Sixth edition National Week Without Meat & Dairy

6-3-2023

Today, March 6, marked the start of the sixth edition of the Dutch National Week Without Meat & Dairy. Since the last edition, dairy has been added to the campaign, now a permanent feature. The campaign invites the whole of the Netherlands to take up the challenge to become aware of the positive climate impact of eating less meat and dairy in a positive and inspiring way. This is the week in which the Netherlands learns how easy and delicious eating without meat and dairy can be. After a record number of participants during the last edition, this year has many participants too, like supermarkets, producers, schools, petrol stations, student associations and ministries are joining this initiative.

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Trends we spotted | Week 12

23-3-2026

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:

• Padbol, an energetic Argentine game that combines padel and football on a fenced-off court.
• Lighthouse is launching the first ChatGPT app for direct hotel bookings, featuring AI-driven, reliable hotel information.
• 24H Chefs, a biennial initiative with Gault&Millau, sees top chefs cook for 24 hours to raise funds for War Child and the Prinses Máxima Centrum.
• Bagels & Beans is expanding to nearly 100 locations, preparing for international expansion and appointing Carolien Vergouwe as managing director.
• The ‘Wissel ’ns Wat!’ campaign encourages the Dutch to make plant-based choices and offers a newsroom on the protein transition.
• Design & Wijn, in collaboration with Wijngoed Gelders Laren, is launching Portique, a Dutch port-style wine in a limited edition of just 438 bottles.
• Le Pain Quotidien is opening a location at Designer Outlet Roermond, thereby expanding its presence in the Netherlands.
• HEINEKEN has reached 1,500 alcohol-free tap points in The Netherlands and is promoting responsible 0.0 draught beer consumption at sports clubs.
• Het Noorden celebrates its 160th anniversary with Noorden Blond, a speciality beer brewed by Brouwerij Wentersch.
• Nine new properties join the global Relais & Châteaux collection.

Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 07

17-2-2025

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:

• At Marian’s Restaurant in NYC on Greenwich Avenue, they serve a Jello Negroni next to their Negroni. Spotted on Instagram.
• With the highly anticipated release of Paddington in Peru, Corner Bakery Cafe® invites guests to enjoy the perfect pairing – the Teddy Latte and Teddy Milk.
• The rebranding of the former Eden Hotels has begun, Designhotel Maastricht is now called Leonardo Boutique Hotel Maastricht City Center.
• Restaurant Elements at the sustainable Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in Aruba has been renovated by the Dutch interior design agency FG Stijl.
• The Dutch National Week Without Meat & Dairy (March 3 to March 9 2025) takes a local approach in its already eighth edition.
• McDonald’s Germany sought to engage young people and politicians in conversation during their Burger Dialogue.
• For those who prefer a bottle to a can but only have cans in the house: the Can Caps.
• a&o Hostels officially open the doors of a&o Firenze Campo di Marte in Florence.
• Radisson Hotel Group continues its growth in Europe with the opening of two new hotels: Radisson RED Galway in Ireland and the Albrighton Hall Hotel & Spa in the UK.

Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 45

11-11-2024

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:

• Horecava 2025: this is how top chefs see the future of the hospitality industry: socially engaged, innovative and exceptionally delicious.
• Thomas Baeyens, the chef of restaurant L’Amitié in Antwerp, recently launched his new project: Sardineshop.be. Tinned fish as the perfect apero during the holiday season.
• Brasserie Appelmans & the Absinth Bar in Antwerp exists 20 years, keep reading to find out how they celebrate. We love the idea of the mini-bar offer!
• On the menu of the Dutch McDonald’s, a McDonald’s X Old Amsterdam burger, their ‘year-end-burger’!
• Another Airbnb icon: House sit for Paddington and The Browns in their London home.
• Spotted on Instagram: a great way to make cheesecake lollies, done by Lolly Bakery!
• Four Seasons celebrates ‘World Kindness Day’ with food at the heart.
• Hilton celebrates their ‘Global Week of Engagement’ and partners with Keep America Beautiful.

Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 14

8-4-2024

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:

• Utrecht Cocktail Week is taking place for the second time with 18 bars in Utrecht participating, from 10 to the 14^th of April!
• Quality Lodgings adds three hotels to portfolio: Boutique Hotel Texel, Hotel Restaurant de Echoput and Hotel Goldene Rose in Germany.
• Eric Vökel Riverfront Suites has opened in Amsterdam. Cozy mezzanine flats with spectacular views of the IJ river and a friendly atmosphere.
• Last weekend, Rynbende Spirits’ ‘Experimental Batch’ Vintage Gin was launched. Only 140 bottles so aficionados should be quick.
• The National Week Without Meat & Dairy in the Netherlands had 2.8 million participants, the largest number ever. And the concept continues to be rolled out across Europe.
• Via Instagram this week: Tiramisu Espresso Martini and the ‘Special Egg Coqtail’ at COQODAQ in New York City. Easter inspiration for 2025!
• The Wave a new oasis for sport and wellbeing opening soon in London. Think surfing, an ‘activity zone’, food and drink outlets, camping/glamping accommodation, yoga and a lakeside park.
• And a cool example of how to use a ‘National Day’ in your marketing strategy. Chipotle’s Burrito Vault.

Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 12

25-3-2024

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:

• Nespresso UK opened on-the-go coffee bar concept in London.
• Subway’s sauces headed to grocery stores in the US.
• Freddy’s launches new TWIX® Salted Caramel Concrete for a limited time.
• Bill banning cultivated meat in Florida is on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis desk.
• Chick-fil-A is opening a 400 square foot grab-and-go location without registers and seats.
• Locale is a collaboration of small business in Dubai.
• Local collaboration between art gallery / donuts shop COPS and Michelin star restaurant Osteria Giulia in Toronto.
• Ice cream made from cauliflower by eat Kinda.
• Donuts printed by InnaPrint, edible food printer, and they look delicious!
• Check out which restaurants received one or more Michelin stars in France.

Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 43

30-10-2023

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’s links to articles including the presentation of the We’re Smart awards, there are 16 Dutch restaurants on this list of the best vegetable restaurants in the world. ‘De Nieuwe Winkel’ in Nijmegen is number 1 again.

Pink and yellow oyster mushrooms are included in the range of products of the exotic mushroom grower Oakfield as well as bundle-, white beech-, wig- and coral mushrooms.

The Casual Pint Craft Beerstro launched Tap4Good. A national fundraising initiative to support local communities. The local manager decides the charity!

In London, ‘The OWO Residences by Raffles’ recently opened and Starbucks opened its China Coffee Innovation Park (CIP), achieving its vertical integration ‘from bean to cup’ in one market – a first for the company globally.

Bakkit.nl creates ‘the Rotterdam Roll’ – a rolled croissant in various flavours. They also sell other pastries. Speaking of croissants, Dominique Ansel, the inventor of the cronut, presented a vegan cronut for the first time in September.

Pizza Hut in Germany recently introduced ‘Pizza-Sandwich’ Melts and a special McDonald’s restaurant in Terminal 1 of Sydney Airport!

A capital injection for Zence Object in Macau: for a project to convert used tea leaves and other local bio-waste streams into packaging and other industrial items.

And an interesting design article on Eater about the neon walls, palm-shaped chairs and giant pepper mills of Shuggie’s Trash Pie, they call it maxed-out restaurant design for 2023.

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Trends we spotted | Week 32

11-8-2023

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 including a couple of them on reservation fees at restaurants in the hope that this will reduce the number of no-shows. In New York, more and more restaurants are turning to this system. Leonie van Spronsen recently wrote a blog about this subject. It’s kind of a double standard that lots of guests don’t want to pay a restaurant fee while we pay, without any problem, in advance for tickets to Taylor Swift.

A unique combination; a Latin-American fine-dining experience on a London train, the Supperclub.Tube. Also in London: the Vagabond’s Wine Bars where you can choose from as many as 140 varieties of wines!

Aperol sorbet floating in prosecco, sounds delicious! It’s served at Il Terrazzo in department store Nordstrom in NYC. The sorbet is made by il Laboratorio del Gelato. And also in NYC –  the hottest new sushi bar is hidden in The Vault of Saks Fifth Avenue. Great idea, an omakase inside a small corner of a retail outlet?

A touring mini club, Fandangoe Discoteca invites people to dance out their grief! Created by artist Annie Frost Nicholson and it will come to the Netherlands as well. And International Hotel Capital Partners is the new owner of Hilton Garden Inn Leiden Hotel.  

Located 4.5 hours from NYC, in Watkins Glen, is the world’s smallest diner, which is also appropriately named ‘World’s Smallest Diner’. And we read about an Instant Noodle Factory in Queens, they serve 88 different instant noodles options with 30 different toppings.

The popular experience, Dining in the Dark, is returning to Amsterdam on August 31, this time it takes place at the NOMAD aan het IJ. And we love the design of the Costa Rican Suitree Experience Hotel with treehouse style rooms.

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Trends we spotted | Week 1

9-1-2023

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 other things, the ‘broeduurtje’ (translated: breeding hour) at Bagels & Beans, in honor of the launch of their new menu and in Dubai, the high tax on alcohol for 2023 will be canceled as a test.

Coffee pods without pods – a sustainable product from CoffeeB that can prevent a lot of ‘cup’ waste. In the Netherlands, ‘De Koffiejongens’ also sell biodegradable cups.

On 29, 30 and 31 January 2024, the completely new trade fair, Horeca Expo Hardenberg, will take place in the Evenementenhal Hardenberg. And next January 16 – on Blue Monday – the third edition of the National ‘Week of Good Snacking’ will start in the Netherlands. An action that you can respond to as a restaurateur by serving healthy homemade biscuits with your cup of coffee.

At the Horecava in Amsterdam, Redefine Meat was named overall winner of the Horecava Innovation Awards. And the winner of the ‘Beer of the year 2022 election’ in the Netherlands has been announced: The Don from the DAVO brewery.

The American chain White Castle, together with a New York artist, has turned distinctive artwork into a puzzle.

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Trends we spotted | Week 24

20-6-2022

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 the Michelin stars in South Florida, with COTE Miami amongst them. And in Russia opened the old McDonald’s stores under the name Vkusno & tochka’.

DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Central Station offers employees a VanMoof e-bike for one euro a day. And Swingers, the crazy golf club in London, Washington and New York, has reinvented mini golf for an adult audience by adding gourmet street food, cocktails and a party atmosphere.

Recently the 50 Top Pizza list in the USA was published, with nine restaurants from New York! We congratulate the winner: New York’s Una Pizza Napoletana. And vending machines of Subway are hitting the market.

An official ‘Golden Girls’ Kitchen pop-up is coming to Los Angeles this summer and TiNDLE, the plant-based chicken brand, is now available at all ‘Veggie Grill’ restaurants in the USA.

Panera helps guests stay charged for the longest day of the year with the limited edition ‘Charged Up Cup’, that will charge your phone while you simultaneously enjoy an energy boost from Panera’s new Charged Lemonades.

Shaffy Restobar in Amsterdam welcomes a new chef de cuisine: Koji Miyahira. He is adding an Asian twist to the menu. And in the ‘Learn to Taste’ series by Bird Brewery this month the difference between their Ekster and Ekstera beers. read more