Trends we spotted | Week 15
‘Brew City® Beer Battered Potato Waves’ by McCain Food for the US and Canada
Capri in the City - The Berkeley in London
De Verspillingsfabriek - the Waste Factory - 10 years of impact
Feel Good Friday - a themed day exploring the role of cleaning in the hospitality experience at this festival
KFC® drops their first single, ‘Finger Lickin' Machine’
McDonald's Türkiye has launched a ‘Drink & Drive’-campaign spotlighting driving safety
The Eberhardjes (ccokies with a gentle Amsterdam theme) arrive at Schiphol
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:
- Eberhardjes, the heart-shaped butter biscuits from Amsterdam, are launching a limited-edition pack this month in collaboration with Schiphol, to mark the 100th anniversary of the connection between the city of Amsterdam and the airport.
- Over the past ten years, the Verspillingsfabriek (the Waste Factory) has grown into an impactful production site where circularity, taste and social value come together.
- Since 2024, there has been a ban on single-use plastic cups at events in the Netherlands, but research by the ‘Inspectie Leefomgeving & Transport’(Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate) (ILT) in 2025 shows that the sector is failing to comply. They announced stricter enforcement.
- From 14 to 17 April 2026, Interclean Amsterdam, an international trade fair for the cleaning and hygiene sector, will take place at the RAI Amsterdam. It will conclude with a ‘Feel Good Friday’, a themed day exploring the role of cleaning in the hospitality experience.
- KFC in the US released a single, ‘Finger Lickin’ Machine’. They hope the track will be a new contender for the season’s most popular track. Introduced in combination with a Value-feast meal.
- AI voice agent Rachel called 3,000 Irish pubs to reconstruct the Guinness Price Index.
- McCain Foods launched ‘Brew City® Beer Battered Potato Waves’: a crispy, wavy potato innovation for the hospitality sector in the US and Canada.
- From 21 April, McDonald’s in the US is expanding its value-for-money offering by giving fans more choice on the McValue® menu.
- The Berkeley in London will reopen its exclusive rooftop terrace to the public again in summer 2026. The organize ‘Capri in the City’ near their rooftop pool, for the second year running.
- McDonald’s in Türkiye launched a ‘Drink & Drive’-campaign to raise awareness of road safety. Starring their McCafé.
Enjoy reading!
Eberhardjes arrive at Schiphol
The Eberhardjes, heart-shaped butter biscuits from Amsterdam bearing the message “Take good care of our city and of one another”, are launching a limited-edition pack this month in collaboration with Schiphol. This initiative marks the 100th anniversary of the connection between the city of Amsterdam and the airport, since its takeover by the municipality in 1926.
The pack will be handed out at Schiphol and given to business contacts. The packaging emphasises the idea that an airport is a place of connection, where people and stories come together. The idea came about after Schiphol noticed a video by the Eberhardjes; you can watch this video via the link in the title. We’ve written about Eberhardjes before; read the articles here.
De Verspillingsfabriek celebrates its 10th anniversary: from waste stream to impact-driven business
In April 2016, De Verspillingsfabriek (which translates into The Waste Factory) opened its doors, an initiative by entrepreneur Bob Hutten aimed at combating food waste and social exclusion. Over the course of ten years, the factory has grown into an impactful production site where circularity, taste and social value come together. 2.5 million kilos of food waste are processed into over 15.6 million litres of products, such as soups made from tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and peppers, amongst others. In addition, the factory provides employment for people who face barriers to the labour market. With 25 employees, a total of 440,000 hours have been worked towards an inclusive and circular food chain, in which both raw materials and people are utilised to the full.
Event sector in The Netherlands still makes extensive use of disposable plastic cups despite ban
A ban on disposable plastic cups at events has been in force since 2024, but research by the ‘Inspectie Leefomgeving & Transport’ (Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) in 2025 shows that the sector is failing to comply. Only around 25% of festivals use reusable cups; the rest make use of exemptions in the law. Furthermore, the conditions for these exemptions are often not met, partly due to a lack of central coordination and cooperation within the supply chain. Around 350 million disposable cups are still used every year. The ILT describes the results as worrying and has announced stricter enforcement to make reusable cups the norm and reduce plastic use. The article in the link is in Dutch unfortunately!
You only truly appreciate the value of cleaning in the hospitality industry when things go wrong
From 14 to 17 April 2026, Interclean Amsterdam, an international trade fair for the cleaning and hygiene sector, will take place at RAI Amsterdam. On 17 April, the event will conclude with Feel Good Friday, a themed day exploring the role of cleaning in the hospitality experience. Here, cleaning is seen not merely seen as a practical task or cost item, but as part of the overall guest experience. The day begins with philosopher and comedian Paul Smit, who will speak about human behaviour and decision-making, explaining why people do what they do and how you can influence this.
