Impression – Dorset’s culinary food plaza
12-2-2016
In November 2015 we wrote about Dorset’s culinary food plaza. A unique collaboration between AVIA and Willem Dankers. The food plaza has opened recently and we received beautiful pictures of it, special thanks to Marieke Dijkhof. The article about the food plaza is stated below.
Flavours & Grooves by DJ Martin Damen & François Geurds
11-2-2016
The restaurants of François Geurds always create a lot of rumour around their brand. Now this star chef has launched a CD with tasty music, the CD Flavours & Grooves. As the CD is hidden in the dessert at FG Restaurant and FG Food Labs, you have one more reason to eat there.
Taking your dog on a date this Valentine’s Day
11-2-2016
Taking your dog on a date this Valentine’s Day, this is possible at MicroChippy, a pop-up restaurant for 2 days in London. Canine charity Dogs Trust is bringing a 1950s style doggy diner to Clerkenwell on 13 and 14 February.
We Design Food, eating at food designers during ART Rotterdam
9-2-2016
During ART Rotterdam (11 t / m 14 February) at the Van Nelle factory in Rotterdam a collective of leading Dutch food designers open a temporary dining-and-drinking atelier called We Design Food.
The chefs or food designers provide seasonal dishes. The other members provide a nice glass of wine or a super exciting cocktail. There are oysters and small snacks. There is bread and there is chocolate. You can also just grab a cup of coffee of the highest quality at We Design Food. The atelier is to be found in building 6, opposite the entrance of ART Rotterdam. The atelier is open every day from 10 o’clock.
STACH the new shop in shop formula situated in the Mercure hotel Amsterdam City
5-2-2016
The from origin in Amsterdam situated foodshop STACH, well known for their sustainable products and specialties from local suppliers, has opened a shop in shop formula in the Mercure Hotel Amsterdam City.
Foodshop STACH
STACH, the Amsterdam foodshop, with sustainable to-go products and specialties from local suppliers has opened a shop in shop formula in the Mercure Hotel Amsterdam City. STACH is already owner of nine different shops, situated in Amsterdam, Utrecht & Overveen, the Netherlands. The new shop in the Mercure Hotel will be added to their portfolio.
Guests can choose in the new foodshop for local brewed beers, healthy bars, freshly baked biscuits, salades and take away meals. “Due to the changing needs of the customers it is important to develop concepts who meet these needs. STACH offers an unique and qualitative eat experience on an approachable level. STACH is thereby, just like Mercure, locally inspired, this makes the concept suitable for our promise; a unique experience inspired by the local environment”, says Ad Hoondert, the General Manager of the hotel.
Curious (hotel) guests
Within a short amount of time the foodshop had already a lot of guests who were curious about the concept. The fresh salads and especially Dutch products like ‘stroopwafels’ are very popular. “The appearance of STACH does give the hotel lobby a complete new impulse. It creates an cosy environment, a reason for guests to stay longer in our bar and lobby. Also guests who are not staying in our hotel and people living nearby are welcome to make use of the STACH products. It creates a link between us and the local environment of the hotel”, says Ad.
Live ‘ice cooking’ with the Gelato Machine
4-2-2016
The Gelato Machine is an all in one ice machine. Suitable for preparing, conserving and presenting fresh Gelato (ice cream).
The Gelato Machine saves the ice cream makers a lot of operating and investing. First you needed a separated preparation kitchen, ice cream machine, freezing installation and refrigerator, but now you only need one device. The ice cream machine is fully digitally operated and pre-programmed so it easy to use.
Ice cream made in just 15 minutes
Suitable for preparing, conserving and presenting of ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet ice. The Gelato Machine produces in about 15 minutes 2,5 kilos of one of the previously mentioned ice creams. When the ice cream has been prepared the machine automatically turns into the ‘saving mode’. It’s optional to use the Gelato Machine with the Movuz IceMobil, provided with a plate (IceTeppanyaki) of -30 degrees Celsius. This makes it possible to ‘stir fry’ the ice cream within seconds.
Theo Clevers – master ice cream maker, also works with the Gelato Machine
SVH master ice cream maker Theo Clevers uses the Gelato Machine. Horecatrends asked him why the machine is suitable for his ice cream shops: “In the ice cream world, the experience is also becoming more important. Costumers want to see, smell and taste how we prepare ice cream. The Gelato Machine gives us the opportunity to make ice cream at receptions and parties. It is an addition to the traditional ice cream cart. Live cooking, but with ice cream.”
Bram’s, Gourmet Frites
2-2-2016
On 11 February Bram Ladage is opening ‘Bram’s, Gourmet Frites.’ At this new, international formula fries are prepared on a high culinary level and will be sold from a remarkable, black shipping container. The pilot store is going to be at the ‘Kop van Zuid’ in Rotterdam.
Bram’s, Gourmet Frites is going international
This new, international formula is going to be a worldwide standard for quality fries, says Bram Ladage partner Rocco Ladage. They are starting in Rotterdam but there is more and more demand from abroad. At the new concept ‘Bram’s, Gourmet Frites’ it’s about traditional preparation. The real Dutch potatoes from the Hoeksche Waard are cut into thick fries and prepared right in front of the costumers. Because these fries are so thick they absorb less fat and they also use oil with ‘good’ fats.
