Contactless payment at NS retail stores
14-4-2014
Starting this week, it is possible for the consumer to pay contactless with a Maestro debit card at the NS retail stores in the Netherlands. Tomorrow, NS retail introduces the contactless payments in collaboration with MasterCard in the NS retail stores like ‘Broodzaak’, Smullers, Kiosk and Julia’s. The consumer can pay by holding the mobile phone or the debit card against the payment terminal. For an amount below € 25,= there is no PIN required. This method of payment saves time, particularly at the stations, where consumers are often in a hurry.
Napkin origami
14-4-2014
In our publication ‘Royal hospitable gestures‘ we wrote an article about in old-fashioned origami with towels in hotels. But also restaurants can have a folded napkin on a set table. Duni napkins has some instructional videos folding napkins on their website, like the feather napkin in the video above. For every occasion and theme, a matching folded napkin.
General Store and Co
11-4-2014
The quirky bar concept ‘General Store & Co’ in Melbourne sells goods, groceries and grog. The concept is inspired by the old American Trading Posts where grocers sold food, clothing and household items. Later this evolved into General Stores that sold everything including alcohol, groceries and all sorts of retail products. The General Store & Co in Melbourne has a full service bar and café, in-house barber, shoe and clothing store, a bookstore, a private courtyard garden and a grocery with a wide range of organic products. A meeting place for people, that starts in the morning with a cup of coffee and ends in the evening with a drink in the bar.
OranjeKorn beverage
11-4-2014
April 26 it is King’s day in the Netherlands and Berentzen ApfelKorn has introduced a special limited edition drink for this day: the OranjeKorn (orangekorn). The OranjeKorn has the same fresh and sweet taste as the original Berentzen ApfelKorn, only the color is different. The orange drink can be served as a shot, in combination with mineral water, apple juice or with a soft drink with lemon flavor.
BbyB chocolate artists
9-4-2014
Bart Desmidt, owner and chef cook of the Belgian Michelin star restaurant Bartholomeus** makes with BbyB (Babelutte by Bartholomew) a statement towards the top of the Belgian chocolate makers. In 2010 he started with a combination of chocolate with the local product Babelutte, a creamy caramel. Along with chocolatier Jan Verleye he makes several surprising chocolate combinations like white chocolate with passion fruit and basil or dark chocolate with cherries and pistachio. They describe themselves as taste artists and their creations are available through the shops in Antwerp and Bruges or via the website BbyB.be.
19 Greek Street: stage for upcoming designers
7-4-2014
The 19 Greek Street in London was founded in 2012 by creative director of design studio Montage, Marc Péridis. The 6-floor Victorian townhouse is an experimental playground for designers experiment. The gallery 19 Greek Street gathers design works by established and upcoming designers. The collections include a ‘limited edition collection’, ‘designing the middle east’ and the ‘endless series’ of Dirk van der Kooij that uses 3D printing to create furniture. Late April there will open a café in 19 Greek Street where customers can enjoy a drink, surrounded by examples from the collection of Marc Péridis.
Vegetable snack Snex | best international product
7-4-2014
Scelta Mushrooms is the founder of a healthy alternative for the snack range: the Snex. The Snex are vegetable snacks and don’t contain artificial colors and flavors. This healthier version of a snack is made of fresh frozen vegetables , is 100% meat free and contains an average of 150 calories. The Snex are available in the flavors mushroom, mushroom-broccoli, mushroom-spinach, sauerkraut, ratatouille and red cabbage-apple. At the 20th edition of Alimentaria (South-Europa’s largest food fair) the Snex were voted as best international products during the presentation of the Innoval Awards in Barcelona.
Single Origin Roasters: passion for coffee
7-4-2014
Roaster and café ‘Single Origin Roasters’ opened its doors in 2003 in Surry Hills, Australia. The guys of Single Origin Roasters really have a passion for coffee and take it very seriously. They are constantly roasting, measuring, mixing and tasting the coffee to create the best composition. They use ethically and environmentally responsible products and solar energy for roasting the beans. In addition, this company helped in creating the first special café milk on tap system ‘The Juggler‘. Customers can also have a breakfast, lunch or one of the seasonal menus besides a good cup of coffee.
Biggest macaroon Easter egg in the world
4-4-2014
It’s almost Easter! Marco Kuit of ‘De Patissier’ (The Patissier) in Oegstgeest, the Netherlands, and his team patissiers made the largest egg of macaroons and chocolates in the world. The Easter egg is 1 meter wide and 2.35 meter high, made of 3.000 macaroons and 880 pounds of chocolate. Five patissiers worked 14 days to stuck the chocolate and fill the macaroon shells. This macaroon egg has established a new world record. Earlier we published an article with inspiration for Easter.
Caffeine Attendant in public toilet
2-4-2014
After a two years of planning and renovation, the former Victorian men’s room in the heart of Fitzrovia (London) was converted into coffee shop ‘Cafeine Attendant’ with quirky features. The original porcelain urinals from 1890 have been cleaned and now serve as a seat and the old payment counter is transferred into a small kitchens. The coffee is made with hand roasted beans from the Caravan Roastery.
