Trends we spotted | Week 35

31-8-2018

At hospitalitytrends.eu we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the smaller trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.

This week, amongst others a glimpse of the future and Emoji’s as a new trend of room service. Also about An algorithm that analyzed 118 crucial points and picked the 12 best luxury hotel brands in the world and about Uber Eats in London.

Click on the title if you would to read the full article. Enjoy reading! read more

Inspiration | Will Shawarma be the next big thing in food?

10-7-2018

We spotted Choco Kebab some years back but the last couple of weeks we got a couple of Facebook posts about this sweet version of shawarma. We also spotted a DIY shawarma in New York City and most recently a vegan shawarma that’s being served at Noma in Copenhagen. Here in the Netherlands we love a great shawarma joint, especially if they serve it with lamb meat. But we never spotted a vegan version before, some inspiration in this article! read more

The 5 chocolate combi’s you don’t want to miss!

2-3-2016

Adding chocolate-dishes to your menu is always a good idea. Whether eating it as a dessert after a delicious dinner or as chocolate cake on the lunch menu. We selected the chocolate recipes for you that you have to try! read more

Fries with…

16-2-2016

One of the unique characteristics of fries is that you can endlessly combine them with different ingredients. Fries with caviar, Parmesan cheese, truffle mayonnaise, chocolate, Nutella and stews. In the Netherlands, fries are very popular. We eat them with mayonnaise or ketchup but also with ‘mayonnaise, curry sauce and chopped onions’, with hot peanut sauce or sometimes even with truffle mayonnaise but the fries noted below aren’t often on the menu! In response to an article in the Dutch AD newspaper about Tante Nel (aunt Nel), the haute friture shop in Rotterdam, we made a list of unique and weird combinations with fries. ^Bram Kosterink read more

York & Albany brings the beach to central London

2-7-2015

The sunglasses, flip flops and beach balls thrive well at the city oasis of York & Albany’s Beach Shack in London, where you immediately get the summer vibe.

Be transported from the heart of London to a beach bar at the courtyard of Gordon Ramsay’s York & Albany. The seaweed Martini or Bacardi Rum slush served in a mini bucket with scoops as spoons will definitely get you in the mood, otherwise the alcoholic popsicles with Pimm’s liqueur will do so.

Beach Menu

At the restaurant they serve a selection of tempting bites such as mini fish ‘n’ chips, bite-sized Cumberland sausages and jars’ with pickled seafood. For the big appetite, there is a Beach BBQ menu that includes grilled burgers and vegetarian kebab with salad, fries and potato salad but without the usual sand between your teeth.

Ice cream with caramel popcorn and cotton candy

If baking in the sunshine isn’t enough, a choice of sugary desserts will get you in the sandal-mood. With raspberry custard doughnuts, banana split ice-cream and a do-it-yourself ice cream machine that’s offering soft serve scoops of strawberry cheesecake with candy floss and caramel popcorn. Wow! Now that’s an ice cream cone (referred to as a 99) for the 21st century!

Beach bar arrangement for groups

Londoners don’t have to travel to the coast during these hot days, they can put their feet in the sand at York & Albany’s Beach Hut as well. The selfies made there will give the impression that they originate from the beach in Camden and not from central London. The beach bar is available for exclusive dinners up to 12 guests. For thirty pounds per person, guests can enjoy different savory and sweet snacks and two cocktails.

It’s a wonderful way of enjoying the summer feeling in town, even during less sunny days!

Asian Baba Rafi format starts in Alkmaar

18-6-2015

The initial establishment of an innovative European kebab franchise will soon start in Alkmaar.

Baba Rafi adapted to European standards

Entrepreneurs Sinan Gul, Hans Verloop and Baris Kürkcü took the very popular Baba Rafi format from Asia to Europe and adjusted them fully to European standards and trends. With a strong focus on healthy and sustainable dishes, Baba Rafi also wants to reach out to women and children and that distinguishes the formula from all existing kebab, döner or shawarma formats.

Confidence in the format of Baba Rafi

In order to finance the initial establishment of Baba Rafi Europe, the entrepreneurs made a successful appeal to the public: 176 private investors invested € 250.000,= in the company via Collin CrowdFund.

Kebab for today’s conscious consumer

Baba Rafi is the largest franchise chain in the world in the field of kebab products. With more than 1.300 locations in Asia where the concept is immense popular. The Asian concept is fully adapted to the European market where respect for the food, the customers and the environment play an important role. One of the initiators, Baris Kürkcü: “Every niche in the food industry, from fries-, hamburger and chicken formats to sandwiches, has seen a trend towards more sustainable and responsible food, in the recent years. With Baba Rafi we introduce a kebab concept that is tailored entirely to the needs and desires of the modern conscious consumers. The dishes are freshly prepared with a minimum of E-numbers and maximum sustainable and organic ingredients. We have worked closely with a culinary consultant and nutritionist during the development of the dishes. The dishes are suitable to eat for lunch. For everyone, thus emphatically including women and children.”

The future: being the largest kebab chain in Europe

Along with financial expert Hans Verloop and former McDonald’s CEO, Herman de Haas, the team of Baba Rafi wants to realize the largest kebab chain in Europe. There is no comparable franchise concept in Europe but there is a 10 billion euros sales in kebab fastfood restaurants. The facility in Alkmaar will be the flagship store and serves as a model for the next Baba Rafi in comparably sized cities in the Netherlands and Europe.

Guerrilla action by Weber Grill

22-1-2011

Weber had to promote the new serie of grills. The traditional fences all over the city were turned into genuine grills, simply by adding magnetic real size flyers in the shape of steaks, burgers and shish kebabs. On the back: the website! See the pictures here.