Last King’s Day I was in Eindhoven and in advance I received an email with a tip about a recently opened food market in Eindhoven: Down Town Gourmet Market. Although we already had a reservation for another restaurant, we couldn’t resist to have a quick look at this new market. It seemed that everybody was enjoying themselves as it was quite busy! read more
Throughout the year, Deliveroo delivers the dishes of your favorite local restaurant to everyone’s kitchen table, couch, bed or office. This spring, the delivery service will launch its improved GPS delivery. To date, the delivery service was only limited to the delivery of food at several parcs. From this year onwards, via GDP-coordinates, Deliveroo will also deliver meals in different areas such as picnic areas, to a boat or to a seat by the water. read more
We will be celebrating Mothersday this Sunday in the Netherlands and we spotted an article at Fine Dining Lovers about these cloud eggs! Wouldn’t they be great at your breakfast tray this Sunday or any other day? They are easy to make, according to the instruction video above. It’s one of the latest craze on Instagram. Well, we’re pleasantly surprised by this hype, it’s must taste great, the only ingredients are egg white, egg yolk and a small hand of Parmigiano cheese. It doesn’t involve any additives or colouring dyes. 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 G&T popsicles in the supermarket and world’s largest inflatable obstacle course got installed in the Netherlands.
If you like to read the whole article, click the title. Enjoy reading! read more
Starship Technologies, the company that develops robots that can deliver independent products, has announced that their robots will deliver pizzas in different European cities. This in collaboration with Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (DPE), Domino’s Pizza’s leading franchisee in for example the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The ‘Domino’s Pizza robots’ project is part of the DRU (Domino’s Robotic Unit)-framework, an initiative that works towards the ‘goal’ of delivering pizzas by using robots. read more
Alice Underground - Photo credit Rah Petherbridge Photography
Alice Underground - Photo credit Rah Petherbridge Photography
Smith & Sinclair - The Wonderland Bar - Painting the Roses Red
Alice Underground - Photo credit Rah Petherbridge Photography
The Wonderland BarThe Wonderland Bar is the new exciting immersive destination bar in London. It’s the place which truly brings Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to life. Are you a real Alice in Wonderland fan and would you like to experience her adventures? Than this bar is a must-visit. The bar is part of Alice’s Adventurous Underground. A theater show that let you experience Alice’s adventures. read more
We’ve have been writing about collaborations between chefs quite often. Many chefs invite their friends or famous chefs to join them in their kitchens for special events. Owners of Berber & Q Grill House have invited some of London’s hottest chefs for a ‘mangal mash up’ at the four Mondays of June. read more
In the upcoming weeks, the Horecava, Lightspeed and Sligro are looking for hospitality talents to join the Dutch National RestaurantPITCH contest. This new and unique contest gives candidates the opportunity to achieve their dreams of having their own restaurant. The person with the winning restaurant concept will receive a fully-featured pop-up restaurant during the Horecava, which takes place from Monday the 8th until Thursday the 11th of January 2018 in RAI Amsterdam. Signing up can be done until the 21st of June. read more
Last month I visited Tribeca, not in New York but in a small town in the Netherlands, Heeze. At restaurant Tribeca (two Michelin stars) we ate a delicious, chefs version of Borsch, the famous Russian beetroot soup. It tasted so great that I went looking for a recipe and while searching at Google I found an article at The New Yorker about the opening of the first Teremok restaurants outside of Russia in New York City at Union Square and Chelsea. Is the Russian cuisine growing in popularity? read more
Tante Kee (Aunt Kee) has been open for a month now and yesterday we had the pleasure to experience the dishes of the newly appointed chef Bobby Rust. The restaurant has been given a complete makeover and with Bobby they want to upgrade the culinary standards of the restaurant. The restaurant is located at the picturesque Kaag island between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, you even have to take a short boat trip to reach the restaurant! read more
Tristram with Toast - Photo credit Tom Moggach
Toast Pale Ale - Photo credit Mark Wesley
Toast lineup - Photo credit Tom Moggach
Toast in arms - Photo credit Tom Moggach
Adding Bread - Photo credit Tom MoggachToast Ale is on a mission to prove that the alternative to food waste is delicious. The Toast Ale is an award winning beer brewed using fresh surplus bread that would otherwise be wasted. Perhaps a nice idea to serve as beverage at toasty restaurants?! read more
The DoughDici™ Experience by Sofia Pizza Shoppe in NYC is a limited-edition pan pizza (for 2 people) designed to offer a unique experience to passionate pizza connoisseurs. While maintaining the simplicity of a classic pie, the DoughDici™ dough is tended for a full 12 hours before topping it with the finest, freshest ingredients. A slow food pizza! A spot worth visiting for the die-hard pizza fans going to New York City! read more
The Bowl-Rent is an outdoor, all-weather one-lane bowling alley. The lane is built in such way that it can easily be set-up and removed. The creators guarantee that the bowling lane can be used within an hour. Furthermore, the transportable all-weather bowling alley can be set-up at different grounds and can be ordered in different sizes. read more
Instock Granola
Instock Granola - photo credits Natalia van der Zalm
Instock Granola - photo credits Natalia van der ZalmTogether with bakery Lanskroon, Instock created their own granola. The main ingredient of the granola is the ‘bierbostel’ from the Troost Brewery. Bierbostel is the nutritious malt residue of the beer brewing process. Beer for breakfast is a nutritious and alcohol-free breakfast product that prevents food waste. Nice idea as hangover breakfast! 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 HEMA’s new hospitality concept and a Ferrari-branded racetrack on top of a luxury cruise ship.