AI voice agent calls 3,000 Irish pubs to rebuild Guinness price index
After Ireland stopped tracking pint prices 14 years ago, an AI engineer built a voice agent to rebuild the dataset. Over Paddy’s weekend in 2026, a Northern Irish voice assistant named Rachel called more than 3,000 pubs across all 32 counties to ask the price of a pint of Guinness. Just over 1,000 pubs provided a price. The project produced what the creator calls the most complete current index of pint prices in Ireland. It is intended to improve transparency around pricing and offer a clearer picture of how the cost of a Guinness varies across the country. Read the full article in the link in the title.
KFC® drops their first single, ‘Finger Lickin’ Machine’
KFC is dropping a new contender for the season’s hottest track, ‘Finger Lickin’ Machine’ – a real single, not just a catchy ad hook. Built to stream, replay and live on repeat, the track is designed to show up across social feeds and sound-on moments. It is rolling out across social and streaming platforms, including on Spotify.
At its core, “Finger Lickin’ Machine” taps into a familiar feeling: that moment when you open your food and realize you got more than you expected. That same energy shows up in KFC’s new Box Feasts, which debuted as part of the Value Feast menu. Box Feasts deliver chicken on chicken, with a craveable, complete meal in every box. Across the song and the spot, the Colonel doesn’t just introduce the meal, he steps into the music. The performance is brought to life by choreography from Rich + Tone Talauega. More details in their press release, link in the title or watch the reel below!
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‘Brew City® Beer Battered Potato Waves’ by McCain Food for the US and Canada
McCain Foods (McCain), a global leader in prepared potato and appetizer products, announced the launch of ‘Brew City® Beer Battered Potato Waves’, the company’s latest beer-battered potato side. With this elevated option, chefs and restauranteurs across the United States and Canada can now offer these distinctively shaped potatoes to diversify menu options without adding significant labour or kitchen costs.
‘Brew City® Beer Battered Potato Waves’ feature a distinctive wave cut and a light beer batter that delivers a crispy exterior with a soft, fluffy interior bringing hand-crafted appeal and standout texture to the plate. Bold shape, satisfying crunch and versatile flavor profile make them an appealing alternative to French fries across casual dining, pubs and fast-casual eateries and restaurants. More details in their press release, link in the title.
McValue Menu at McDonald’s US
Starting April 21, McDonald’s is expanding its value offerings by giving fans more choices on the McValue® Menu (at participating restaurants nationwide in the US). Building on the successful 2025 debut of the McValue Menu and fan feedback, the revamped menu offers customers more of what they’re craving, more choice and flexibility, and meals at a great price, by serving up a brand-new Under $3 Menu and offering a $4 Breakfast Meal Deal. More details in their press release, link in the title.
Our colleague Leonie van Spronsen recently wrote a blog on cheaper meals and drinks, the offering of these McValue Menus is in line with the trend of affordability.
McValue Menu at McDonald’s US
The Berkeley opens its rooftop to all this summer
The Berkeley, the five-star hotel located between Knightsbridge and Belgravia, will reopen its rooftop, usually reserved for staying guests, to the public in the summer of 2026. From the evening of Friday 1 May, The Berkeley Rooftop Bar will host the return of ‘Capri in the City’, in collaboration with Acqua di Parma. The seasonal poolside pop-up draws inspiration from Capri’s coastline and Mediterranean views. Featuring lemon trees and views over Hyde Park and London, the space will offer a new Riviera-inspired menu of cocktails and dishes, reflecting the relaxed atmosphere of Italian beach clubs. This is the second year running for ‘Capri in the City’. In 2024, we wrote a short article about the summer menu for 2024.
McDonald’s Türkiye has launched a ‘Drink & Drive’-campaign spotlighting driving safety
McDonald’s in Türkiye has launched the “Drink & Drive” campaign to raise awareness about road safety. The campaign is centred around McCafé and responds to increased travel during holiday periods. It reinterprets the well-known warning ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ in a playful way by focusing on coffee consumption instead of alcohol. The brand’s iconic Golden Arches are also transformed into a bold road line, symbolizing the driver’s focus on challenging journeys.
The campaign draws its essence from the long-standing global road-safety warning, ‘Don’t Drink and Drive.’ McDonald’s Türkiye creatively reinterprets this powerful, universally recognized message through a playful linguistic twist and a unique visual language centred around coffee consumption. We recently also wrote about ‘Archie for gamers’, another idea from McDonald’s Türkiye.
