Experience in theater as storytelling for your product
16-12-2014
Undergo storytelling, experience a 3D animation and taste the product in a theater.
Recently I joined one of the theater tryouts by Glennfidich. Tony van Rooijen, the enthusiastic Dutch brand ambassador of the whisky makers gave a virtual tour of the distillery in Scotland during a tasting where he presented six different whiskys.
Experience in theater
Apart from the enthusiastic narrator and a stylish tasting kit, the virtual tour consisted out of a very detailed 3D animation of the brewery that had a lot of resemblance with the computer game ‘The Sims’. While the presenter went through the various stages of the brewing process he showed the buildings of the brewery from the outside and inside. Everywhere there was a visual explanation from a first person view, so you had the illusion walking through the brewery itself without leaving your lazy (theater) chair.
Virtual tour
A virtual tour like this can be very interesting for products with an authentic character. A rookie (like me) gets to see more about the brewing process of whisky and the expert will for example learn more about the typical taste each barrel emits.
Flexibility is the future
For theaters, but also for cinemas this way of a product presentation is an interesting case. The stage remains a wonderful place to tell your story and to combine this with a tasting your product and (controlled) experience of it. At most hospitality fairs and food festivals the stage plays an important role in the total concept thus the hospitality industry is already familiar with these crossover concepts. My experience fits in well with a recent article in Fast Moving Targets that shows that flexibility of the theater is the future. ^Armand
Christmas cocktails by Cocktailicious
15-12-2014
We read more and more about winter cocktails, innovative cocktails with tea, coffee or other strange combination and newly opened cocktail bars. On the website Cocktailicious cocktail lover Caroline writes about cocktails, including 250 different recipes and various cocktail bars. For the Holidays we want to suggest the recipes for the Christmas Spoom and the luxury Christmas punch to surprise your guests.
The first cocktail shaker that composes a unique ‘Hospitality Trends cocktail’ for us will be awarded with a spot in our hall of fame!
Check the recipes for the Christmas Spoom and the Christmas punch (Dutch).
Self-skimming beer glass
8-12-2014
The innovative self-skimming beer glass from FndF is marketed by Triple S International. The self-skimming beer glass has a slightly bevelled edge, resulting in skimming being unnecessary and the lager always gets a firm head of foam. The design can be delivered in glass as well as in plastic.
The benefits of the self-skimming beer glass
The company explains the benefits of their innovative glass on their website. They created a list of benefits for the consumer, catering and the breweries. The main reason to start using this glass for your guests is the fewer hygiene risks due to a skimmer in stagnant water. For the hospitality industry the biggest advantage is that anyone can tap well in this glass, especially during peak hours. You also have less loss caused by bad tapping.
Nominated for the Horecava Innovation Award 2015
Like the Breathometer Breeze, these glasses are also nominated for the Horecava Innovation Award 2015 (The Netherlands). The glasses are just like the Breathometer nominated in the category ‘Equipment and Services’. Voting is possible here.
Dutch Coffee Makers back in The Netherlands
28-11-2014
Coffee has gained a more exclusive status over the past years and there are a lot of connoisseurs nowadays. That said, most of the coffees are brewed hot and the (re)introduction of a cold brew method might bump into some doubts.
Dutch Coffee
The classical Dutch brewing method dates back to the Dutch East India Company period. With this method cold (ice) water drips through the ground bean reservoir. Making a pot of coffee takes four to six hours, the result is a less bitter and less acid coffee. The cold coffee barely oxidates and therefore has a longer shelve time. The Dutch Coffee contains zero calories because the fat in the beans doesn’t dissolve in cold water.
Design
The design of the classical Dutch Coffee machines, or installations, dates back to the trade of the Dutch East India Company. The elegant design is a fusion between Dutch stolidity and Asian craftsmanship.
Taste
The various tastes of the coffee bean are well preserved by the cold brew method. The founders of the ‘Dutch Coffee’ company, Jits Krol and Robert Nijhof, say it’s even strange that we’re brewing coffee hot. This tradition probably started back in the days when it was more hygienic and healthier to brew coffee with boiled water. It does have a negative impact on the taste though.
