Hotel offers guests unlimited access to newspapers
22-4-2014
Traders Hotels has launched its digital newsstand ‘PressReader’ in 15 hotels in Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Guest only have to connect with the Wi-Fi network and don’t need an account or log in. Through the ‘PressReader’ they get unlimited access to more than 2,500 global newspapers and magazines in 60 languages from 100 countries. They can read a newspaper or magazine at any time of the day, from anywhere in the hotel: a great gesture from to hotel to its guests.
Obey and get free vitamins of the vending machine
22-4-2014
Sociallab, a digital marketing agency in Greece placed a vending machine with the name ‘Greek Mama’ in a large shopping mall in Athens. ‘Greek Mama’ is known for her wisdom she knows best, so you’d better listen to what she says. Visitors of the shopping mall got the change to meet the ‘Greek Mama’ in person. The vending machine had a dozen quotes to encourage people to play along. The only thing they had to do; obey the orders of the vending machine and they would get a free vitamin drink.
Real WINE gums: wine in edible form
18-4-2014
The real WINE gums: no sweets for children but adult luxury food. Vinoos by AMS introduces edible wine in the shape of a wine gum. The real WINE gums are invented at the art academy and are now being produced. In July 2013 Vinoos AMS was selected as finalist of the Rabobank Entrepreneurship Award for ‘Best business plan in the Netherlands’. This innovative product contains natural ingredients, no animal substances and are vegetarian. The sweets come in two flavors: Merlot and Chardonnay. Nice to serve on a cheese platter in a restaurant, instead of a glass of wine. The real WINE gums will be available from May at the ‘Bijenkorf Flagstores’, the Bijenkorf web shop and through the web shop of 9-straatjes in Amsterdam.
Winning dish chef Tim Bosch on menu at Landal parks
18-4-2014
The Diabetes Foundation and fund ‘Variatie in de Keuken’ (variation in the kitchen) challenged the chefs of Landal parks in the Netherlands to serve the healthiest and tastiest dish during the ‘Chefs’ Challenge’. Chef Tim Bosch of Landal Coldenhove surprised the jury and won the ‘Chefs’ Challenge’ with his main course and dessert. His main course of ‘skin fried mackerel filet with cauliflower couscous and coriander oil’ and his dessert ‘green tea with citrus, poached pear with vanilla yoghurt panna cotta’ will be on the menu at several Landal parks from June.
Pay with your fingerprint
17-4-2014
From tomorrow it is possible to carry out mobile payments with your fingerprint. Consumers can use the fingerprint scanner of the new Samsung Galaxy S5 to pay through PayPal. The fingerprint is converted to a key that has been encrypted and gets access to PayPal. To activate the fingerprint, consumers must give permission once via an e-identifier. A lot easier for the consumer, it’s not necessary to fill in any data or remember the passwords, but simply swipe a finger across the screen.
The Pasta Sauna
17-4-2014
The Italian book ‘Futurist Cookbook’ condemned pasta as the worst food on earth. This inspired artist Marije Vogelzang to create a place where people can enjoy pasta, but can also feel like pasta. She created the Pasta Sauna for Performa in 2009 in New York and made an improved version for Dordtyard in April 2013. The Pasta Sauna is a place where consumers can eat pasta while they enjoy the steam of the sauna. Marije Vogelzang used the steam from boiling pasta to create a place where consumers will feel as lazy and heavy as the food they’re putting into their bodies.
Connecting coffee machine
16-4-2014
At many companies the coffee machine is the place to socialize with others. Conferences often lack this social moment because of the abundance of coffee. The Coffee Connector by the ‘Economic Development Board (EDB)’ from Singapore brings back the social moment in coffee drinking during networking meetings. The impressive machine only works if two people order a coffee at the same time. With a few short questions you get to know your fellow drinker over a cup of coffee. Watch the video.
Easter brunch in antique store
16-4-2014
The Wildschut antique shop in Amsterdam organizes a pure Easter brunch in collaboration with Alice den Boer (Alicious Food) on Monday 21 April. With a maximum of 15 guests, it is a small and intimate event where craft is the key ingredient, both on the plate as in the store.
