Ilja Gort (bron: Wikipedia)Ilja Gort, famous winemaker and author is organising an online wine tasting on the 14th of November. This interactive winetasting/wineworkshop will include more information about Ilja’s new Bordeaux Supérieur. read more
From now on you can enjoy your beer as the brewmaster intended! Beer Bit chills your craft beer to bring out its optimal taste. 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 among others, the unique collaboration between Spa Zuiver and Rituals, and the ‘rookworstkroket’ by FEBO & HEMA.
If you like to read the whole article, click the title. Enjoy reading! read more
Finger cookies are ideal for dipping in chocolate, caramel or syrup. Last year Italian designer Paolo Ulian came up with the idea of the cookies which are designed to fit perfectly on your fingers. The cookies are cone-shaped and are made like a thin wafer. These cookies served with some sauces and coffee would probably taste finger lickin’ good! read more
Sweetgreen combines healthy- and fastfood. The company was founded in 2007 in Washington and is tumultuous growing since then. Currently, the chain has 65 locations in the United States. read more
Virtual Reality Hilton AmsterdamThe marketing- and sales of Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol is going to use Virtual Reality as a sales tool. Potential clients who don’t have the opportunity to visit the hotel, can still experience the hotel with the help of their Virtual Reality glasses. read more
Indoor Pool
Vat staircase at the Vinotherapie Caudalie Spa
Breakfast
Wine Tasting
View over Porto from terrace on floor 4
Air balloon lift
Port cellar elevator
Duoro river elevatorThe best city hotel we have had the pleasure to visit! The World Heritage city of Porto has an iconic hotel, The Yeatman. With a breath-taking position overlooking the Douro River and the historic city centre, The Yeatman offers a great place to stay with stunning panoramic views from the terraces, the indoor and exterior pool (in the shape of a port bottle), the rooms and restaurants. Some of the small gestures of hospitality from The Yeatman, the naming of the rooms, the design elements, the housekeeping & maintenance and of course the friendly approach from all the staff. read more
Another fine example of latte art. We wrote about 3D latte art in 2013, but Leo’s Espresso in Hong Kong takes this to the next level and makes the 3D art (which are mostly animals) ‘jiggle’ in your coffee. The 3D animals are made of milk foam, Latte Art 2.0. 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 among others, how the world of online reservations is evolving in the Netherlands, a 3D printer that creates full colour candy and the Hangover Bar from Amsterdam went viral worldwide.
If you like to read the whole article, click the title. Enjoy reading!
FrietHoes Vodka
Pieper Bier (credits: Wiemer Vliet)The Netherlands is a real potato country. Because of the excellent climate potatoes have been growing there for centuries. They are cheap and every Dutchie has his ‘own’ potato dish. A product to be proud of! However, knowing that the potato is one of the most wasted vegetable in the country is less inspiring. It’s actually a bit of a shame, as there are plenty of products which can be made out of the remains. To inspire we gathered some examples of drinks made from almost ‘wasted’ potatoes. read more
The florist bakery named ‘Baked Bouquet’ is creating eatable cupcake bouquets. Although we know that the cupcake trend has long been finished, we got really excited when we saw a couple of bouquets of the Baked Bouquet at pictures. Some inspiration for the catering companies: place the cupcake bouquets at dessert buffets. read more
As from late July, The Milk Train Café in London is serving particular ice cream in a particular way! The Café serves soft-serve ice cream in a cloud of cotton floss. The flavours of the soft ice cream are special: Asian flavours, London style! The café opened late July and is extremely popular. read more
Golden Tulip Hotel ‘De Reiskoffer’ (translated: the travel suitcase) in Bosschenhoofd, Noord Brabant (the Netherlands) uses storytelling quite some years now. For example they give their guests a travelduck to take on their next travels since 2007. Recently a short movie was released, starring the hotel called ‘Avonturen bij de Buren’, which means adventures with the neighbours. Another great example of storytelling with a twist. read more
Brussels sprout taco by Dirt Candy
Cauliflower by Dirt Candy
Celery by Dirt Candy
Monkey bread by Dirt Candy
Tomato Cake by Dirt Cake
Sign Dirt Candy
Dish by Cookies Cream
Lasagna by Cookies Cream
Vleesvrije mc2burger van de Vegetarische Slager
Tonijn van de Vegetarische SlagerDirt Candy was one of the first restaurants in New York that focused on the vegetarian cuisine, one of the initiators of today’s vegetarian trend, ‘veg-only food in a modern context’. The restaurant menu is completely vegetarian of high quality and a great way to present the food on the plates. Of course we do have some great examples of vegetarian only restaurants in Europe as well, we visited for example Cookies Cream in Berlin. Both restaurants are a great example for those restaurants only serving a ‘standard’ alternative, like salads with goat cheese or cheese croquettes, to their vegetarian guests. They have tasted those alternatives to often…. If you don’t want to serve to fancy dishes check out the products of for example The Vegetarian Butcher.
