What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus | Inspiration March 24
24-3-2020
Our perspective on the world has completely changed during the past week, what a paradigm shift! I personally thought that we would no longer post trends and inspiration on Horecatrends. It seems of no importance right now however we also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we want to show you some small positive gestures and inspiration during these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Here in the Netherlands we spot a lot of initiatives in the hospitality industry, like hotels offering capacity to hospitals. In the UK the hotel chain Best Western is in talks to convert their hotels into NHS hospitals and in the U.S.A. hotels are used to shelter the homeless and the less seriously ill who have to be in quarantine.
In London a restaurant with one Michelin star reopened as Brat Farm, Grill and Wine Shop. Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort gives an example on how to try to provide your guests with as much flexibility as possible through your cancellation policy.
Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!
BUNK hotel Amsterdam |A new hotspot in the former Sint-Rita church
9-3-2020
After the booming success in Utrecht, Amsterdam now also gets a BUNK Hotel. BUNK opened its doors on the 5th of March in the former Sint-Rita church in Amsterdam North. After a thorough renovation, the monumental building has room for 300 guests. Is it a hotel with hostel prices? Or a hostel with the quality and service of a hotel? BUNK invites you to experience it yourself. BUNK has a sympathetically priced restaurant and a broad cultural programming. With the compact rooms and Pods, the lively shared spaces and the free cultural offer, BUNK focuses on connecting with the neighborhood and the world.
Last Tuesday, the 3rd of March, I was present at a dinner at the BUNK hotel. You are already impressed upon arrival by the transformation of this large church into a hotel. Great to see the BUNK pods but also the 107 compact rooms in the belly of the church, a separate concept. From April onwards you can and go sleep there, I believe this is a special and pleasant experience in Amsterdam. It’s also a great place to enjoy dinner with dishes based on various international cuisines, including that of Amsterdam. ^ Oscar van der Maas
Gacha Gacha Coffee | A do-it-yourself coffeeshop by Maruyama Coffee
21-2-2020
A do-it-yourself coffeeshop, created by Nendo Design Studio for Maruyama Coffee In Japan. Although already closed it’s been an introduction to a coffeeshop that didn’t require many staff members. Nendo Design Studio created the almost fully-automated café called Gacha Gacha Coffee. The experience was inspired by Gachapon, a capsule toy vending machines that’s popular in Japan. The pop-up from October till November 2019, located in the observation deck of Roppongi Hills, featured 12 vending machines. At these machines consumers could purchase a capsule filled with coffee beans for ¥500 (USD 4.50). As from that the consumer had to take the coffee to semi-automated stations to brew it themselves. Staff only had to give information and clean up!
The idea behind Gacha Gacha Coffee is to create a coffee experience that makes you choose your beans, take time to watch it brewed and maybe even talk about coffee with a barista and of course enjoy the view at the observation deck! But as Trendwatching (we spotted Gacha Gacha Coffee in their ‘Innovation of the day’-trendletter) indicates it’s a great example on how you can use automation to face labour shortage, which we’re facing in the Netherlands as well.
Dominique Ansel Treehouse |A new all-day café in London
18-2-2020
Chef Dominique Ansel, named World’s Best Pastry Chef by the World’s 50 Best Awards, has recently opened Dominique Ansel Treehouse, a new all-day café in London’s Covent Garden. Located on quaint Floral Street, the new concept offers a menu that celebrates and showcases the pastry foundations and artisanal techniques that pastry chefs do best, from flaky puff pastry to delicate handmade pasta, short crusts for pies and tarts, fresh-baked breads, and more.
We’ve been fans of chef Dominique Ansel from the moment he opened his first bakery in New York and got famous by creating his Cronut® and many more fêted pastries like my favourite his signature DKA (Dominique’s Kouign Amann). They don’t serve the Cronut® at the Treehouse for this croissant- doughnut hybrid you need to go to his bakery in London. But the menu of Dominique Ansel Treehouse sound delicious and London is relatively nearby for us Dutchies, although we still would love to have a Dominique Ansel bakery in Amsterdam! ^Marjolein
Trends we spotted | Week 7
17-2-2020
At hospitalitytrends.eu we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the smaller trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
This week, among other links to articles about a nicotine-like ‘meat patch’ and the Fondue Pizza by Pizza Pilgrims and The Cheese Bar.
