Valentine’s Day at a restaurant
20-1-2015
The annual day of love declarations is in our sights again. Every year it’s an exciting day, especially for singles. Will they get an anonymous rose at work or in the classroom? As this year’s Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday, it offers a valuable opportunity for the hospitality industry. A lot of people will enjoy Valentine’s Day at a restaurant. Both for a romantic evenings eating out as well as for the bachelors looking for a singles-only dinner.
Valentine’s Day in the USA
Last year, Valentine’s Day was on a Friday and because many restaurants in America were fully booked, Wieden + Kennedy New York created a social media campaign on behalf of Heineken. By using the #DateInABox hashtag on Twitter women could provoke a declaration of love from their (future) boyfriend. The guys who received the social media love declaration had to share the message to all their Instagram-followers declaring their love via the channel like real romantic ‘softies’. With the hashtag #DateInABox the couples could win a surprise date for two.
Valentine’s day at a restaurant and hospitality / leisure industry
In recent years we have collected inspiring examples for Valentine’s Day at a restaurant and in the hospitality / leisure industry. Some examples are a romantic egg , the ultimate attention as a gift (by putting your phone off) , running a race with your sweetheart or share a gigantic dessert .
Valuas croquette at the Limburg Museum
18-12-2014
The standard & gluten free Valuas croquettes by chef Eric Swaghoven of restaurant Valuas (1 Michelin star) in Venlo is going to be served in the café the Limburgs Museum. They start serving the Dutch specialty (croquette) from the official start of the exhibition “War & Freedom”, along with other culinary snack creations by Eric.
Core values of his culinary snacks
Chef Eric Swaghoven has created his luxury and artisan snacks by the motto; tasteful and conscious snacking. Core values of its croquettes and ‘bitterballen’ (bal size croquettes) are quality, taste and sustainability. The Valuas croquette is the starting point of his line of snacks.
The Valuas croquette at the Limburg Museum
The Limburgs Museum is a family museum and the daily practice at the Museum shows that the visiting youth still prefers to snack during their visit. With that fact in mind, the choice to put the ‘kroketten & bitterballen’ by Valuas on the menu, is a choice for quality snacks.
The Valuas croquette
The Valuas croquette is made with pure beef and a French roux sauce in proportion 35% meat, 45% roux to obtain a 110 grams of croquette. Tasty, full-bodied and creamy because of the broth used for this receipt. They also have a gluten-free version.
Other culinary snacks
In addition to the iconic Valuas croquette, a veal croquette, shrimp croquette, vegetarian croquette and a mushroom croquette will be served in the Museum. Also on the menu: fried king prawns in shrimp crackers crumbs.
The ‘chicken soup’ croquette by grandma Jo Swaghoven-Eupen
The ‘chicken soup’croquette is a tribute to Grandma Jo Swaghoven-Eupen, who did manage café Modern in Venray with her husband, in the years after the war. The chicken soup grandma Jo made has become legendary. The family recipe inspired her grandson Eric to make his ‘chicken soup’ croquettes.
Experience in theater as storytelling for your product
16-12-2014
Undergo storytelling, experience a 3D animation and taste the product in a theater.
Recently I joined one of the theater tryouts by Glennfidich. Tony van Rooijen, the enthusiastic Dutch brand ambassador of the whisky makers gave a virtual tour of the distillery in Scotland during a tasting where he presented six different whiskys.
Experience in theater
Apart from the enthusiastic narrator and a stylish tasting kit, the virtual tour consisted out of a very detailed 3D animation of the brewery that had a lot of resemblance with the computer game ‘The Sims’. While the presenter went through the various stages of the brewing process he showed the buildings of the brewery from the outside and inside. Everywhere there was a visual explanation from a first person view, so you had the illusion walking through the brewery itself without leaving your lazy (theater) chair.
Virtual tour
A virtual tour like this can be very interesting for products with an authentic character. A rookie (like me) gets to see more about the brewing process of whisky and the expert will for example learn more about the typical taste each barrel emits.
Flexibility is the future
For theaters, but also for cinemas this way of a product presentation is an interesting case. The stage remains a wonderful place to tell your story and to combine this with a tasting your product and (controlled) experience of it. At most hospitality fairs and food festivals the stage plays an important role in the total concept thus the hospitality industry is already familiar with these crossover concepts. My experience fits in well with a recent article in Fast Moving Targets that shows that flexibility of the theater is the future. ^Armand
Breathometer Breeze; a mobile breathalyzer for smartphones
25-11-2014
Breathometer Breeze
The first mobile breathalyzer for smartphones is now available in the Netherlands. Through the Breathometer app the Breeze informs users quickly and accurately on their blood-alcohol results. The Breeze is designed to stimulate occasional drinkers to maintain control over their alcohol consumption and make safer and healthier choices.
User friendly gadget
The Breathometer Breeze turns a smartphone into an accurate breathalyzer within seconds. The Breeze works through a wireless Bluetooth connection, has no warm-up time and is always ready for use. The advanced sensor technology allows precise and fast results possible. If used daily, the battery will last for about 16 months. The Breeze comes with a money belt clip, a key ring holder and a separate mouthpiece for hygienic sharing of the Breeze with friends.
A combination of ‘nice and need to know’
Distributor Tipping Valley BV introduces the Breeze from Breathometer Inc. The Breeze is a nice gadget. A combination of ‘nice to know’ and ‘need to know’. The Breathometer app provides the blood alcohol level quick and accurate on the smartphone screen. In addition, the app provides the function ‘home safely’. The app shows how long it takes until the alcohol is gone from the blood and when people are sober or ‘back to zero’ again. The app can even assist in arranging a taxi through Uber or a local taxi company. In the future, it is also possible to find local restaurants via this app or book a night in the nearest hotel. The app is available for iOS and Android smartphones.
