The BrewDog AF Bar, the alcohol free beer bar & BrewDog’ ‘Drink All You Can Jan’
9-1-2020
‘The BrewDog AF Bar’ is the brewery’s first fully alcohol-free bar. Independent Scottish craft brewer BrewDog have opened their first bar dedicated to alcohol-free. The BrewDog AF Bar is the world’s first alcohol free beer bar and will offer 15 taps of draft alcohol-free craft beer. The bar has opened in central London and will be the first of the company’s global bars to feature a line-up solely devoted to drinks without alcohol. In addition to this, BrewDog will be running ‘Drink All You Can Jan’ across all bars. The initiative offers drinkers unlimited refills of BrewDog alcohol-free beers in all bars for the entire month. And with 24% of beer drinkers choosing more low or no-alcohol options (according to the Mintel, UK Beer Market Report 2018), the brewery are piloting a new concept for their bar division, with a view to rolling it out across the UK and into Europe.
It’s the time for alcohol free drinks: in the Netherlands we spotted amongst others the first pop-up Bar 0.020 in Amsterdam and the new menu for alcohol free drinks at NRC café in Rotterdam. With Dry January it’s wise to serve your guests at least the possibility to drink alcohol free. Our colleagues Robin, Nick and Leonie tried some drinks last week and they were kind of surprised on the sweetness of most mocktails! So if you’re buying or creating alcohol free drinks, not everybody has a sweet tooth!
Alternative to the breakfast buffet
3-12-2019
A blog by Marjolein van Spronsen about sustainable breakfasts in hotels. She no longer believes in large buffets and recently came across a nice solution.
For years I have been surprised by the lavish breakfast buffets in hotels, with cooking islands where your eggs, pancakes, waffles, French toast and so on, are prepared freshly. International hotels prepare the most incredible dishes for their guests, smoked salmon is almost always available and sometimes even oysters. More than enough choices for everyone! Now however, I have reached an age where I tend to eat less, and if I look at what others get stuffed on their plates, I am always surprised! I sometimes even have the urge to point out to my fellow buffet users that the pancakes with maple leaf syrup don’t have to be on the same plate with their salmon.
Collabs & Crossovers
3-12-2019
Enjoy the blog by our colleague Niek Timmermans from Van Spronsen & Partners hospitality consultants. He blogs about the trendy collabs & crossovers, how hip and popular are they in 2019?
Earlier this year, Leonie van Spronsen wrote a blog about crossovers, how she felt 2019 could have been the year of crossovers. She kicked it off with an example of the Emmy Cheeseburger Dumplings of Mimi Chengs in New York. Two hospitality entrepreneur comrades that created a dish out of their individual bestsellers. We also have an example of this in the Netherlands, the Taiko X FEBO authentic FEBO snack wall in Tunes bar with limited-edition langoustine frikandels and Wagyu burgers specially created by chef Schilo van Coevorden.
Trends we spotted | Week 48
29-11-2019
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, among other links to articles about a snowman sculpture trail you can walk in London Bridge this Christmas and start-up Air Protein creates ‘air meat’ using protein-producing microbes discovered by NASA.
Gucci and Massimo Bottura will open the second Gucci Osteria at a rooftop in Beverly Hills and we found an adorable package deal: last summer you could enjoy a ‘puppies & prosecco’ package at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Denver.
US-based Sweetgreen is using Artificial Intelligence tech and personalised service to attract customers to its latest restaurant in New York. And a link to the full list of the 100 Best chefs in the world 2020 according to the French restaurant Le Chef, with 6 Dutch chefs!
Tokyo’s 13th Michelin Guide has been released last week and KFC also tested plant-based chicken in Canada for one-day. They want to introduce plant-based chicken in 2020.
Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2019 by Christian Louboutin | ‘The Loubi Express’ steams into Mayfair straight from Paris
22-11-2019
Claridge’s, London’s legendary Mayfair hotel has unveiled the Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2019 in the hotel lobby, created by long-time friend and guest, designer Christian Louboutin. Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2019, celebrating its 10th anniversary, is accompanied by The Loubi Express, a glittering red train stationed in the snowy forest clearing of the lobby, with a plethora of wrapped gifts atop the train, making their way from Paris to London to spread festive cheer.