The website www.dutch-coffee.nl/en shows a variety of serving methods, brew-experiments and the machines of course.
Breathometer Breeze; a mobile breathalyzer for smartphones
25-11-2014
Breathometer Breeze
The first mobile breathalyzer for smartphones is now available in the Netherlands. Through the Breathometer app the Breeze informs users quickly and accurately on their blood-alcohol results. The Breeze is designed to stimulate occasional drinkers to maintain control over their alcohol consumption and make safer and healthier choices.
User friendly gadget
The Breathometer Breeze turns a smartphone into an accurate breathalyzer within seconds. The Breeze works through a wireless Bluetooth connection, has no warm-up time and is always ready for use. The advanced sensor technology allows precise and fast results possible. If used daily, the battery will last for about 16 months. The Breeze comes with a money belt clip, a key ring holder and a separate mouthpiece for hygienic sharing of the Breeze with friends.
A combination of ‘nice and need to know’
Distributor Tipping Valley BV introduces the Breeze from Breathometer Inc. The Breeze is a nice gadget. A combination of ‘nice to know’ and ‘need to know’. The Breathometer app provides the blood alcohol level quick and accurate on the smartphone screen. In addition, the app provides the function ‘home safely’. The app shows how long it takes until the alcohol is gone from the blood and when people are sober or ‘back to zero’ again. The app can even assist in arranging a taxi through Uber or a local taxi company. In the future, it is also possible to find local restaurants via this app or book a night in the nearest hotel. The app is available for iOS and Android smartphones.
Blackjack with taste, Vino Casino
25-11-2014
Last Sunday at the ‘Wine Weekend’ wine fair I spotted the ‘Vino Casino’ game. ‘Vino Casino’, as you can see in the picture is a specially developed BlackJack table, representing a large world map and different vintages on the side.
Blackjack with taste
The game begins with a wine tasting, without seeing the label. Through smell, taste and look participants need to indicate the country / region and the age of the wine. Blackjack with taste thus! The casino chips, which are distributed in advance, must be deployed on both the country and the age groups. When the country or year is correct the number of casino chips is doubled. You can agree in advance how many bottles to taste at this blackjack table. The one who has the most casino chips at the end of the flight, is the winner.
For staff parties or during a tasting
This game is perfect to teach your staff or guests more about wine, in a fun and playful way. It gives a competitive element to a tasting and selects the real ‘wine connoisseur’ among your friends and colleagues. ^Bram Kosterink
This Thursday; the Beaujolais Primeur will arrive!
18-11-2014
The Beaujolais Primeur/Nouveau is becoming popular again. Do you already treat your guests to a Beaujolais menu?
Mid October, I went to Paris for a long weekend and I noticed that there are many restaurant announcements for a Beaujolais Primeur / Nouveau menu on November 20 around the ‘déblocage’. I still remember the years that certain Beaujolais Primeur wines often sold out in advance! Due to various scandals the popularity of the Beaujolais Nouveau dropped rapidly. But the Beaujolais is gradually becoming more popular again, thanks to the quality improvements that growers in the region have implemented.
The third Thursday of November, Beaujolais Primeur menu
People start celebrating The ‘déblocage’ again, so owners of restaurants dedicated to the French cuisine should celebrate this as well! Another reason for a party! Marc Cruellas, owner of Bistrot de la Place in The Hague remained faithful to the Beaujolais Nouveau, every year he treats his guests after the ‘déblocage’ with dishes from the wine region. This while enjoying a ‘pot of Beaujolais Nouveau’ and live French music.
Men’s Day at restaurant De Wits
17-11-2014
Last Sunday the 16th restaurant de Wits was a temporary gentlemen club for the afternoon. With this Men’s Day in Movember the restaurant anticipates to public issues. This original approach can be an example for other restaurant owners.