If you like to read the whole article, click the title. Enjoy reading! read more
We couldn’t find an immersive Christmas Light Maze in Europe yet, howevere correct us if we are wrong. But we love the idea, another fun 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
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
The Epiphany hotel in Palo Alto has a very special chandelier in its lobby. The high-tech lamp is designed by IDEO Digital Shop and consists of hundreds of light bulbs that can all move and illuminate interdependently. The lamp responds to data streams of online media such as social media and information from the internet. When someone posts a message about the hotel on Facebook or Twitter the lamp responds, but the lamp also gives a reflection of the weather. The lamp also response to movements in the hotel, for example when someone walks up the stairs.
The exclusive champagne served in the VIP-boxes during the FIFA World Cup 2014 is also available in the Netherlands. FIFA worked together with Taittinger to introduce the special World Cup 2014 edition of the popular Brut Réserve Champagne: the Taittinger official champagne of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This limited edition has a label with 3D effects that make it look like footballs are literally shooting from the bottle. In cooperation with distributor Wine4Business the Taittinger official champagne of the 2014 FIFA World Cup is also available in the Netherlands through www.wkchampagne.nl.
After the Cronut™ and the Milk & Cookie shot, Dominique Ansel introduces his newest creation the Waffogato. The Waffogato is a combination between a waffle and the classic Italian dessert affogato. Affogato is made of vanilla ice-cream topped with a hot shot of espresso, one of his favorite desserts. The chef wanted to create a dessert served during breakfast and came up with the Waffogato: a combination of sweet, salty and bitter. It’s not actually a waffle but Tahitian vanilla ice-cream in the form of a waffle made with bits of Belgium waffle, pearl sugar for the crunch and a little sea salt. The ice cream is topped with hot maple syrup spiked espresso. Tapioca pearls release from the waffle when it melts and give the dish more texture. The Waffogato will be sold in his bakery from Friday, 9 May.
Accor Hotels introduces its newest worldwide online check-in-system where guests will save time during their arrival and departure. After the guest made his booking (via the website, mobile application or phone) he is supposed to check-in online two days before arrival. On the day of arrival the guest will receive a SMS with the room confirmation, practical information and a notification that the key is ready. The guest only has to pick up the key at the reception, to check-out the guest needs to give the key back to the reception and will receive an invoice by email. At the end of 2014 the system will be implemented at more than 30% of the hotels.
Boston Pizza has launched a new marketing campaign named ‘Pizza Game Changers’. Through the new website, pizza lovers can order some new menu items and they can vote for new pizza innovations. Some innovation ideas are pizza mints, a pizza cake and a pizza protector. One of the new menu items is the Pizza Taco. The Pizza Taco is a small pizza available in chicken/bacon or pullet pork and is shaped into a taco shell. The pizza taco shell is filled with salad, vegetables and sauce. Perhaps a lot easier to eat. The new menu items are available until 1 June.
Thrillist.com gives an overview of 21 restaurants and bars converted from different buildings. Like ‘The Airplane Restaurant’, a restaurant located in a 1953 US Air Force Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker. Or the ‘Crop Bar and Bistro’, a gigantic 1925 bank with marble columns rebuilt into a restaurant with high-end dishes and an open kitchen. The video above is from ‘The Liberty’ in Boston. Previously this building was a gigantic prison, built in 1851. After a massive renovation, the building converted into a hotel with five chic restaurants and bars. Take a look at the complete list here.