Hotel Droog at Bijenkorf Amsterdam
16-4-2014
A special Droog design pop-up store opened at the Bijenkorf on the Dam Square in Amsterdam. The store on the 3rd floor of the warehouse is open to 4 May and offers various products for living room, kitchen, bedroom and garden. Most of the items are known from the Hôtel Droog at the Staalstraat. Here all activities by Droog Design come together and are the services focused on care and hospitalty instead of spending the night. The additional services in a regular hotel like a dining room, bar and tea room, gallery and store cover the majority of the hotel. The 700 square meter building only has one bedroom: The One and Only Bedroom. In addition to the pop-up campaign, it is possible to win a night at this room by sending in a slogan.
TonTon Club at Hotel Bloom
15-4-2014
Warsteiner celebrates the introduction of the brand at the Hotel Bloom! in Brussels in a special way. The beer brand provides a platform for art projects in the hotel under the name ‘Warsteiner Art Space’. The first project is a Blacklight Air hockey Room in cooperation with the TonTon club from Amsterdam. Warsteiner will start a (secret) project with pop artist group ‘De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig and in September 22Tracks comes along with three events.
Hospitality game for Utrecht
15-4-2014
Utrecht Tourism has developed an online game for the hospitality industry. Entrepreneurs can train their personnel more easily with this game and track their progress. Utrecht had an average score at the ‘Most Hospitable City’ research last year, with an 11th place from the 21 cities studied. Watch the video by Shapers for an impression.
Food pairing with cookies and cheese
15-4-2014
In November last year, we’ve written about food pairing by biscuit manufacturer Jules Destrooper. The Belgian cookie bakers have consulted cheese specialist Betty Koster from fromagerie L’Amuse to create new flavor combinations. One of the combinations she has created are the ‘Virtuoso Chocolate Cookies with goat cheese’. The recipe combines chocolate cookies with roasted peppers and goat cheese. We are huge fans of the open minded taste approach from our Belgian neighbors and will definitely try the recipes.
Contactless payment at NS retail stores
14-4-2014
Starting this week, it is possible for the consumer to pay contactless with a Maestro debit card at the NS retail stores in the Netherlands. Tomorrow, NS retail introduces the contactless payments in collaboration with MasterCard in the NS retail stores like ‘Broodzaak’, Smullers, Kiosk and Julia’s. The consumer can pay by holding the mobile phone or the debit card against the payment terminal. For an amount below € 25,= there is no PIN required. This method of payment saves time, particularly at the stations, where consumers are often in a hurry.
Napkin origami
14-4-2014
In our publication ‘Royal hospitable gestures‘ we wrote an article about in old-fashioned origami with towels in hotels. But also restaurants can have a folded napkin on a set table. Duni napkins has some instructional videos folding napkins on their website, like the feather napkin in the video above. For every occasion and theme, a matching folded napkin.
The espresso boys
14-4-2014
Tough guys and fresh espresso. The ‘espresso jongens’ (espresso boys) can be hired for any type of event, party, wedding or exhibition. The espresso served is made of sustainable coffee beans and they use a hand-operated pump to generate the pressure to serve the espresso. With the belt with cups, stirrers and sugar they have everything needed. The espresso boys can be combined with the ‘meisjes met smaak’ (girls with taste) to make a combination of coffee with something sweet and delicious. The ‘meisjes met smaak’ are known of the oyster girls, but can also be hired as macaron girl, pata girl, sushi girl, ice cream girl, brullee girl etc.
General Store and Co
11-4-2014
The quirky bar concept ‘General Store & Co’ in Melbourne sells goods, groceries and grog. The concept is inspired by the old American Trading Posts where grocers sold food, clothing and household items. Later this evolved into General Stores that sold everything including alcohol, groceries and all sorts of retail products. The General Store & Co in Melbourne has a full service bar and café, in-house barber, shoe and clothing store, a bookstore, a private courtyard garden and a grocery with a wide range of organic products. A meeting place for people, that starts in the morning with a cup of coffee and ends in the evening with a drink in the bar.
60 Second Tasting Menu restaurant Daniel NYC
11-4-2014
Do you have 60 seconds? Then watch the video of the seven-course tasting menu of fine dining restaurant Daniel in New York. Chefs Eddy Leroux, Jean-Francois and Ghaya Oliveira prepare the menu with canapés, appetizers, desserts and petit fours, worth $ 220,=. The ’60 Second Tasting Menu’ video’s of the Eater make a fast-paced visual tour of beautiful, technically advanced menu’s of restaurants. Click here for more video’s.