Hotella Nutella | The sweetest hotel pop-up of all will open in Napa Valley in 2020
22-11-2019
A dream comes true for Nutella fans over the whole world, a pop-up Nutella hotel will open in January 2020 in Napa Valley, California. Inspired by Nutella®, The Original Hazelnut Spread®, the exclusive one weekend only pop-up will treat three Nutella super-fans and their guests to an unforgettable breakfast experience that showcases new and exciting ways to enjoy the hazelnut spread. Consumers interested in vying for a reservation for the weekend of January 10-12, 2020 can apply for the chance to win a visit to the property by going to the website of Hotella Nutella, and creating a video that demonstrates how Nutella makes their mornings special. Nutella fans can also find full contest rules here.
Earlier this year we wrote about the pop-up Taco Bell Hotel and the Airbnb Barbie home. It looks like marketing departments of famous brands found their way into the hotel world! We wonder when their will be pop-up in a Dutch hotel?
Trends we spotted | Week 47
22-11-2019
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, among other a link to an article about the new concept of Jamie Oliver, Jamie Oliver Kitchen. The first two restaurants will open this month in Bali and Bangkok. And Coca-Cola System introduces KeelClip to its multipack cans.
Christmas inspiration from London: the ‘over the top’ decorations at restaurant 34 Mayfair and the Narna-themed wonderland outside restaurant Ivy Chelsea Garden. And to remain in the Christmas spirit: an ‘Elf’- inspired suite at the Club Wyndham Midtown New York City.
Delicious news at the website of Eater about the famous Danish Smørrebrød! A couple of chefs are reviving this traditional dish. And the latest news on the ‘Cités des vins et des Climats’ in Beaune, Burgundy.
A special and very expensive ‘Feeling Pretty’ arrangement of the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills. Just a weekend to experience the movie ‘Pretty Woman’ including shopping!
Mr. Berry’s wants your coffee to taste better ad personal
22-11-2019
Mr. Berry’s is an online e-commerce platform where a consumer can discover his or her own personal coffee taste through a machine learning algorithm. A machine learning algorithm? Machine learning is used all around us to allow consumers to make choices. Spotify does it with your music. Youtube works with your related videos. Your bank uses it to monitor your expenses. But the biggest example of this is of course Google.
Mr. Berry’s applies 21st-century technology to an outdated coffee market. An initiative of Floris de Laat who organized the pop-up ‘The Cone Masters’ in 2017. With this pop-up you could, very Instagrammable (#coffeeinacone), drink your coffee from an ice cream cone filled with chocolate. He now wants you to enjoy coffee that suits your taste.
The Drinkworks® Home Bar by Keurig® | Cocktails, brews, wines and more
18-11-2019
The Drinkworks® Home Bar by Keurig® is a first-of-its-kind appliance that combines innovation and user-centric design, making it easy for consumers to prepare bar-quality cocktails at home with the touch of a button. The Drinkworks Drinkmaker calculates the precise amount of water and carbonation needed for each proprietary Drinkworks pod, to deliver an exceptional cocktail experience, every time. The Drinkworks pod portfolio features over twenty different recipes crafted with in-house mixologists and beverage scientists including classics like the Moscow Mule and the Old-Fashioned, complemented by newer offerings such as Lemon Bubbly and Whiskey Sour.
The Drinkworks® Home Bar by Keurig® is at this moment only available in California, Florida and Missouri. We wonder when we will see the first ones in hotel lobbies or rooms and of course in Europe!
Trends we spotted | Week 46
15-11-2019
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, among other a link to an article about Blend 32 Kitchen & Bar in the Hilton Groenplaats in Antwerp, Belgium. And we spotted the Ben Nevis beer by the Northern Monk Brewery, priced at £1,000 for 330ml!
Accor, the world-leading hospitality group and the Alibaba Group recently announced a strategic collaboration to develop a series of digital applications and loyalty programs to improve the consumer and traveller experience over the next five years. And did you ever taste green caviar?
Barcelona-based Glovo, one of the world’s fastest-growing on-demand delivery players, recently announced that it has acquired Poland’s largest food delivery platform, Pizza Portal. And did you already tried the Rebel Whopper at one of the Burger King locations in Europe?
And a link to an article about The “Restaurant Industry 2030” report, on which the National Restaurant Association partnered with American Express and Nestlé Professional, examined the key indicators shaping the future of the industry. And Heineken joins mayor beer companies with ditching the plastic 6-pack rings.
In Seoul, Stylenanda’s store sells makeup, clothing and accessories in a five-floor space inspired by the hotel and hospitality experience. Deliveroo launched a ‘Pickup’ service in the UK.
For Christmas inspiration we invite you to check these two articles about the ‘floating’ tree at Liberty, London and the Serra Alpina at Eataly NYC Flatiron. Nhow Amsterdam RAI will open its doors in the first quarter of 2020, this month they organized a Nhow Crew Fest!