More and more famous chefs are praising the Skirt steak in various videos shared on the internet lately. A good reason for us to write an article about it so Dutch chefs can use this as inspiration. Even Gordon Ramsey came up with his yummy Skirt steak recipe with chimichurri. Below a short summary about the Skirt steak itself, Gordon Ramsey’s recipe and all the necessary ingredients. read more
The shakes are high this August! This year, Shake Shack have teamed up with renowned pastry chef Dominique Ansel – named World’s Best Pastry Chef 2017 – and Dominique Ansel Bakery London to introduce a new limited-edition shake for the occasion, The Banoffee. So if you’re in London or the UK in August, donate £2 or more to ‘Action Against Hunger’ and receive a voucher for a complimentary handspun shake on your next visit (valued at £5.25), 100% of donations going to ‘Action Against Hunger’. read more
Amsterdam will soon have a new chicken restaurant. Justin Brown, known for his various pop-up concepts and fish restaurant The Chippy, opens his new concept The Dirty Chicken Club. As the name suggests, it’s all about chicken, together with the raw design this new restaurant may become a new hotspot.
At Horecatrends we spot a lot of national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write articles about, the smaller trends we use in our column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. This week amongst others, plans unveiled for Star Wars-inspired themed resort and how about a peanut butter sandwich with Merlot or rosé jelly? read more
The newly opened LEGOLAND Castle Hotel at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort is a half an hour by train from London’s Paddington station. So if you’re planning a family holiday to the UK and you want to surprise your younger kids, you know where to go! Spoil them with a magical ‘Knights’ stay. The brand new hotel at The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort houses 2.1 million bricks and 657 LEGO® models, bringing to life an enchanted world of brave knights, magical wizards and mischievous jesters. read more
In a historic house at one of the canals in the heart of Amsterdam, Spingaren tasting room & restaurant will open its doors this fall. Spingaren is a company that makes charcuterie artisanal and pickle and ferment vegetables and fish. Due to the fact that the team has been working in the hospitality business in the past, they decided to combine both passions and open a restaurant specialised in charcuterie and pickles. read more
September 2015 we wrote about SUSHISAMBA and their branch in London. The internationally renowned SUSHISAMBA restaurant will open its doors this September in Amsterdam at the 17th-century Singelgracht. The location overlooking the water is a beautiful addition to existing locations in London, New York, Las Vegas and Miami. read more
Haute Friture Snack Bar Tante Nel (Aunt Nel) in Rotterdam launches its first ‘SpeakFrietje’ (freely translated: SpeakFries) on Friday 28 July. The Snackbar 2.0 with alcohol license, invites residents of Rotterdam for this new Friday drink on their 80m2 large terrace. read more
Recently the tropical bar ‘de Tulp’ (The Tulip) opened its doors at Marie Heinekenplein 33, in the famous quarter ‘De Pijp’ in Amsterdam. Owners Jos de Jong and Sven Sallaerts (Pesca) have collaborated with Maarten de Vries, Sunny Bakhtiar and Jamie van der Will (Jajem, the Kopstootbar) for this new tropical bar. The name of de Tulp (the Tulip) refers to the famous glass in which we serve the Dutch jenever (gin). read more
Recently opened in Rotterdam, Gracy’s Sweet House. As the name already suggests it’s all about sweet treats, this address won’t disappoint you. At Gracy’s you can grab a bubble waffle filled with ice, fruit or sweet toppings. Calorie friendly? Not really? Tasteful? Definitely. read more
At Horecatrends we spot a lot of national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write articles about, the smaller trends we use in our column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. This week amongst others: wouldn’t it be a great idea if KLM started handing out ‘stroopwafel’ chewing gum during take-off and landing? read more
We have to admit that we really doubted if we would write about this ‘trend’ of putting a piece of pie in a shake! But then again we also sell ice cream with apple pie flavour in the Netherlands! So here it is: spotted in a video of Eater: Polly’s Pie shakes, where you can drink your piece of pie. They combine it with 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. read more
Esso Ruyven is a gas station located on the A13 road between Rotterdam and The Hague. The gas station has undergone a remarkable transformation: the traditional shop inside the station is now a modern food formula. Large and colourful images are attached to the glass walls, displaying their unique and fresh variety of menu items such as sushi, salads and burgers from the Big Green Egg. During the reopening on June 29, owner NRGValue revealed the new QICHI concept.
Upon entering, visitors are welcomed by a host and introduced to the new concept. The open kitchen stands out immediately. Chefs are preparing fresh dishes including sushi, pizza’s, BBQ- burgers and all kinds of smoothiebowls. There is also a barista island with freshly prepared coffee and handmade ice cream from ‘IJsmanschap’.
