Let me know what you thought in the comments below 👇 #DinnerTogether #HelloFresh #KitchenOrchestra #BackToTheVegeTable #LaVoix ♬ original sound - La Voix
The quirky busking session was staged to highlight new research into Britain’s changing mealtime habits. A survey of 2,000 adults found that 45% believe they eat together as a family less often now than they did a decade ago, while 35% said mealtimes have become noticeably later.
According to the findings, people are increasingly delayed by longer working hours, commuting, and the time it takes to organise meals, meaning that dinner is often pushed further into the evening. A fifth of workers admitted they only manage to leave work in time for dinner twice a week or less, while just 40% of people said they manage to eat at their ideal dinnertime every day — which the survey placed at 6.28pm.
The data also revealed how solitary mealtimes have become. On average, people eat alone two days a week, with 17% saying they dine solo every day. Families, meanwhile, now manage to sit down together only four evenings a week.
La Voix’s performance aimed to bring some warmth and humour to what is a growing social shift. Known for her flamboyant personality and powerhouse vocals, she became a fan favourite during her time on Strictly Come Dancing, where she impressed viewers with her showmanship and emotional performances. Her surprise appearance on the South Bank mirrored that same theatrical flair — but with a message attached.
The vegetable orchestra, which has built a cult following for transforming everyday produce into playable instruments, added to the spectacle while reinforcing the theme of food and togetherness. Their use of fresh vegetables also symbolised the idea of returning to simple, home-made meals rather than rushed convenience food eaten on the go.