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 among others, Karl Lagerfeld will launch a hotel brand, some examples of the use of rooftops in Melbourne and a new beer.
If you like to read the whole article, click the title. Enjoy reading!
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 Flemish cookie baker Jules Destrooper has taken its authentic cookies to ‘taste professors’ of the University of Leuven (Louvain) and ‘Foodpairing’. Just like famous chefs, foodies, mixologists and taste professors they are on the lookout for the ideal taste combinations. The University of Leuven (Louvain) has a specialized device for it, a gas chromatograph connected to a mass spectroscope that measures aroma molecules in food and beverage. Products that have similarities in scent appear to combine very well and are visualized in a Foodpairing tree. The taste analysis of the Almond bread, Natural butter waffle and Cinnamon cookie products are surprisingly connected to taste allies like mushrooms, ginger and caviar.
Joachim Boudens and Gert De Mangeleer from Hertog Jan *** in Sint Michiels (Brugge) renovate the Michelin star restaurant to a modern bistro from February to June 2014. The original Hertog Jan restaurant moves to a protected farmhouse in Zedelgem. They are so eager to keep on cooking that they’re opening a pop-up restaurant ‘Yellow’ in the center of Bruges.
I hadn’t seen it on the menu for a while; half a grapefruit. During a brunch at The Breslin Bar and Dining Room in the Ace Hotel in New York I ate a super yummy grapefruit with ginger sugar flakes and mint. But again the same problem as always, the cutting isn’t easy and is often not done well, with the effect that you have to do it yourself or miss parts. I don’t understand why it’s not served in ‘clean cut’ wedges, much easier to eat! Marjolein van Spronsen
The first crowdfund project for a supermarket in France is started. The location is planned in the 18th district in Paris. Shoppers are expected to work in the supermarket for 3 hours per month to keep the labor costs and thus the prices low. A similar project is already set up in Brooklyn, New York. That supermarket has 16.000 members.
On the terrace of ‘A Taberna do Pescador’ in Albufeira, Portugal there is a television screen with a live stream from the kitchen. The terrace is situated in a busy shopping street and the screen combined with a glass display full fresh fish seduces passersby in an original way.
Ice cream maker Charlie Frances has developed a glow in the dark ice cream. One of the secret ingredients is glow in the dark jellyfish, it’s calcium activated and glows when licked. One scoop is quite expensive, around € 165 euro’s. He created a non-jellyfish version as well, with quinine from tonic as UV reflective substance.
On November 1st, the opening of the light project Sassenstraat Allicht took place in Zwolle, the Netherlands. This autumn/ winter the ‘Sassenstraat’ (name of the street) is illuminated with over 300 lights. Business owners, residents, property owners, City Centre Zwolle, volunteers and more have worked in recent weeks to make this lights show possible. The goals is to create a meeting place where living, working and shopping comes together. Especially during the dark winter days, the light show will be very attractive.