We see more and more food trends finding their way to the gas stations nowadays. For example Dorset’s culinary foodplaza, a food formula at AVIA at Dorset in Borne, also in The Netherlandse. But in the past period, we have seen more entrepreneurs implementing their culinary concept alongside the highway. Another example is gas station Scheiwijk alongside the A27. They also decided to improve the quality of their food, less fat and more healthy, culinary food.
With ambitions to double innovation, Taco Bell is sharing exclusive insights into its plan to R.I.N.G. The Bell for winning in the years ahead! The read more
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends read more
We have been sharing inspiration on our website since 2007, inspiration that we find in the hospitality industry or by online spotting of what our read more
At 15 August the Ibis Rotterdam City Centre opened its doors at the ‘Wijnhaven’ area in Rotterdam. To get guests acquainted with the hotel before opening, blogger Josie of maryjosie.com was invited to live in the hotel for two weeks (one week before opening and one week after opening). In this way, the blogger could share her experiences in and around the hotel, but also give the hotel an insight for an optimal guest experience. The Ibis Rotterdam City Centre organized several activities, starting off with an hotspot tour with 19 co-bloggers. The bloggers all agreed that the location is one of the USP’s of the hotel. The ‘Wijnhaven’, what is both located in the city centre and in the harbor, is an upcoming urban development area. This makes the area very attractive to live, work and stay in.
The Fish and Season festival is a 3-day culinary festival dedicated to sustainable and delicious fish. The festival takes place in the market hall of the Food Centre in Amsterdam that will be transformed into a Valhalla for fish-lovers, with a large kitchen for demonstrations and a foodcourt. Guests of the festival can see demonstrations of several top-chefs, enjoy great dishes and be inspired by the newest innovations in fish-preparing methods.
In 2012, we already wrote an article about ‘Restaurant Day’; the initiative from Helsinki where four times a year amateurs can open their own restaurant. The restaurants can be set up everywhere and are meant to share new food experiences and enjoy common living environments together. The initiative evolved over the years into the biggest worldwide food carnival with over 9600 restaurants at 56 countries.
In the Netherlands a ‘restaurant for one day’ will open as well; in Amsterdam the Spanish restaurant La Cuchara Spanish Food have participated since February 2013. The goal is to bring genuine Spanish food tradition to the city of Amsterdam. La Cuchara joins the ‘Restaurant Day’ Sunday 17 August with a special ‘The Scarlet Shrimp Edition’.
Following Madrid and Barcelona, the initiative ‘Afterwork by Heineken’ is launched in Amsterdam as well. Afterwork by Heineken revive the traditional afterwork-drink by organizing these at the most beautiful places in Amsterdam. Examples of these locations are the Skylounge of the DoubleTree by Hilton, the roof terrace of Floor17 and the Oyster Club. End your working day together with your colleagues in style; with an ice-cold Heineken, luxurious snacks and good music. At the website AmsterdamAfterwork you can check the dates and locations of the coming editions and register yourself on the guest list.
‘Mossel en Gin’ opened in June officially its doors in Amsterdam and is already developing. This is a restaurant where people come to eat clams and drink Gin. Not only are they serving clams in different styles, the small menu includes small fish-dishes and lobster as well. The Gin is served in different brands and in surprising ways. The GinMare served with basil is our favorite. For people who want these Gin and Tonics on location as well; the gentlemen of ‘Mossel en Gin’ developed under the motto ‘Gin Mobile, there were the party is’ their own Gin Mobile.
Across the City of Sydney, several food trucks are operating as part of the Sydney Food Trucks Project. The trucks offer diverse dining options such as kingfish ceviche, veggie burgers and organic gourmet pizzas what can be washed down with non-alcoholic sangria and fresh juices. In 2011, people in Sydney were asked what they wanted to see happening in Sydney during the ‘after hours’. The overwhelming response was to have more food options and from there the Food Truck Project was born. The food trucks are operating at different locations around the city, which can be followed with the Sydney Food Truck app. The project is a one-year trial for now.
The sportswear brand Reebok has started a new campaign featuring the Reebok Bacon Box. The Bacon boxes were send to athletes of the Reebok CrossFit games and handed out from a foodtruck at the games itself. Using the motto “who doesn’t love Bacon?” Reebok engages customers who love bacon with their brand. The campaign responds to the athletes who follow the Paleolithic (“Paleo”) diet, where bacon is one of the most beloved treats. The Reebok Bacon is produced in line with the recommendations of the diet and doesn’t contain nitrates, preservatives, msg and sweeteners. We think this campaign is an interesting example of blurring of branches and we are curious which brand follows this example..