An international project upcycles shellfish to tackle plastic pollution and Café Jack and Beyond in London serves ‘bottomless Cake and Prosecco’. And a new water-saving defrosting system, called Boss Defrost, offers a more sustainable solution.
And an article on how the Coronavirus is hitting the business of American Chinese Restaurants and some inspiration for Valentine’s Day 2021!
Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!
Punk, Royals and Shoreditch | The new nhow London hotel has a special interior design theme
4-2-2020
NH Hotel Group recently opened its first nhow property in London at the beginning of January. nhow is a brand that surprises and inspires its guests by offering them an unconventional experience, which is unique to each hotel’s location. nhow London is part of the exciting new development 250 City Road.
Check out their Instagram account for more details of the interior design which has ‘London reloaded’ as theme. You’ll be welcomed by Henry the robot and we love the Big Ben rocket sculpture in the lobby!
Trends we spotted | Week 5
3-2-2020
At hospitalitytrends.eu we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the smaller trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
This week, among other links to articles about ‘Truth & Tonic, the first plant-based café on the Strip in Las Vegas and at an ATM outside of the new Vagabond venue in London, dispensing a glass of prosecco!
Other articles are about CHEW, another personal and reusable straw and an eco-friendly chocolate bar by Kit Kat, flavoured and sweetened with cacao fruit!
The Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid will reopen its doors in the summer of 2020 and Beyond Meat had another collaboration with Dunkin’ this time! A limited edition of the Beyond D-O-Double G Sandwich with Beyond Sausage!
And a very important development in Spain Aqua Abib created a solar-powered system that turns salt water into drinking water and commercial salt. Big, bigger, biggest – At the Lamanna’s Bakery in Scaborough Canada they created very big pizza slices and even sweet ones like The Donut Slice!
‘Tempo by Hilton’ | An elevated and approachable new lifestyle brand
28-1-2020
Hilton launched ‘Tempo by Hilton’, an approachable lifestyle brand curated to serve a growing segment of ‘modern achievers’ who seek a hotel experience that reflects their ambition. By combining thoughtful design and diverse lifestyle partnerships, ‘Tempo by Hilton’ provides hotel owners and developers with a highly scalable brand that is both uplifting and within reach for future guests – all powered by an efficient service model.
Trends we spotted | Week 4
27-1-2020
At hospitalitytrends.eu we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the smaller trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
This week, among other links to articles about the loss of the third Michelin star by L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, Restaurant Paul Bocuse and the most expensive bottle of gin ever is made by Skully Gin!
The Fairmont in San Francisco created a temporary and controversial solution for their very busy breakfast buffet and you’ll be able to enjoy ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ in London as well!
Karma the food rescue app, will install 100 communal smart fridges across Sweden, the UK and France. And in New York, the meat-free sushi restaurant ‘Beyond Sushi’ is expanding., they will open their 7th location.
Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!
Trends we spotted | Week 3
16-1-2020
At hospitalitytrends.eu we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the smaller trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
This week, among other links to articles about Selfridges that has a café with an adult-sized slide in its window and about Lets Golf!, they transformed the city of Groningen into a minigolf park.
During the Hotelnacht (the hotel night) 2020 in Amsterdam (the 18th of January) you can participate at Taiko Bar’s Asian Karaoke Night at the Conservatorium hotel. Or visit the Pulitzer x Lindt during the Hotelnacht 2020. They’re creating a chocolate heaven!
In December the first vegan cheese shop opened in Amsterdam and in London a pop-up cheese-themed hotel will open! An idea by Café Rouge.
Le Prestine in Antwerp, the new restaurant for Sergio Herman is looking for staff, they will open this April. Also a link to ‘The Jungle Bubble by Anantara’ in Thailand, watching elephants from your bed and bubble! And inspiration for a children’ playground from Beijing, the Baoyan Park Children’s Entertainment Park.
What does the catering idustry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus?