Cry like a real wolf and win tickets for the ‘I love Techno’ party in Gent, Belgium. Eristoff, ‘vodka from the land of the wolf’ started a partnership with ‘I Love Techno’ this year. The brand has taken the slogan ‘vodka from the land of the wolf’ very literally this time and launched a Facebook campaign. Till 6 November, everybody can send a video of their howling to the Facebook page of Eristoff and collect as many likes. On November 6, at 1 am, the 50 participants with the most likes will be selected. They can sit behind their computer and howl live with wolves in the UK Wolf Conservation Trust. When the wolf cries back within 1 minute, the participant will win 4 tickets for ‘I love Techno’.
In a park in Paris, the French design studio ‘Bruit du frigo’ has created a resting place for visitors. A wooden installation with bathtubs is placed around a fountain. Visitors can relax and enjoy the art installations. A number of bathtubs are filled with water and some with pillows. The wooden sculpture shows that the park is open for everyone, friends and family to spend some time together. A place for relaxation, wellness and hospitality.
Chobani, a Mediterranean Yogurt Bar in NYC, has a great slogan; ‘There are two people we’re 100% committed to. Mother Nature and You’. Chobani has been serving the highest quality and authentic strained Greek yogurt since 2005. They combine the yoghurt with only natural ingredients and fresh fruit. Some combinations; Blueberry + Power (blueberries, chia seeds, light agave nectar and walnuts), Cucumber + Olive Oil (cucumber, extra virgin olive oil, Coarse salt and fresh mint) and Peanut Butter + Jelly (peanut butter, concord grape jelly, red grapes and peanuts). Delicious yogurt and great combinations although we as Europeans didn’t dare to try the Peanut Butter + Jelly yogurt. The interior fits great within the philosophy. ^Marjolein
These plates are fun to use in restaurants that serve small dishes such as sushi, pastries or amuses. There is a print made on the plate with the outlines of a plate, knife and fork. It creates an optical illusion that makes the dish looks larger than it actually is.
Having a dinner without saying anything.. People who has no need of rowdy guests can have a dinner in silence at restaurant Eat in New York. The restaurant serves a four course diner with organic and local produce. Owner Nicholas Nauman was inspired by a silence breakfast during his time with Buddhist monks in India. By dining in silence, guests are not distracted and they can enjoy their dish with all their senses.
Last week we ate at the seafood restaurant, The Mermaid Inn at the Upper West Side in NYC. They have two more restaurants in town and serve delicious seafood, lobster and oysters. They have no desserts on the menu, all guests receive a chocolate mousse served with, instead of a fortune cookie, a miracle fish who tells the future. Just like the fortune cookies in Chinese restaurants remain very popular, these fish are also very nice. And can be used in other seafood restaurants as well! ^Marjolein
The Dutch pension fund Hospitality & Catering has noticed that the obligatory pension information sent to the customers is barely read. That’s why they have developed an accessible way to communicate pension information to the customers. The dynamic PensionCafé website contains information and videos to inform employees in the hotel and catering sector about their pension. Relevant information about, for example the influence of divorce and death on the future of their pension is easily accessible at the site.
Do you know someone who deserves a Starbucks coffee? Starbucks has launched the ‘Tweet-A-Coffee’ project in collaboration Twitter. People can send a Starbucks gift card a $ 5 to a friend, family or a stranger. Users only need to link their Starbucks account with a Twitter account and send a tweet with the mention @tweetacoffee to the person in question. The person will receive a link with the voucher for a Starbucks coffee. ‘Tweet-A-Coffee’ is only available in America.
As infants, we begin to experience new tastes by exploring our tactical senses. It is, in a sense, our original obsession. As adults, we still have an appetite to trigger those latent senses with fresh and unexpected delights. This desire is the motivation for the STIMULI — a sensory dining experience presented during Dutch Design Week.
STIMULI was brought forth through a cooperation between design studio Jinhyun Jeon, renowned Michelin star restaurant Treeswijkhoeve, and Ravanello Food & Concepts. Connected by their mutual passion for stimulating taste, they created an enhanced dining event: a five-course haute cuisine sensory menu served with tactile tableware — such as silicone ‘nipple’ cups, glazed ball spoons, and spiked tasting palettes — that excite the tongue, trigger taste buds, and alter the perception of salty, acidic, sweet, and bitter tastes for a new experience.