TOP Foodlab developed a new product that adds flavor to your food called Kimchiwawa. It is based on dried kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish. Kimchi has a strong and funky flavor and is made from fermented vegetables and spices. Add Kimchiwawa to a product like vegetable chips or popcorn to give it a typical Korean flavor. When you are not familiar with the taste of kimchi, we really recommend you to taste it. Kimchiwawa can soon be tried at events and bought at several outlets in the Netherlands.
In Amsterdam a new tropical restaurant, Waterkant, was opened. The restaurant is located in the city centre of Amsterdam and is inspired by the city of Paramaribo in Suriname. There are typical Surinamese dishes on the menu, such as Roti and Saoto soup, but also Angus burgers, grilled chicken and lobster. Waterkant is a great place to enjoy the tropical atmosphere with a typical Surinamese Parbo-beer.
‘Cities’ known from the book ‘Farming the City’ has launched a pilot project for electric bicycle transportation this summer. The project Foodlogica connects local food, businesses and consumers. Food Logic uses an hourly rate of € 20, – including driver during the pilot. With 300 kg per transport (including the driver), maximum dimensions of 120 x 94 x 120 cm and a radius of 50 km it can be an interesting alternative for small sustainable entrepreneurs.
Participants pilot
The first participants in the pilot are the Chocolate Makers, Bee Box, ‘Van Boer tot Bord’, Willem & Drees and Juice & Salad Cafe.
With the TV program ‘Smaakpupillen’(translated as ‘Taste Pupils‘) television channel 24 Kitchen wants to motivate children to cook at least once a week. In the program kids between six and twelve years will cook for their families. The meals are specially created for them and the purchases are part of the program as well. Presenter Hugo Kennis: “Today, they often don’t know how a certain product on the market looks like and where it comes from. I take them to the market, where they receive detailed information about the products. ”
The program is aired on 24 Kitchen daily at 16.30 from 1 September onwards.
The movie CHEF tell the story about chef cook Carl Casper who resigns at a top restaurant in Los Angeles for a culinary road trip in Miami. To promote the film, that premiers in the Dutch cinemas on 4 September, a CHEF food truck travels through the Netherlands. This truck is co-developed by the creators of the book “Reizende Sterren” a cookbook with the signature dishes of different food trucks. The Cuban sandwiches that the truck serves are based on the sandwich recipe from the film.
#Cheftruck
The foodtruck serves its culinary specialties at the Car Art Festival in Delft (9-10 Aug), Haarlem Jazz & More in Haarlem (13-16 Aug), Magneet Festival in Amsterdam (22-24 Aug), Rrrollend Leiden (Aug 29-30 ), Smaak Karavaan in Tilburg (31 Aug), Vlietdagen Leidschendam-Voorburg (13-14 Sep), and can be tracked online via #ChefTruck #ReizendeSterren.
For those who still have their holiday ahead and are going to either Singapore, Bangkok, New York, Rome, Barcelona, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai or Istanbul TripAdvisor has produced a list with the ten most visited roof tops. I have visited 2 of the mentioned rooftops and can assure you that you will enjoy the view while swimming (Marina Bay Sands rooftop) or sipping a cocktail while enjoying the view of Bangkok (Lebua at the State Tower rooftop). It’s a unique experience! For those owning hotels, it might be interesting to be mentioned in these kind of lists, so check your special features and let the world know! Check the other locations at TripAdvisor. ^Marjolein
In April 2010, the Icelandic cook Fridgeir Eiriksson served dinner prepared over the foothills of the lava of the ‘famous’ volcano, Eyjafjallajökull. Perhaps you recall the eruption which caused a lot of trouble in air traffic. The chef complete the adventure by flying the guests to the ‘restaurant’ location in a helicopter. In June the creative duo Bompas & Parr, from London barbecued steaks on artificially manufactured lava in collaboration with Professor Robert Wysock (Syracuse University, NY). The movie takes some time but the effect of BBQ’ing above 2.100 degrees Fahrenheit is clearly visible. However, I think I would sign up for the adventure! ^Marjolein
This article describes the developments of the Asian restaurant sector in The Netherlands. Unfortionately this article is only available in Dutch. Please contact + 31 71 541 88 67 if you have any questions.
The pop-up waste restaurant Instock is open for a month now and gets positive reviews. The founders, who met at Albert Heijn, put food waste literally on the menu. The cooks in the pop-up restaurant prepare left-overs of the supermarket chain that would otherwise be thrown away. The ingredients depend on the daily harvest and is pciked up at the stores with an electric minibus. Instock is open every weekend for a three-course dinner on Friday and Saturday (17:00 to 23:00) and Sunday brunch (from 10:30 to 17:00).
(Un)avoidable food waste
All the food served is still meets the required quality standards. “You can differentiate between unavoidable and avoidable food waste. Wasting food that is actually no longer consumable is inevitable, but we avoid food waste while it is still suitable for consumption.”
