Cheese fondue restaurant Smelt returns to the Westerpark in Amsterdam
19-10-2023
Cheese fondue restaurant Smelt (Dutch for melt) reopens its doors for their second season in Amsterdam. After a six-month absence from the Westerpark, the restaurant is back. Smelt will once again serve its classics, such as Swiss fondue, Dutch fondue and new this year the Italian fondue, during the dark winter months.
Design & Wijn introduces scent labels for wine bottles
19-10-2023
The Dutch company Design & Wijn created a breakthrough in the world of wine with the launch of labels with scent for wine bottles, a first in the wine industry. This innovative label empowers wine enthusiasts to explore the aromas of wines even before the bottle is opened. The inaugural wine featuring the scent label hails from the Netherlands and boasts aromas of orange, leather, vanilla, almond, and sandalwood.
Cookie dough by ‘A Dynamite Company’ | Flagship store in Amsterdam
18-10-2023
‘A Dynamite Company’, founded a year ago by the dynamic duo Marieke & Marijntje, has opened their first store in the city center of Amsterdam. You can experience the extravagant flavours, creativity & passion for cookies on the Reguliersgracht 70, right across the Amstelveld. The store sells cookie dough and freshly baked American style cookies!
Gastropub Dutch Dukes hosts the first Christmas party of 2023
17-10-2023
Pepernoten (Dutch Saint Nicholas treats which are traditionally eaten in December) hit the stores in August and easter eggs in January. This will not surprise the average Dutch person anymore. So why would anyone be surprised with the first Christmas party of 2023 in October? That is right, on the 18th of October the gastropub Dutch Dukes in Rotterdam is organising the first Christmas party of the Netherlands. The gastropub is completely decorated for Christmas, just for the party! Whilst it is still fifteen degrees Celsius outside, Rotterdam is taking out their Christmas sweaters and is heating up the glühwein.
EdelBites | A modern twist on the traditional Austrian ‘Käsnudel’
3-10-2023
The first EdelBites pop-up takeaway location has opened its doors in Amsterdam, offering a range of fresh and nutritious filled dumplings with unusual flavours. From cheese-mint and tomato-mozzarella to spinach-cheese, prosciutto-parmesan and apple-cinnamon, there is a variety of sweet and savoury fillings available to enjoy. The dough base of each dumpling is the same, they are inspired by a traditional recipe using Hüttenkäse, filled with a fresh stuffing and coated with butter and chives. Served in portions of three or five, EdelBites are a nutritious alternative to a daily meal. Discover a world of flavours, a culinary twist with every bite!
Veggie Weeks at Family with the ‘Autumn Burger’
2-10-2023
Family is a snackbar-restaurant formula known for its delicious burgers, fries specials and other tasty meals. It is a franchise formula of the formula house FHC Formulebeheer and Veggie Weeks will take place there in October. In line with the ongoing commitment to provide a suitable offering, they are introducing a ground-breaking veggie variant of the most talked-about burger in the Family range; the ‘Autumn Burger’ in Dutch ‘de Herstburger’.
Trends we spotted | Week 39
2-10-2023
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 we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
With this week links to articles about among others an elevated pickleball and eatertainment facility ‘At Fault’ in the USA and the ‘Kids Own Mondays’ at BurgerFi, with a free kids meal with an adult meal.
Why haven’t we seen products made with Ube in Europe yet? In the USA ube is available dried, as an extract or frozen, must be easy to import this purple coloured Filipino delicacy this way! In London a new hotel opened, Hotel The BoTree. The interior design has been done by Concrete, the Amsterdam based design firm.
Shell Café X chef Herman den Blijker – the chef created Flaguette steak tartare and brioche saumon fumé. October 6th you can taste the sandwiches in his presence at one of the Shell Cafés.
Are you a fan of model trains? The “Meat & Beer On Rails” restaurant Výtopna has arrived in Vienna, Austria. Check out the embedded Instagram post in the article, it looks great!
Grow Up, Don’t Grow Old is a great viral campaign by GiG Hard Seltzer in which 2 old ladies speak Dutch street languages. Coca Cola has released Y3000, a soda co-created between humans and AI that is meant to taste just like in the year 3,000.
Level 8 at Moxy & AC Hotel opens in downtown Los Angeles
2-10-2023
A special concept in downtown Los Angeles: Level 8 on the 8th floor of the recently opened Moxy & AC Hotel. A unique and special concept by Mark and Jonnie Houston, in collaboration with Mitchell Hochberg of Lightstone. Eight different catering establishments around the Mr. Wanderlust piano bar and even a, cathedral-inspired, nightclub and special effects!