The project focuses on the subject of joint perception — sensorial disturbance inspired by phenomenon of synesthesia. The main objective of the food design experience was to understand how the human brain intuitively responds to different stimuli during eating, and as such contributes to a different way of producing consumer energy. This will provide insights outside of the existing food culture in which societal, technological, and environmental influences play an important role.
Read the full article by Hortense Koster
Beer sommelier Fiona de Lange has created a dinner beer together with De Leckere brewery from ‘De Meern’. Stout beer and Barley wine are combined for this special brew. Due to the composition the beer is expected to match great with red meat, game and stewed meat. Earlier this year the beer sommelier developed Royal Beer, especially made for the King.
NH Hoteles is sponsor of the StartupBus Europe. The hotel chain finds its core values ‘talent management, motivation and teamwork’ well presented in this competition. During the tour several buses from Barcelona, Berlin, Rome, London, Paris and Amsterdam aim for the Pioneers festival in Vienna. During the road trip the participants create and launch a startup. In total there are 150 challengers divided over six buses. During the road trip to Vienna, the Dutch StartupBus stops in Antwerp, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Prague and München.
The participants challenge each other for a spot on the entrepreneurial Pioneers Festival. The finalist wins a weekend break by NH Hoteles in one of its 400 hotels in 27 countries as well. NH Hoteles gets inspiration from innovation and is constantly on the lookout for new opportunities to develop services and talents. The collaboration with StartupBus is a way to meet with young creatives and future entrepreneurs.
What could we write about this picture? Isn’t it great to have a Christmas tree full of glitter pizza boxes and pizza slices? Especially in a pizzeria….
A year after the ‘Take a look at Brussels‘ campaign, SNCF launches the ‘Europe is just next door’-campaign. Bystanders could virtually step into another city through a digital door. From Milan they were entertained by a mime artist, in Brussels a drawer made a portrait, in Barcelona a hip-hop crew was present to dance with, from Geneva you were joined by a couple in a boat and in Stuttgart you virtually rode a bike with a few locals. Watch the video.
Cheese brand Castello opened a pop-up store in New Babylon, The Hague. The pop-up store will be open for three months a culinary cheese experience. Consumers can taste forty kinds of cheese with matching wines. The goal is to surprise consumers and to come in contact with the consumers to get their opinion. Chef cook Joop Braakhekke opened the pop-up store and demonstrated the culinary possibilities with Castello. Soon the Castello pop-up store will open in cities like London, Berlin and New York.
A power nap can help to reduce stress and increase productivity. At the Royal Bank Plaza in Toronto Breathe Right, make of nasal strips to breathe better, set up a pop-up pod hotel. Working people were invited to take a free nap for 20 minutes and were asked to test the nasal strips. People could reserve a ‘room’ via an app on the Facebook page and there were a few beds available for passersby.
Have you ordered a pizza and do you want to know the time of delivery exactly? Domino’s Pizza in the Netherlands has introduced a new online ordering system with a tracking system. You can follow the pizza from dough ball to door. Previously, when you ordered a pizza it could only be delivered, but now it is also possible to take away the pizza when ordering online.
Members of the New York’s Explorers Club get together once a year at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for a special dinner. During this dinner, the most unusual dishes are served, from tarantulas and mealworms to cows eyes. The chefs of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel transform the most unusual ingredients in culinary art, like a mealworm that suddenly looks a lot tastier. A good example of how insects and other unusual ingredients can be used in the hospitality industry.
Starbucks has opened its first tea bar named Teavana in Manhattan New York. The tea bar has a simple design with a ‘zen’ atmosphere. A totally different concept than we are used to from Starbucks. The assortment consists of series of artisanal teas and the famous Starbucks sweets, sandwiches and salads. There is a ‘wall of tea’ where you can buy loose tea for home consumption and there is a wide range of tea sets. Starbucks bought the Teavana brand last year to expand to the global tea market. The chain is planning to open more tea bars in the coming years.
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