Blackjack with taste, Vino Casino
25-11-2014
Last Sunday at the ‘Wine Weekend’ wine fair I spotted the ‘Vino Casino’ game. ‘Vino Casino’, as you can see in the picture is a specially developed BlackJack table, representing a large world map and different vintages on the side.
Blackjack with taste
The game begins with a wine tasting, without seeing the label. Through smell, taste and look participants need to indicate the country / region and the age of the wine. Blackjack with taste thus! The casino chips, which are distributed in advance, must be deployed on both the country and the age groups. When the country or year is correct the number of casino chips is doubled. You can agree in advance how many bottles to taste at this blackjack table. The one who has the most casino chips at the end of the flight, is the winner.
For staff parties or during a tasting
This game is perfect to teach your staff or guests more about wine, in a fun and playful way. It gives a competitive element to a tasting and selects the real ‘wine connoisseur’ among your friends and colleagues. ^Bram Kosterink
An Airbnb with as host the KLM
21-11-2014
KLM listed an MD-11 as ‘Spacious Airline Apartment’ on Airbnb
The Dutch carrier KLM has teamed up with Airbnb for a promotion in which aviation enthusiasts can win a night’s stay in Amsterdam. The lodging would be inside one of the airline’s just-retired MD-11s. It’s listed on Airbnb as a ‘Spacious Airplane Apartment’ in Amsterdam. Airbnb says the Wi-Fi equipped two-bedroom lodging option also comes with two kitchens, a living room, eight “small” bathrooms, 116 windows and “a giant cockpit panorama window”. Unfortunately flying is prohibited. The Airplane Apartment is available for three nights only, Nov. 28-30 2014.
Old Amsterdam Food Tour Dinner
14-11-2014
The Old Amsterdam Food Tour and restaurant MOES organize the ‘Golden Age Dinner’ with Marleen Willebrands on Sunday 23 November. A meal will be cooked at the basement of an old storehouse from 1646 according to original 17th century recipes. Because the dinner was served in the afternoon back then, the dinner will be served from 14.00-18.00 o’clock.
Stories from the Golden age
Between the courses stories are told about eating habits, table manners and the availability of food in the city back then. Culinary historicist and publicist Marleen Willebrands retrieved the recipes and will explain the background of old eating habits. Students of the department of old music from the conservatory will play music from that era.
Guests can enjoy oysters on entry, a Rillette appetizer of crab, Tersey with smelt, sweet chicken pie, salad with parsnips, Blancmange & roggebroodijs* *(Roggebroodijs is a rye bread ice cream – ever had rye bread ice cream before?!) and Hippocras with dragees.
Old Amsterdam habits
Because of old habits only a spoon will be provided, please bring your own knife. The stories will be in Dutch; however, the food, wine drinks and experience speak a universal language for all to enjoy.
Location: MOES, Prins Hendrikkade 142-sous
Date & time: Sunday 23 November 14.00-18.00 o’clock.
Use the #selfie in your benefit
10-11-2014
The luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel in Paris created a new example of the use of the #selfie that benefits both the company as the consumer.
Marjolein wrote about it in the beginning of September; the #Selfie as a trend. In that article she provides a few examples, recently she spotted a new one from the luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel in Paris. The hotel launched a ‘Selfie in Paris’ campaign in August 2014. Offering their guests a tour of Paris’ best selfie spots with a private car and driver.
The best #selfie time is yet to come
As from the end of November it will be booming with all the #Christmas decoration #selfies on the social media. In front of the Christmas Tree on famous spots, with the decorated windows at all the big warehouses et cetera. Make use of this #selfie trend by creating the perfect Selfie spot in your restaurant or hotel. As city you can organise your own best selfie spot tour to promote your most photogenic spots as well.
Whisky tasting at the theater
4-11-2014
Tony van Rooijen is the Dutch brand ambassador for Glenfiddich and takes whisky lovers on a virtual tour during interactive whisky tasting sessions in Haarlem and Amstelveen.
Whisky tasting
At the tasting Tony van Rooijen gives a presentaino on stage while he guides the visitors through a virtual impression of the Scottish Distillery. During the presentation six varieties of whisky will be discussed, all of them are provided in a tasting box that’s included in the ticket price. This way the visitors can taste the variety of whiskys while being informed about it.
Tour through Schotland
Both experts and beginners can enjoy the tasting, that provides immerses you into Scotland for the evening. This Friday 7 November the tour is at the Stadsschouwburg & Philharmonie in Haarlem (from 20.30 o’clock) and the Schouwburg in Amstelveen will host the evening on 29 November. The first tasting of the tour was in Purmerend.
Storytelling around the menu at DiverXO
22-10-2014
To promote the opening of restaurant DiverXO (3 Michelinstars, chef Dabiz Muñoz) at the NH flagship hotel in Madrid, this inspiring movie has been published. In the film, six guests are bored at first, but go wild after eating the creations of the chefs. The chefs show how the dishes are prepared and presented as well.
Passion, emotions and experience around the table.
The movie shows passion, emotion and experience in a modern and artistic way. Storytelling to the max. You want to have dinner at the restaurant with the most dull people you know, just to experience their change while eating and drinking! The video takes about 10 minutes, but it’s definitely worth watching.