The last 3 days Café George at the Plein in The Hague had an original pre-opening. Guests could go on a ‘blind date’ with George. Like in the other George bistro’s in Amsterdam and Laren, we tasted delicious French bistro dishes like Steak Tartare and Lobster Linguini as well as popular desserts like lemon pie, cheesecake and île flottante. We wish the team from George a lot of success at the Plein in The Hague.
This summer, while the outdoor festivals are sprouting everywere, the Bacchus Wine Festival is definately worth mentioning. At this festival there is room for 250 different types of wines! For this stunning variety of wines the organization works close together with ten well known wine importers from Amsterdam and its surroundings. The festival takes place at the ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ from 5 to 7 September.
The comfort standard at the festival is higher than most outdoor events. With real wine glasses, flushing toilets and several rolling kitchens it should be fine with the luxe experience.
Exclusively designed to give their guests unique and unprecedented access to historical, cultural and local lifestyle experiences, The Peninsula Tokyo Academy offers a collection of bespoke programmes for both adults and children. Kids staying at the hotel as from 1 October, will get the chance to live out an episode of Pokémon with characters like Pikachu, Lucario and friends in an interactive game designed exclusively for the hotel. Kids as from five years old are invited to hunt down Pokémon characters, armed with a Poké Ball. A game that is a bit like hide and seek. Great way to entertain the kids of your guests and an inspiration for hotels in Belgium to introduce a meeting with Tintin! Or for the hotels in The Netherlands with Miffy.
The last couple of weeks, I noticed that the car park where I always park wasn’t as packed as usual. In Arnhem, they have a nice solution for car parks during the summer. They created a ‘Roof Garden’. A public place or a all-in-one location, where you can hang-out, drink something, eat a ‘roof’-meal, enjoy the garden and follow a bee workshop. You can even play ping pong, practice ‘roof’yoga, see a ‘roof’-movie and exercise at the underground gym. Furthermore, it is a showroom for creatives and cultural initiatives, such as a silent disco. The design is sustainable, it uses solar energy and for example the furniture is created from wooden pallets by volunteers.
Update: 3 August was the final day, luckily we still got the pictures.
In September the first dump supermarket ‘Gekke Gerrit’ will open in Amsterdam. The supermarket sells remnants that brand supermarkets are not allowed to sell anymore and offers left over seasonal products outside the season, such as ice cream in the winter. The dump supermarket sells these products for the lowest prices. The store will be a pilot, but owner Gerrit Hoksberg hopes to open more dump supermarkets.
On Thursday 17 July Brooklyn lager officially introduced its beer in Amsterdam. The beer is brought to the Netherlands by Bier & Co and fits well in the growing demand for specialty beers. The ‘4 Pint Rule ‘, where the drinker wants to (and can) drink four pints will, be a welcome addition to the heavier and more extravagant specialty beers.
Brooklyn Lager’s brewmaster Garrett Oliver wrote several books including one about beer and food pairing. He was important for the introduction of the Slow Food Movement in his country. The brewery has a Slow Food NYC approval and runs on 100% wind energy.
The city Nijmegen has the cheapest prices on patios of the Netherlands. The average price for a round of drinks (2 coffee’s, 2 beers, 2 softdrinks, 2 glasses of Rosé wine) at a patio in Nijmegen is € 18,77. Van Spronsen & Partners horeca-advies conducts this survey annually. The article is only available in Dutch.
Last weekend I read a blog by Ciao Tutti about the Mercato Centrale in Florence. Within approximately 3000 square meters above the Mercato Centrale you will find a selection of small restaurants, winebars and tasting rooms that are in place to allow you to try the best Italian delicacies. This in addition to the market where you can buy local products. A type of “foodhallen” that have been popular in South European countries for years. The owners of Eataly were able to also make this concept of a combination of restaurants + retail popular outside of Italy. The growth of Eataly locations seems unstoppable, right now they have 27 locations of which 10 in Italy, 13 in Japan and the others in cities like New York, Chicago, Dubai and Istanbul. Rumors say they are working on a Dutch location.
While reading I started wondering why don’t we have a “foodhall” with Dutch products?
This autumn the first indoor food market, named the ‘Foodhallen’ will be opened in Amsterdam. The ‘Foodhallen’ will be located in the former tram depot ‘De Hallen’ and is based on foodcourts such as Mercado de San Miguel (Madrid) and Borough Market (London). ‘De Hallen’ is a building of 16.000 m² and beside the food market it will accommodate two restaurants, ‘Halte 3’ and ‘Meat West’, a movie theatre, a hotel, a library and several shops. Chong Chu, Tsibo Lin, Zing-Kyn Cheung and Rakish Gangapersad are the founders of the project and owners of the two restaurants.
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