Top chefs cook for the Salvation Army

22-4-2013

Six top chefs from the Netherlands will prepare a lunch with asparagus for a location of the Salvation Army on Wednesday 24 April. The chefs will work with participants of 50|50 Food for catering, a labor rehabilitation project of the Salvation Army. Besides preparing the asparagus lunch, the participants of 50|50 Food for catering have the opportunity to attend an internship for two days at the restaurants of the top chefs.

Suspended fries at friturist

16-4-2013

Following the ‘Caffe Sospeso’ and the ‘Suspended Coffee’ we now spotted the ‘Suspended Fries’. Owner Eric Duhamel, of the snackbar Bompa in Brussels, is the initiator. His customers can buy one portion of fries for the price of two! They can leave the voucher they receive for social workers in the neighborhood or give them away to Brussels’ homeless people. The first week the friturists sold sixty portions ‘Suspended fries’ and thirty were claimed. There are several frituristen in Belgium who will follow the initiative (a Friturist is an owner of a snackbar in Belgium).

Street Feast in Ireland

15-4-2013

This video shows the Street Feast in Ireland 2012. Street Feast started out in 2010 as a non-for-profit event to bring local communities in Ireland together through social lunches. The initiative has grown ever since, and will have its fourth edition on Sunday June 23rd around noon. People are invited to take the initiative and organize a lunch themselves, or to join a community lunch that’s happing near them. Read more about this initiative at The Pop-Up City. This is an opportunity for local restaurants and cafes as well, why not co-organize a similar event to get acquainted with your neighbours?

A bicycle drive-in

15-4-2013

By 2025 the number of cyclists is expected to double in Switzerland’s largest metropolitan area. Because of these staggering statistics, Zurich’s City Council has created the stadtverkehr 2025 program, which aims to improve the pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, and reduce motorized traffic. Part of this initiative includes the opening of the Velokafi – a ‘drive-in’ for bicycles on the outdoor terrace of the Rathaus Cafe, which is a popular spot next to the Limmat river. Two wooden docking stations with tabletops enable cyclists to pull up and have some food and a coffee without getting off their bike. Nice gimmick but we prefer to drink our espresso at the terrace. But the initiative gives a lot of rumour around the ‘Stadtverkehr 2025 program’.

Kids cooking for their mother

12-4-2013

It is Mother’s Day at 12 May. In the coming weeks we will occasionally publish remarkable recipes and actions on horeacatrends. Do you have a special recipe or does your restaurant or hotel plans a special activity, let us know by mail via tip@spronsen.com. Who knows your company might be on horecatrends.

Steakhouse Midtown Grill in the Amsterdam Marriott hotel organizes a special Mother’s Day brunch for the whole family. Under the skilled guidance of the pastry chef, the kids will get a cooking class in making and decorating delicious pancakes for their mothers. During the brunch the family can enjoy the pancakes prepared by their kids and other delicacies.

No more dirty fingers with Grippys

11-4-2013

Grippy’s are designed napkins to ensure that you don’t get dirty or greasy fingers when eating finger food. Because of the shape of the Grippy’s, the guest will always grab one napkin form the pile and can easily pick a small snack. Through the small size, the Grippy’s can be served on the serving dish. The napkins are hygienic and its small size reduces waste. The Grippy’s are developed by EF-FIS.

Temporary campsite in a Zoo

11-4-2013

Sleeping between the snarling animals in a zoo.. This year ‘Dierenpark Amersfoort’ organizes ‘Father Night’ for the second time on 14 and 15 June. During ‘Father Night’, fathers can sleep with their children in the ‘Dinobos’ at the zoo. They can set up their own tent and in the evening a barbecue and entertainment will be available. In the morning the mothers are welcome for breakfast and a visit the zoo with their family.

Douwe Egberts gives coffee advice

9-4-2013

  • Douwe Egberts

The (cold) weather in the Netherlands is currently a ‘hot’ topic. The Douwe Egberts coffee café responds to that in a great way. Every week they give coffee advice based on the weather. For example with cold weather they advise a choc-au-lait or when the sun shines an Ice-Cappuccino. The drinks are bit easy chosen but a nice idea.

Gastronomic experience between wine appetizers and jazz

5-4-2013

The first edition of ‘Sunday Jazz & Wine’ in the MC Theater Amsterdam takes place on Sunday April 7th. An event with a special wine arrangement, culinary tastings and live jazz music from jazz artist Aruan Oritz from Cuba. Sunday Jazz & Wine is initiated by the MC Theater, Aubergine Cuisine and ‘De Wijnengel’ a supplier of classic European wines. Chef cook Aldwin Veenstra (Aubergine Cuisine) prepares the appetizers and accompanied by performances of jazz artists. Each new season starts with a tasting of wine and appetizers.

More fun and relaxation in a gastropub

4-4-2013

At this place we want to congratulate Ron Blauw (former owner of Ron Blaauw (2 Michelinstars) in Amsterdam) with the opening  of ‘Ron Gastropub’ today. In his new restaurant, he returns to affordable quality, 25 dishes at high gastronomic level for € 15, = per dish and a fixed margin on the wine. We will have to wait a couple of months to see if his new company is appreciated by Michelin. More and more we see that chefs are talking about a different reorientation. In November last year Flemisch Foodie Jason Blanckaert from Gent indicated he wanted to follow his own course and didn’t want to be mentioned in the culinary guides Gault & Millau and Michelin anymore. He opened his own bistro JEF in Gent last year.
Of course there are chefs who have started a gastropub alongside their existing business. In Stockbrigde Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack (both good for a Michelin star) opened last week their pub ‘The Scran and Scallie’. The dishes are simplified and at this place it’s all about enjoying great food, drinks and fun at affordable levels.
Frantzen / Lindeberg opened in Stockholm in addition to their 2-star Michelin restaurant, a gastropub ‘The Flying Elk‘ where they serve the British ‘ fish and chips’. Their motto, “Haute cuisine meets the British Pubcultur”.
These are just some recent examples of star chefs who alter their direction or opened a gastropub next to their existing business. Makes you wonder who will follow?

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