Your Very Important Pet is welcome at Beagles & Beans
2-10-2023
Wednesday October 4 is Animal Day. A day to pamper your favourite four-legged friend! At Bagels & Beans, extra attention and love come as standard. That’s why they don’t celebrate Animal Day but Animal Week: from October 4th to 11th , your Very Important Pet (V.I.P) will receive true VIP treatment. Their two-legged companions too, by the way, they receive a VIP card full of moments of enjoyment. They even have a temporary name change to Beagles & Beans.
Accessible hospitality quality label ‘Gezellig’ launched in the Netherlands
2-10-2023
One of the most difficult words to translate in any other language: ‘gezellig’. Cosy comes close but gezellig also includes togetherness. Hospitality experts Jeannine Sok and Sven Heijkoop launched the accessible hospitality quality label ‘Gezellig’ for the hospitality industry during the hospitality trade fair ‘Gastvrij Rotterdam’. Together with various partners, they want to stimulate the hospitality industry to excel even more in hospitality.
Café Visscher brings bistronomy to Leiden
29-9-2023
Since early September, Café Visscher has opened on the Stationsweg in Leiden. As luxurious as the Art Deco interior of the brand-new establishment of chef Arie Visscher (36) from Rotterdam looks, Arie himself is down-to-earth. After years of cooking at the highest level, the chef takes a completely different approach in Leiden. In Café Visscher, Arie cooks without any fuss and does not have the intention to score in the guides, but to score with the guests. In Visscher’s first own establishment, located at the gateway to the centre of Leiden, accessibility is the key word. From guests who prefer something tasty à la minute to extensive à la carte dining: no one is missing out here.
Besides cosy dining, Café Visscher also serves lunch and drinks! Especially on the terrace with a Parisian flair, the wine is served at the right temperature together with delicious bar bites. Be sure to try their oysters with cucumber and dashi, the marinated mussels and the delicious watermelon!
Planet Ardbeg Tour | For lovers of smokey cocktails
28-9-2023
For cocktails you had to be in Amsterdam this month, cocktail month September started with the Amsterdam Cocktail Week and now ends with the special whisky experience the Planet Ardbeg Tour. From September 28 untill the 30th , experience four special signature Ardbeg cocktails at the famous cocktail bars: Flying Dutchmen Cocktails, LuminAir, J.D. Williams whisky bar and Bar Feijoa. Each cocktail bar serves a cocktail based on one of the three editions of whisky brand Ardbeg, on which the ‘Planet Ardbeg’ comic book is also inspired.
Trends we spotted | Week 38
25-9-2023
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 we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
With links this week to articles including an initiative by DoubleTree by Hilton in Amsterdam that allows people to give away 100 litres of water per hotel stay. They have also used advanced Orbisk technology, powered by AI, to reduce thousands of kilos of food waste.
For the first time, there is now also a list of ‘The World’s 50 Best Hotels’ and Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel is launching a ‘Gouden Brood’ beer, a sustainable beer concept made from leftover bread from their kitchens.
Bijou Patisserie in Dubai is serving ‘Le Goûter Vault’: high tea from a jewellery vault. And in Venlo, the Daily Trade Fair Venlo has opened, over 15,000 square metres of exhibition floor with showrooms and a culinary stage!
McDonald’s Japan has added ‘Shrimp Nuggets’ to its menu, we think that many people in the Netherlands would like this menu item as well! At the Horecava, you can check out the pop-up of BUNKR, the first AI-controlled restaurant in the Netherlands.
New owner for tea and spice shop ‘De Droom van Utrecht’. It’s the fourth business of Dineke and Marc van Bommel now. They operate two Betjeman & Barton shops selling tea (accessories), crockery and delicacies in The Hague and one in Amsterdam.
And on Instagram, we came across a cool way to serve burrata – a burrata bar!
GoTab introduces their Pocket POS system to streamline service and enhance operations
22-9-2023
GoTab, a hospitality commerce platform, announced the launch of its Pocket POS system, an all-in-one, pocket-sized ordering and payment device designed for busy servers on the go.
The Bocktoberfest at House of Bird
22-9-2023
On Friday October 6, House of Bird will open the bock beer season with the Bocktoberfest in the Diemerbos (forest near Amsterdam). It promises to be a great kick-off including the launch of the new beer ‘Kaketoekomst’, a charity auction, the Open NK Rodeobock and various DJs. Block 6 October in your agenda if you don’t want to miss this fest or compete in the NK Rodeobock!
Culinary unlimited dining at restaurant Bordeaux in Naarden
21-9-2023
Unlimited dining will soon take on a whole new dimension in Naarden. Right on the beautiful Gooimeer, in the Naardenbos (woods), is the brand-new restaurant Bordeaux. A unique place to enjoy high-quality dishes in a cozy ambiance. Guests will experience culinary delights such as oysters, fantastically cooked salmon and sushi with a panoramic view of the Gooimeer. The restaurant offers a completely new way of dining, where culinary highlights alternate continuously and guests lack nothing during their evening out.