OranjeKorn beverage
11-4-2014
April 26 it is King’s day in the Netherlands and Berentzen ApfelKorn has introduced a special limited edition drink for this day: the OranjeKorn (orangekorn). The OranjeKorn has the same fresh and sweet taste as the original Berentzen ApfelKorn, only the color is different. The orange drink can be served as a shot, in combination with mineral water, apple juice or with a soft drink with lemon flavor.
Chok – the chocolate kitchen
10-4-2014
Chök – the chocolate kitchen- located at las Ramblas in Barcelona is a chocolate delicacy shop and opened its doors in August 2013. A true paradise for the sweet tooth! The shop has a real ‘chök’ wall and a open kitchen where customers can taste during the production process. The star product ‘chök’ is a delicacy that comes in 30 flavors made according to a special recipe with less sugar, fat and frying time. It’s a healthier version of a donut. The shop also sells chocolate chips, macaroons, cupcakes and churros. Chök also organizes courses where chocolate plaus a key role, like ‘taller de tapas’ with recipes for salmon marinated in cocoa, making a ganache and a chocolate tortilla with mascarpone.
Vive le Vin wine bus
10-4-2014
Folkert-Jan Duynstee decided after his world tour in 2012 to do something with his passion for wines. In the France Burgundy region he found a Citroen HY Currus bus from 1964, the start of ‘Vive le Vin’. Vive le Vin is available for events throughout the Netherlands, such as festivals, receptions and weddings. The wine poured by Vive le Vin comes from countries around the world and is organic. Beside the wide range of wines, Vive le Vin also pours organic juices, beers, coffee and serves snacks and sweets. The bus has a heated tent and bar stools.
Oysters and shells
10-4-2014
In early 2013 we spotted various types of plates and bowls of the First impression shop. The shop sells various sets of dishes inspired by nature and they have recently launched fort in the shape of oysters and shells. The oysters and shells are designed by true form, the mold is made of an original shell. The bowls are smooth on the inside and rough on the outside. A beautiful set of dishes to serve seafood dishes in style at a restaurant!
Credit tiles instead of dinner vouchers
10-4-2014
#Throwback Thursday. We started with horecatrends.com / hospitalitytrends.eu in August 2007, in June 2009 we posted an item about the credit tiles of restaurant La Colline in Oss, the Netherlands. The restaurant sells original credit tiles instead of the well-known dinner vouchers; something different! The credit tiles are hand-painted in Spain and available in € 20,= and € 50,=. Both fun to give but also to receive!
BbyB chocolate artists
9-4-2014
Bart Desmidt, owner and chef cook of the Belgian Michelin star restaurant Bartholomeus** makes with BbyB (Babelutte by Bartholomew) a statement towards the top of the Belgian chocolate makers. In 2010 he started with a combination of chocolate with the local product Babelutte, a creamy caramel. Along with chocolatier Jan Verleye he makes several surprising chocolate combinations like white chocolate with passion fruit and basil or dark chocolate with cherries and pistachio. They describe themselves as taste artists and their creations are available through the shops in Antwerp and Bruges or via the website BbyB.be.
Foodini 3D printer for consumer
9-4-2014
To provide consumers with the easiness of a 3D printer in the kitchen, the designers of the Foodini 3D printer have started a crowdfunding project via Kickstarter. The printer comes with empty capsules so that you can use your own fresh ingredients. The machine is expected to be ready for mass production in January 2015.
Rrroling Leiden
9-4-2014
Leiden is the Dutch food truck capital on 23, 24 and 25 May. The Pieterskerkplein in the city center will be full with delicious trucks including Choripan, Het Crepe Chalet, Fritez, Garbanzo, I scream for Icecream, Vive le Vin, Los Hapje Pasta Joe, YOOS, Mac & Cheeze, Grill ‘nd Smoke, Allegaartje op wielen, Dartel, Lizz Bizz, All Class, World Wide Wraps and WattSap. To subscibe with a food truck, owners can get more information on the Facebook page of ‘Rrrollend Leiden’.