13 December 2014, D-Day for the new Allergen Law
16-10-2014
13 December 2014 is the day, every food provider in Europe is obliged to tell their customers or guest which products are incorporated into their product or dish. At least if one of those products has one of the 14 Allergen groups in it. Does your company already have a menu with Allergen Labels indicated per dish?
Restaurant Hemingway
Hemingway Restaurant, from ‘Grand Hotel De Draak’ (Dragon Hotel) in Bergen op Zoom has already a menu indicating if one of the 14 Allergen Groups are processed in a dish . They have chosen the above solution; a chart. Other restaurants and bars choose to work with symbols. Recently a restaurant owner asked whether it’s mandatory to have this stated in all of his menu’s? You don’t need to publish it on every menu but the information needs to be available within the restaurant, so you are able to inform your guest suffering from an allergic reaction to one of the 14 Allergen product groups.
So if you have a restaurant or a bar serving food, you have to be ready for this Allergen Law within 2 months!
Hufterproof concept: the BurgerBar
16-10-2014
In 2013 a burger bar was developed near the ‘PaintballStrand’ (Paintball Beach) in Ermelo. The bar is located near the water and has the relaxing atmosphere of a beach club. The wooden furniture provides the BurgerBar its rough edge which fits well with a concept like paintball. The BurgerBar serves a large 100% beef burger of 180 gram on a sesame bun with melted cheddar cheese, crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes and onions as specialty. The burgers are served with thick fries in wooden crates. Besides the burgers other food & drinks are served in the crates as well. A special feature of the concept is that a discount is given for large orders: a crate for multiple people is less expensive then when ordered individually.
The concept of the burger bar was developed in 2013 by the Van Spronsen & Partners Group and has been implemented in a monumental farm in Ewijk as well.
The first CUP espressobar opened with help of crowdfunding
16-10-2014
After a successful crowdfunding campaign the first CUP (Coffee Unites People) espresso bar opened in Voorburg on 18 October. The espresso bar is an addition to mobile capuccinobar, MobiCcino, which has been active since 2004. Guido Dam, owner of the MobiCcino and Mario van Andel, passionate barista and manager of the first CUP, noticed that there is an increased demand for quality tea and coffee and a set location to get it. The CUP espresso bar is a place in the neigborhood where you meet with neighbors, friends and business associates, or where you treat yourself with a delicious coffee. You can also buy fresh ground coffee beans.
Why crowdfunding?
The gentlemen have chosen crowdfunding as a way to obtain money because this caused a direct involvement of investors in the neighborhood. For example: the local barber and real estate agent have to opportunity to invest in the neighborhood straight away. In total, an amount of € 50,000,- was collected.
We already wrote about the CoffeeQube of MobiCcino before.
Opening NH flagship hotel at Madrid: NH Collection Eurobuilding
16-10-2014
After three months of renovation and investments the Spanish flagship hotel of the NH Hotel Group, NH Collection Eurobuilding, opened in Madrid on 9 Oktober. This four starred hotel has 431 rooms, all equipped with the Brilliant Basics of the NH Hotel Group such as showers with rain effect, special mattresses and flat screens. The hotel is leading in haute cuisine: it has four restaurants including the only three-star Michelin restaurant in Madrid, ‘DiverXO’. The hotel also has a pioneering position in the field of engineering. The NH Collection Euro Building has the only ‘Living Lab’ in the world. This is a place where innovations for the hotel industry are tested in a real life environment. NH Collection Euro Building also offers a spectacular health and wellness center, Metropolitan, with a gym, tennis facilities and 500m2 spa.
Restaurant W36: Mixing flavors like music
15-10-2014
With the opening of restaurant W36, Amsterdam gained a unique culinary experience. By the motto ‘Mixing flavors like music’ W36 is a place where different flavors and styles mix. This is reflected in the menu, what a mixture is of different cuisines, and in the interior, where the contemporary design is combined with raw materials such as steel, wood, leather and glass.
Restaurant Vermeer wins Global Real High Tea Challenge
15-10-2014
On 13 October, Dutch teams challenged each other at the Miele Inspirience Centre at Vianen for a ticket into the final of the Global Real High Tea Challenge. The team of Restaurant Vermeer won the Dutch tea competition and received a seven-day tour in Sri Lanka and a ticket for the Global Real High Tea Challenge in Sri Lanka in 2015. The winning recipe will be mentioned in the Dilmah High Tea recipe book as well. Last year the Amstel Hotel Amsterdam won, which assured them the first spot in the international final in 2015.
ShakingSupper at Supperclub Amsterdam
14-10-2014
Every third Thursday of the month, top bartender Tess Posthumus organizes the event ‘ShakingSupper in collaboration with chef Joey de Vries. It is a special edition of the Cocktail Nights at Supperclub Amsterdam where Tess and Joey join hands for a special cocktail and food pairing. The evenings consist out of a five-course dinner or small bites, matching with surprising cocktails and music by Sheila Hill and Wife Beaters.
Bringing Lost Animals back on the menu
14-10-2014
‘Lost animals’ like bull calves, young goats and Jersey bulls are usually destroyed because they have little economic value. Willem Schaafsma of restaurant ‘Eindeloos’, Sicco Gerlsma of restaurant ‘Tandjong Priok’ and butcher Jan Walburg established the ‘Lost Animals’ foundation. This Frisian (north part of the Netherlands) foundation wants to prevent animal cruelty and reduce the waste of these ‘lost animals’. The foundation was launched on 4 October 2014, World Animal Day, at a special lunch in the partially reopened restaurant ‘Tandjong Priok’ in Arum by signing an agreement with a local farmer, cattle dealer and butcher.
FG Food Gamble as reaction to promotion weeks
13-10-2014
In response to the many restaurant promotion weeks in the Netherlands, François Geurds of FGRestaurant**, FGFoodLab and FGShop introduced the ‘FG Food Gamble’ promotion. For a fixed price of € 130, – per person, guests can challenge their luck with the number of courses they will get at the two starred Michelin restaurant. They may draw a card with 4 to 7 courses on it and the kitchen staff will prepare the number of courses that is drawn, or the average amount in the case of different cards. A joker card is hidden between the deck, which will mean an extra for instance live cocktail making at the table.
Counterpart of promotion weeks
With this creative campaign François Geurds introduced a countermove for the many promotion weeks. François mentions in the interview by MissetHoreca, that some of the organized actions may affect the company in a negative way. For this reason, he takes matters into his own hands with this FG Food Gamble promotion and will not join third party campaign weeks anymore.
Cocktail for the cold days: Hot Toddy
13-10-2014
The days are shorter, the night are longer: autumn weather started in the Netherlands already a few weeks ago. The Scottish whisky liqueur Drambuie introduced the cocktail ‘Hot Toddy’ for more warmth and coziness in these days. The Hot Toddy is an alcoholic warm beverage that fits in line with Glühwein and Eggnog.
Recipe of The Hot Toddy
Make this cocktail for cold days by serving 40 ml of Drambuie with 60 ml of warm fresh apple juice, a cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, a slice of lemon and the zest of an orange.