Rose & Vanilla | 200% crowdfunding for organic cakes without milk & gluten
21-9-2023
Rose & Vanilla, a Dutch patisserie that makes delicious, organic cakes without milk and gluten, has raised €300,000 with its crowdfunding through the platform CrowdAboutNow! This has reached the maximum 200% of the targeted loan.
Rose & Vanilla’s cakes are already being served at some restaurants and it is obviously a great and of course easy dessert to serve! One of our colleagues, Robin has been diagnosed with quite a few intolerances a few months ago; she writes blogs about her experiences in the hospitality industry. These are published on the Van Spronsen & Partners hospitality consultancy website. She is very happy with these kind of developments!
Love Dates by Coffeelicious | A surprising way to meet!
19-9-2023
Who would have expected a breakfast and lunch room to provide so much love? When Coffeelicious Bakery put out a call for the singles event, Love Dates by Coffeelicious, many applications followed. People appear to be totally fed up with the ‘quick-scans’ via the well-known dating apps! Meeting someone face to face is the best way to meet!
Line-up revealed for 100Chefs by Gault&Millau
19-9-2023
On September 30th and October 1st 2023 the largest culinary event of the Netherlands will take place, ‘100Chefs by Gault&Millau’, in the Miele Experience Centre in Vianen. It’s the first and largest weekend organised for consumers by Gault&Millau that will bring 100 leading Dutch chefs together. With names like Joris Bijdendijk (Rijks, Amsterdam), Nelson Tanate (De Librije, Zwolle) and Jan Smink (Smink, Wolvega) it will most definitely become a delicious culinary weekend. The goal of 100Chefs by Gault&Millau is to promote the diversity and quality of the Dutch culinary scene.
Pyjama party at Insomnia Cookies
19-9-2023
Insomnia Cookies is a cookie company that is mainly known in the USA for selling warm and delicious cookies all day and late into the night, the company has over 245 locations. Today, Tuesday, September 19, Insomnia Cookies invites students in the USA, UK and Canada to the companies’ first ever pyjama party.
We have some stores completely dedicated to selling cookies in The Netherlands. The concept is popular and there are often long queues at the door. In Amsterdam, for example, you have Het Koekemannetje (the cookie man) and Van Stapele. The fact that a concept like Insomnia Cookies is so popular in the USA is interesting, especially since they mainly operate in the evening and the beginning of the night. We are curious if a concept like Insomnia Cookies would be as popular in the Dutch market as it is in the USA, what do you think?!
Enter the Passoã pornstar martini competition
18-9-2023
Passoã passion fruit liqueur is launching a global competition around the iconic pornstar martini. The person who gives the cocktail the tastiest twist will win € 1,000 and a bubble gun set from Flavour Blaster.
Ingka Centres confirms its ambitious plant-forward food hall Saluhall
18-9-2023
Ingka Centres (part of the Ingka Group, which also includes IKEA Retail and Ingka Investments) has recently announced its ambitious, plant-forward food hall Saluhall in San Francisco. This project is in collaboration with KERB, the renowned London food hall operator and small business incubator, and Claus Meyer, co-founder of the hugely-influential New Nordic Cuisine movement and entrepreneur behind multiple global community-focused culinary schools.
We are curious to see when the first plant-forward (80% plant-based) food hall will open in an IKEA in the Netherlands!
An ode to the negroni
18-9-2023
One of our favorite cocktails, the negroni, has its own international week! Annually the negroni is placed in the spotlight, this year from September 18 to 24. This iconic drink takes center stage in various bars all over the world. A number of cocktail bars in the Netherlands also pay attention to this drink! Want to make it yourself? At the bottom of the article there’s a delicious recipe with a twist!
A bartender 2.0 | L’OUI
15-9-2023
A Pornstar Martini or Piña Colada as well as several virgin mocktails served by L’OUI. Do you want to offer trendy cocktails but not spend precious time mixing, shaking or stirring? It’s possible with bartender 2.0 L’OUI. The operation of this innovative cocktail machine from Dutch origin is similar to that of Nespresso machines, the result invariably of top quality. The recipes have been developed in collaboration with the flavour experts at The Stillery. Bartenders keep their hands free, while L’OUI creates the cocktails and mocktails for them. According to the creators, the cocktails and mocktails are perfect of temperature, perfect in flavour and perfect in presentation. Ça c’est L’OUI.
McDonald’s is the first restaurant chain to Incorporate UBQ™ Materials
14-9-2023
Expanding from serving trays, Arcos Dorados, world’s largest independent McDonald’s franchisee, is now using UBQ™ Materials in bench seating and electrical system components, showcasing new applications in sustainability in their new São Paulo Restaurant.
Lowlander Botanical Beers Leftover Lemon & Elderflower
