Female Founded: SOFRA

Launched as a response to the absence of meaningful, discoverable tableware online, SOFRA curates pieces from artisans across the globe. Many were found by Dana herself through travel, instinct, and curiosity. From hand-painted plates in Colombia to glassware spotted in a restaurant in Kanazawa, each piece has a story, and SOFRA gives it a setting.

We caught up with Dana to talk about the art of lingering dinners, heirloom objects, and why hosting - done well - is both a craft and a connection.  

SOFRA emphasises the beauty of communal dining and curated table settings. What inspired you to focus on the dining table as a canvas for cultural expression and connection?

I’ve always loved hosting and bringing people together, and I think my favourite feeling (and how I measure the success of a dinner I’ve hosted) is when guests linger long into the night, deep in conversation.
Growing up, the dining table was the heart of our family home. It was where everything happened: family meals, conversations and studying for exams, and I’ve carried that same energy into my own home today.

In the Middle East, hosting is an art form, full of warmth, generosity, and abundance. Second and third servings aren’t just accepted, they're encouraged, and there’s always room at the table for more people. 

When I first had the idea for the business, the name came to me, and I knew right away it was the right fit. The word sofra in Arabic refers to the dining table, but it also symbolises togetherness and hospitality during meals and can even refer to the meal itself or the act of gathering around a table for eating. I wanted to create something that could act as a portal into that spirit of hosting, a love letter to the region's unique way of bringing people together, and I loved that it was an Arabic word that would still be easy for non-Arabic speakers to pronounce and remember.

You launched Coterique at just 19, championing emerging Middle Eastern fashion designers. How did that early experience shape your approach to building SOFRA, which celebrates global craftsmanship in tableware?

Coterique was my gateway into discovering and falling in love with working with emerging brands (be that fashion or tableware) and the appreciation for the craftsmanship and hard work that goes into building a brand and the incredible connection and relationship you can build with the makers of these brands when you have a real impact on their growth and helping them sell. 

Similarly, with SOFRA, I’d always loved the food/hosting/interiors categories but decided to build SOFRA after realising a clear market gap in discovering interesting tableware online (the kind I was bringing back from holidays and needing to hand carry in my luggage). There were high-end and high street offerings, but that middle space was almost non-existent. 

Moreover, I’ve always felt that tableware, when displayed in a sea of other homeware or lifestyle products without any styling, loses its context. It’s not just about the object, it’s about where it lives, how it’s used, and what memories are made around it. For me, the dining table is the centrepiece of the home, and it made perfect sense to create something entirely dedicated to that world. In many ways, SOFRA is the 2.0 version of that journey. I’ve taken everything I learned building a marketplace and applied it with a much stronger lens around storytelling and content creation, which was not something I had previously done. Ultimately, both Coterique and SOFRA celebrate craftsmanship, community, and creativity, but SOFRA benefits from the hindsight, maturity, and sharper focus I’ve developed over the years.

What's your favourite item from SOFRA right now, and what would you serve on it?

I’ve got so many favourites, which I guess is the beauty of having such a wide range. If I had to pick two for the upcoming Spring/Summer season, with this beautiful weather we’ve been having, it would be:

This set of glassware from Laguna B, they’re just so fun all year round and can really add a layer of playfulness to a tablescape. I’d also style it with this placemat for an outdoor summer lunch. These placemats are from an Artisan who we just launched that creates handmade placemats in Colombia, and I’m excited to pair them with these hand-painted modern face plates.

SOFRA celebrates global craftsmanship. How do you discover your makers?

I didn’t realise growing up, but I’ve been quietly collecting tableware for over a decade, as I would always gravitate towards buying homeware during my travels. It really accelerated when I moved to London, got married, and finally had my own space to host in. Hosting became my way of setting roots, and I started to seek out pieces that felt meaningful, unique, and reminded me of my travels.

Many of our makers at SOFRA were discovered quite serendipitously through travel over the years. On our honeymoon in Mexico five years ago, I came across a stunning glassware set made in Venice. At the time, SOFRA didn’t exist, but I loved the pieces so much I brought them home. That same glassware is now part of our collection.

Last year, while dining at a tiny restaurant in Kanazawa, Japan, I noticed the cutlery rests were unlike others I had seen in my time in Japan. I asked the chef where they were from, and the very next day, he organised a meeting with the makers. Their workshop was small and tucked away on the 3rd floor of a residential building, they weren’t used to people showing up in their offices but once I explained what I was building (through google translate) the warmth and hospitality they extended was incredible and we’re launching their work on SOFRA later this year.

So much of SOFRA’s curation happens organically, in moments like these. I’m not shy about tracking down artisans, whether that means showing up at a studio in a remote village or visiting a workshop inside someone’s home. What I’ve found is that people who work with tableware are very welcoming. They’re proud of their craft, and they want to share it. Those conversations, sitting with them, hearing their process, and learning about the culture behind the objects have been the most meaningful part of this entire journey.

What’s always on your table, no matter the occasion?

A large vase with fresh flowers, at the moment, I’ve got this vase and an arrangement I made myself at a class at Lovergirl. I love for my table to look styled even when there’s no tableware on it. 

What is your top tip on hosting a dinner party this summer?

I have so many that I wrote a blog post around hosting tips, but if I had to pick one, I’d say: always set your table at least a day in advance, that way, that’s one less thing to do on the day of. I’ll lay out the entire table setting, including the serveware and serving platters. I’ll even go as far as putting tiny notes inside each serving platter with the name of the dish that will go in it. 

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for SOFRA? Are there new collaborations, product lines, or initiatives on the horizon that you're excited about?

Our vision is to build the go-to destination for everything related to hosting, not just where you shop for tableware, but where you come to be inspired, discover new rituals, and celebrate the art of gathering.

One initiative I’m particularly excited about is the launch of our Board of Hosts: a curated community of tastemakers, creatives, and collectors who each design a tablescape for SOFRA. They select the pieces, style the table, and we bring it to life through a photoshoot and a real dinner to celebrate the launch. Our very first event took place on May 14th, hosted by Joy Asfar, and it was a beautiful realisation of my original vision: bringing incredible people together around a table set with intention. We’ll be hosting one dinner a month in London moving forward, with each one spotlighting a different host’s unique aesthetic and story.

Beyond that, we’re preparing to launch SOFRA across the MENA region in October, with activations planned in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. It feels like a full-circle moment to bring SOFRA home to the region that shaped my love of hosting and where generosity around the table is a deep cultural pillar.