Men’s Day
The theme of the Men’s Day at Club de Wits in Rijswijk (NL) was ‘Let your beard grow’. During the event the guests could enjoy real men-things. A barber from the local ‘Headz for Hair’ barbershop was cutting beards, ‘Intermezzo Mode’ provided style and clothing advice, wine- and whiskyspecialist ‘van der Boog’ brought a selection of whisky and tabacco store ‘Van Renssen’ provided sigars. The activities were completed with a training for drafting beer, leaving the training glasses of course for the men to drink, and additional snacks. Completely in line with the theme restaurant De Wits donated 10% of the entrance fee to the Movember foundation.
Themes and workshops
This Sunday was not an isolated event, regularly the restaurant organizes events for its loyal guests by the name of ‘Club De Wits’. In 2012 we wrote about a member event by Club De Wits with a pasta workshop, wine and oyster tasting and a pre-tasting of the new menu.
Issue calendar
Men’s Day is worldwide celebrated on 19 November. To have an overview of the days specific public issues are addressed worldwide, check the ‘IssueCalendar’.
Young Flemish chefs party at Café d’Anvers
14-11-2014
A party by chefs for chefs & foodies to close off the young chef campaign by Flanders Promotion.
Young Flemish Chefs
Another edition of ‘Jong Keukengeweld’ (freely translated as ‘Young Kitchen Violence’) with young Flemish chefs took place in Flanders this year. This Saturday 15 November the promotion will finish and the chefs change their pots and pans for decks on Sunday to celebrate the end of the successful campaign. Nick Bril (The Jane) will be one of the Dj’s in Café D’Anvers, a club that will be transformed into a culinairy Walhalla for this occasion. The cocktails are made by the mixologists of The Jane, The Pharmacy and Jigger’s and there is a wide variety of craft beers. Next to that you can taste creations by Foodpairing.com (BE), De Kromme Watergang (NL), Cuchara (BE), Fleur de Sel (BE), Kazen van Tricht and much more.
Flanders Promotion
More than 7.000 youngsters from 18 to 30 years old enjoined the culinairy promotional campaign by Flanders Tourism. They could dine with discount at top restaurants where young talented chefs are part of the kitchen team. Next to the domestic promotion of Flanders Tourism, they aim for the international market as well. Chefs Dennis Broeckx and Seppe Nobels, both from Antwerp, went to Moscow to kick-off the international campaign.
The event reminds of the chefs-for-chefs lobster party at Bridges earlier this year, where chef Ron Blaauw transformed into DJ Ron Blaauw.
Map allergens via Ingredient Information Netherlands
13-11-2014
Within exactly one month, every food provider in Europe is obliged to be able to tell his customers or guests which allergens are processed into a dish or product. It’s a complicated matter and time consuming to have to determine this yourself. Ingredient Information Netherlands supports.
The solution
Ingredients Information Netherlands (IIN) connects the allergens, but also the nutritional values and the E-numbers, to the products you use. Based on this information they give an insight in which allergens, nutritional values and E-numbers that are processed in your dishes. IIN provides you with the solution for the provision of allergen information within your organization; it does this for large or small restaurants, hotels and catering companies.
This is how IIN works
The philosophy behind the IIN software; ‘being transparent in a simple way about all the allergens in food’. The software design is based on your menus, recipes and the products involved and thus provides a custom made ingredients-information package. In addition to allergens you can also gain direct insight into the nutritional values (required by law in 2016) and the E-numbers. In short IIN makes the link between the information provided by your suppliers’ raw material specifications and your own recipes in one database. Through your own ‘My IIN’ you have a quick insight in which allergens the products contain in both your dish and menu. You can print the results and process in a separate allergen menu, display the information on a tablet or smartphone, or even mail it to your guests.
100% custom made
So no sheets of paper, but a web based solution. That means you have access to the information via a PC, tablet or smartphone. The system saves time, you meet the legal requirements, you can receive guests who suffer from food allergies and you create added value for nutrition-conscious guests. Check out the website of IIN, it’s possible to experience the capabilities of Ingredients Information Netherlands in a demo environment.