It often happens that restaurant guests not eat their whole dish, because the dish was larger than they expected. The German Food Bank ‘Düsseldorf table’ and agency ‘Ogilvy & Mather Germany’ launched the campaign ‘All you Can Eat’. Participating restaurants can place a sticker on the menu next to the dishes that tend to be served larger than guests can estimate. Guests have the option to choose for a smaller portion at the same price. The saved money will be donated to the food bank.
Friedjof Kempenaar initiated a vega pop-up restaurant in Rotterdam on 11, 12 and 13 April and is now aiming for our capital. Although he is not a vegetarian, he is intrigued by cooking without fish and meat and is convinced that the available vegan dishes in restaurants deserve an uprgade. While he is looking for a location in Amsterdam to sit 70 people per evening, you can delight yourself with an impression of the latest edition here.
It’s actually strange in the hospitality industry; there is quite a stir around guest taking pictures of their dishes. Some chefs and their guests are annoyed by the flashes of the cameras, others go a step further and give guests the opportunity to shoot a perfect picture! Yet there are still a few restaurants that showcase their dishes on the website, the menu is usually hidden in a pdf file. Weird in a time where young people (particularly up to 35 years) communicate through pictures (Instagram).
Online Menu wants to change this. They place your dishes with photos on the homepage . In addition, they provide insights in your potential guests and audience. Guests will also have the opportunity to write a review. On the website guests can filter the online menu labels and ingredients, see how other guests rate the dish and have a look at combined side dishes or drinks that were combined with the menu. A reservation module is build in. This system can be used to increase the service; it is in fact linked to a reservation website. Nice to know that the Smith family is coming for dinner for the 10th time.. And you could offer them a menu with their favorite dishes.
Last November Hudson Bar & Kitchen opened in Rotterdam. The restaurant starts the outdoor season appropriately by opening a special art terrace. Artist Tinus Teder took the look and feel of the restaurant to the terrace and was inspired by contemporary culture, love of life and street culture. His style is characterized by influences from pop art of the 60s.
Aukje Visser and Gerbrand Nicolai from Dokkum (The Netherlands) started with selling biological meat online. Even better, all the biological meat they sell comes from the Netherlands and their beef comes from farmers in Friesland they personally know. By using special techniques the entrepreneurs can guarantee that the meat is chilled for at least 48 hours and is sent by regular mail-order.
Buzzfeed made a video with an overview of the most populair midnight snacks after going out. The Netherlands isn’t mentioned, what is our most populair drunken dish?
The most northern part of North Holland gets its own local market under the name of ‘De Kroon van Holland’ (translated as The Crown of Holland) on 3 and 4 May . For tasty snacks from the region, local gems and local quality produce visitors can go to Anna Paulowna. During the weekend there are several demonstrations and workshops. There is for instance a BBQ workshop by Andy McDonald from ‘Echte Stokers’ in Schagen, Andrea van Lieshout teaches you how to create delicious dishes with Texel Asparagus and Ans van den Burg shows how to make real Wieringer Shrimp croquettes. Both Saturday and Sunday closes with a local produce dinner. Sign up for the workshops via www.facebook.com/kroonvanholland.
On 12 and 13 May 2014, the first Dutch fair by and for bartenders will be held under the title “The Perfect Serve Barshow”. The Westerliefde and WesterUnie in Amsterdam are the stage for seminars, tastings and competitions with ‘guest experience’ as communal interest. A sneak peek in the program shows that Steve Okhuysen, bartender and owner of Old Fashioned Cocktail & Absinthe Bar in Ghent, Belgium will tell about the mythical Absinthe and Andrew Nicholls will elaborate on the diversity, quality and versatility of rum with the Authentic Caribbean Rum label. See the full program here.
Not every restaurant is happy with guests who post food photos on Social Media. The photos are often blurry or improperly exposed whereby the dish looks unsavory. To give guests the opportunity to shoot professional photos, restaurant El Burro in South-Africa placed a portable light studio in the restaurant. Guests can choose various colored lights and once they have chosen the perfect mood lighting, they can take a photo and upload it on Instagram with #dinnercam. The device is developed by MWEB Wi-Fi network. Guests receive a free copy of their photo.
To promote the buffet, caterer Albron uses Magneet Visual® signs at Center Parcs. The sign works with a magnetized sub layer and a top layer with printed images on PVC-free foil that contain an iron coating. At Albron Center Parcs two layers of Magneet Visual® are used, one with a chalkboard-look, the second consists out of outline cut products that can be manually adjusted. The system is developed by BSB Reclame.