Collaborating with Herman den Blijker
Together with Herman den Blijker, Bram Ladage developed five new stews: Pulled pork BBQ, Captain’s beef, Asian chicken stew, the vegetarian Truffle mushroom and Pumpkin veal stew. With these stews, fries will no longer be a ‘side dish’ but a full meal component.
About Bram Ladage
Bram Ladage is a family company that’s originally from Rotterdam. But apart from Rotterdam they are getting more well known in Europe as well. Besides the formula Bram Ladage itself they also exploit BroodExpress, Ezprezzo, Ladage Events, Ladagerie and The Wold. With Bram’s they are taking the first step to go abroad.
The container is ideal for a franchise business; it will be delivered on location, it’s fully furnished and as franchisee you can start working immediately.
Get inspired by.. Spoon & Stable
1-2-2016
Leonie van Spronsen, lives and works in Paris and is infected with the foodiebug, in this blog she writes about Spoon & Stable by chef Gavin Kaysen. In particular about his ‘after hours specials’.
Fall 2014 Gavin Kaysen, former pupil of Chef Daniel Boulud in New York (restaurant Daniel**), took the jump back to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he originally came from and opened his first, own restaurant: Spoon & Stable. Since then the casual fine dining restaurants have been a grand success, being noticed from coast to coast in the USA.
Other than super fresh food, beautiful presentations and a great atmosphere there is something else that sets this restaurant apart; their ‘after hours special’.
This genius gimmick is what we would love every fine dining restaurant to do. Every day the restaurant features a ‘fancy fast food’-like dish that is only available at the bar and not before 22h30. This can be a creative bowl of ramen (Japanese noodle soup), duck-confit tacos, freshly made corn tortillas and basically any crazy/yum/exciting dish they can come up with.
Why is this special at Spoon & Stable so great?
There are so many reasons, first it makes your food accessible for many more people than it is now, without having to lower your dining room prices. Secondly the bar of your restaurant will be much more exciting, shooting up beverage sales. Third it gives your team a little bit of freedom to experiment a bit outside of the box. Gives them the opportunity to create and test all their crazy ideas. And last but certainly not least, it could help greatly in eliminating food waste.
Personally, I’m 25, live in Paris and infected with the foodiebug. I would love if some of the great Parisian chefs would open their minds to this idea. Imagine yourself, at a random Tuesday night, 22h30, having a cocktail and grabbing a grilled cheese reimagined by Alain Ducasse.. could it get any better?
Check out this video to get to know chef Gavin Kaysen. He spoke at the Terroir Talks in October 2015. It gives a clear insight in 17 minutes….
Quake pop-up breakfast vending machine
28-1-2016
At the beginning of December Quaker Oats placed a pop-up vending machine at the train station of Antwerp, where travellers could order a free breakfast. This breakfast was prepared by two ‘robots’. We consider this a great example on how to pop-up and present your company in a positive way. Why don’t restaurants or deli’s use a pop-up location to present their food to the public?
About the Quaker pop-up breakfast vending machine
Most people are very busy nowadays and skip breakfast regularly. Quaker Oats wants to do something about this and chose the train station of Antwerp to place the Quaker pop-up breakfast vending machine, Just as a metaphor of our busy lifestyle. The goal of this campaign? Have people acknowledge how important it is to start your day with a breakfast. And with Quaker this can be done very easy, quick and healthy!
Different recipes
By-passers were able to choose from two different recipes. These recipes changed every day and were created by well-known Belgium breakfast eaters. If the choice was made, you pushed the button and the two people dressed as robots prepared your breakfast, for free!
Inspiration
As we mentioned before, this is a nice way to present your product. Offering it for free always works of course, but for most hospitality companies this won’t always be easy to finance. But such a great pop-up location on a prominent spot might be worth considering, it will bring positive attention to your restaurant or lunchroom somewhere else in the city.
The Hamperling: luxurious airplane meals
26-1-2016
Fortnum & Mason sell luxurious airplane meals to go. Hamperlings are pre made packages that vary in price from £15,= till £50,=.
Luxurious airplane meals
Do you often travel Economy class and are you craving a meal with Business class standards? Heathrow Airport now has the solution! Fortnum & Mason recently started selling inflight meals, regardless of which class you fly. No more rice with chicken or steamed vegetables as your inflight meal, but enjoying foie gras, caviar and other luxurious products. These hampers vary in price range from £15,= till £50,=.
Fortnum &Mason meals come in a turquoise coloured cooling bag, that include a fresh salad with herb mustard dressing, rye bread with butter, Napolitan squares as dessert and plastic cutlery including a caviar spoon.
There are five different variations divided in different price ranges. For example the £50,= option is for two people that includes a smoked fish selection, caviar, foie gras, a cheeseboard and different kinds of chutney, alongside the standard products.
There also is a vegetarian option for £15,=. This hamper included, alongside the standard products, a roast butternut squash, red unions, a cheeseboard and a lemon dessert.
The developers
Fortnum & Mason assembled its first hamper way back in the late 1730s. The speed of travel has increased hugely, but one decidedly negative side-effect of that exponential quickening is the equal and opposite fall in the standard of travel food. F&M thinks this is unnecessary and decided to renew their airplane meal hampers.