Ten Dutch top chefs will work together during the Gastromarket ‘Food from Heaven’ on Thursday 29 May and Friday 30 May. Ten top chefs from ten restaurant in The Hague will serve ten dishes at Michelin star level, in combination with music and a food market. Participating restaurants are: Zwetheul, Savelberg, Calla’s, Hanting, Brasserie NL, Savarin, Villa la Ruche, Des Indes, Pearl and Brasserie Brut. A ticket costs € 100,=, you can find more information here.
In May Haagen-Dazs will introduce two special ice cream flavors in Japan. The ice cream brand comes with the surprising flavors carrot-orange and cherry-tomato. These ice creams contain only 8.5 percent milk fat and are a lot healthier. We already know juices with the flavor carrot-orange so why not ice cream? With these flavors the brand responds to the current hype of healthy food.
Looking for a new job? Do you love brunching for free and Aperol Spritz? The ‘Aperol ® Brunch Society’ in America is looking for a new ‘Chef Brunch Officer’ (CBO). The CBO will visit several restaurant hotspots to taste the Aperol Spritz cocktail and makes sure the staff makes the right Aperol Spritz cocktail. The recipe: 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part soda. The CBO will visit restaurants twice every weekend, all summer long, gets a free brunch with friends and get paid for it! To apply, people need to upload an Instagram video of 15 seconds with #Brunchforaliving @AperolUSA and tell why they have to become the new Chef Brunch Officer. Click here to see a number of applications. Nice inspiration for restaurant owners: as restaurant you can invite a regular guests to taste new dishes.
To create a good image of a hotel, a video is often used. A great way to promote the hotel is by a drone, like the video above. A drone can capture angles and views of the hotel that couldn’t be captured before and is relatively inexpensive to use.
#Throwback Thursday. We started in August 2007 with horecatrends.com / hospitalitytrends.eu, in July 2009 we posted an item about the Slow Cow drink from Canada. This brand advertised with the slogan: “This can contains a one week vacation”. A drink with soothing ingredients to relax, so the opposite of energy drinks. The drink has been working since 2008 to conquer the world from Quebec, Canada. On their website, they even posted that the drink will be sold in more than 50 countries in 2025! So they do think that the world really needs to relax.
On 5 May people in Amsterdam eat together during the “Freedom meals”. In restaurants, parks, homes and on the streets of Amsterdam thousands of citizens share tables. Various organizations and initiatives connect people through food. There are five StreetDinners organized by Bite Me throughout the city, where fifty volunteers cook in ten kitchens and collectively serve it for the visitors of these local events. Next to that, a huge dinner is organized at the IJ (1000 pax) and in several other local dinners are organized in the districts, see this link (Dutch) for an overview.
In Utrecht there is a discovery center developed by ‘Initiatief Domplein’ together with the municipality of Utrecht and the ‘Rijksdienst voor Cultureel Erfgoed’ (National Heritage Board). The DOMunder is located beneath the Domplein and it’s a place where visitors learn more about 2000 years of history through Roman, Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic remnants in about 75 minutes. With a special flashlight, visitors can explore archaeological findings. The DOMunder is open for visitors from 3 June onwards.
In Rotterdam, the collaboration between Bjorn van Dijl and ‘Schmidt Zeevis Rotterdam’ resulted in culinary hotspot ‘Salt & Tasty’. The restaurant measures a hundred square meters and has a large outdoor terrace as well. Salt & Tasty is located opposite to the new Rotterdam Central Station, at the Kruisplein. The refrigerated display is daily filled with fresh fish by Schmidt Zeevis and there are various salads and sandwiches available in the restaurant.
Today, Earth Day is celebrated around the world. This day positive attention is requested for global issues surrounding nature, the environment and climate change. With the main focus on reflection and enjoyment. In the hospitality industry, we are seeing more and more examples of less food miles, organic and local products, but also the processing of ‘forgotten’ vegetables and meat such as rooster, goat and goose. In addition, we have the debate about whether or not to serve tap water (in Europe). Yet we still see that ‘special’ water is served from glaciers from the other side of the world ….. But you can also make “special” water in a simpler and more sustainable way. Last weekend I served my ‘special’ waters at our Easter dinner. Several courses, with each course another water. I just used tap water and added herbs, lemon , rhubarb and beetroot, depending on the taste of the dish. Nice and simple. And just like wine, it’s nice to see if the taste actually blends well with the food. The water with beetroot / lemon and mint tasted great with the starter of smoked eel and the water with rhubarb was very subtle which combined well with dessert. A nice sustainable gesture; the water from the tap and the herbs and vegetables from nearby! And even for those who do not drink alcohol, it’s a party! My suggestion for Earth Day.^Marjolein
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