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.
Sushi-wrap, sushi-sandwich or better the sushiwich
20-1-2016
The sushiwich is actually a simple Sushi Maki roll (4,5 cm diameter and 20 cm long) which is cut in two parts, to be eaten as a sandwich or wrap. The sushiwich is introduced at the Horecava by Bocon Sushi Concepts.
Sushiwich and the sushi robot; Rolling Mate TSM900RSR
Because of doubting whether to call it a sandwich or a wrap, they came up with the name ‘sushiwich’. The innovation comes from Australia, according to the sushi machinemakers, Bocon Sushi Concepts. Over there the snack was such a big success (more than 3000 outlets) that the idea has been re-imported to Japan. Every chef can make sushiwiches, especially if you use sushi robots, like the Rolling Mate TSM900RSR. You need the Rolling Mate to make the sushiwich if you’re not a trained Sushi chef. Bocon Sushi Concepts also sells readymade sushi rice. This is a scoop in the Netherlands and causes that the seller doesn’t have to worry about the ‘basics’ and the making of the sushiwich becomes even less time-consuming.
Creative with sushi
A sushiwich sounds a bit like the Temakeria in London to us. By being ‘creative with sushi’ a large number of concepts have been created. It does strike us that the concepts that stick to the original sushi, are the most successful.
The Frushi, a sushi made of rice and fruit that we spotted in 2011, are no longer sold. Neither the Goshi and Wichy really made it, they’re German variants on sushi with European tastes. But hey, it remains nice to make your own sushi variant as a chef, maybe a sushi variant with local products as Catering Hanenburg at kookstudio Lokaal 55 does. They combine Frisian ingredients like smoked eel from the Sneekermeer with sushirolls made of beetroot and a crème of potato to an Frisian Sushi.
The Snertkroket, a taste of winter in a crispy crust
15-1-2016
At the Horecava Frio Food introduced the Snertkroket. The Snertkroket is a real Dutch speciality, a croquette filled with ‘snert’, which is a soup made of split peas.
Typical Dutch dish used in a croquette
The typical Dutch dish ‘erwtensoep or snert’ used in another typical Dutch treat the croquette; the Snertkroket. This real wintery dish has a crispy crust filled with a creamy ragout made of the best of ‘split pea soup’! Filled with vegetables such as peas, carrots and real pieces of sausage. Frio Food the producer of the Snertkroket recommends to serve it on a slice of rye bread or just as a snack. We place the Snertkroket in our overview of variations on the traditional Dutch croquette.
Developer of the Snertkroket
This real winter delicacy was developed by Harald Swinkels, who dreamed of his own croquette factory as a 15 year old boy. He prepares his products in a traditional way with the finest ingredients and uses traditional recipes that have been used by his father. From his father he learned the tricks of the trade. The Snertkroket is one of the many ‘kroketten’ Frio Food sells.
You might consider putting a kroket or bitterbal on your menu. It’s one of those streetfoods most foreigners love in Holland!
McDonald’s Next, is high-tech the solution to a healthier reputation and more sales?
14-1-2016
McDonald’s Next in Hong Kong; a new high-tech restaurant and a new experiment to revamp their reputation.
McDonald’s Next serves
The new high-tech restaurant, located in the Admiralty district, has touch-screen computers where you create and order your meal, so no more queuing in front of a counter. The new restaurant has a salad bar which is shown in the ‘theatre kitchen’. This allows consumers to watch the process of the making of their salad. Examples of the salad ingredients are asparagus, couscous, corn and quinoa. As you watch the video or check out the pictures in the article of the Daily Mail Online you can only conclude that the salad bar matches what you might expect in a deli. In addition they also serve fresh pastries and premium coffee in the McCafé style.
Besides the salad bar you can order from the regular hamburger menu or make use of the ‘Create Your Taste’ option, allowing you to build your own burger with gourmet ingredients. This ‘Create Your Taste’ option is already implemented at the McDonald’s in Australia and in New Zealand.
The Next interior
The interior; pleasant lighting for a relaxed atmosphere, long wide tables create a cafe / restaurant ambiance and like at many coffee shops chains they have wireless phone chargers. Furthermore the elements, wood, glass and stainless steel are used. They’re also experimenting with table service after 6 pm…
You will probably not recognize this McDonald’s except for the golden arches ;-). The Daily Mail concludes it’s a new attempt of McDonald’s to change direction and create a more healthier image. Well we would love to see a McDonald’s restaurant like that here in the Netherlands!
Ice cream macarons
12-1-2016
A new twist of a French specialty: the ice cream macaron! Otelli introduces these ice cream macarons in two flavours, mango-passion and raspberry during the Horecava in Amsterdam.
The ice cream macarons are made locally
The ice cream macarons by Otelli, producer of ice cream and patisserie specialties, are prepared in the Netherlands. At Otelli in Haarlem, the French almond macarons are baked. The macarons are filled with ice cream made from organic milk, pasteurized at a farm in the Haarlemmerliede. A swirl of mango-passion sorbet or raspberry sorbet is added to the ice cream. The macarons are 8 cm in diameter and served in a nice packaging with Parisian drawings.
Available at Otelli
These trendy ice cream macarons can be used as dessert or be served as a to go snack. Otelli offers a wide range of homemade ice creams, mono desserts, petit fours, tarts and dessert buffets. All products are made with real cream and butter, pure nut pastes, couverture and fresh fruit.
Sichuan bitterballen (small croquettes)
6-1-2016
On Aziatische-ingredienten.nl you can find a delicious recipe for Sichuan bitterballen. Bitterballen are small and round croquettes, which are a real Dutch treat.
Of course there is an Asian example of our Dutch pride: the Sichuan bitterballen
We received multiple reactions on the article about croquettes in the leading role, in which we also included the Italian bitterballen (Arancini). Amongst others Robin Kok send us her recipe for Asian bitterballen. The recipe, unfortunately only available in Dutch, sounds delicious!
For her Sichuan bitterballen Robin used ‘Sichuan style red boiled beef’ that includes ingredients like ginger, chilli bean sauce, rice wine and Chinese dark soy sauce. She makes a dummy proof roux with gelatin. Because of the gelatin the small croquettes are much easier to mold once the roux is cold and therefore need less flour. For the crust she uses panko! On Aziatische-ingredienten.nl Robin shares more recipes. I read some blog posts which are mouth-watering like dried tangerine peel, Youtiao (fried bread sticks) and Salak (snake fruit). ^Marjolein
Burger Kitchen by New York Pizza
30-12-2015
Since yesterday (29 December, 2015), The Burger Kitchen, the hamburger by New York Pizza can be ordered in the Netherlands. During 2015 New York Pizza has researched and tested the way to deliver a perfect, warm hamburger. Having started as a pioneer in the pizza market (1993) New York Pizza is now going to create a market for delivering luxurious burgers. As the first chain in the Netherlands, New York Pizza has created a deluxe burger, made of pure beef with no artificial ingredients, to deliver.
Burger Kitchen
According to the CEO of New York Pizza, Philippe Vorst, is their hamburger, which they called ‘Burger Kitchen by New York Pizza’, made of 100% top quality beef, pepper, salt and love for the profession. At New York Pizza the delivery process is one of the core activities and this process is well managed. This allows them to ensure that they deliver a hot hamburger.
For the Dutch hamburger market Philippe Vorst foresees a big growth. According to the latest Foodshopper Monitor by FSIN (FoodService Institute Netherlands) the Dutch eat on average 25 hamburgers a year. The average American in contrary eats 150 hamburgers a year. In addition, the Monitor reports a sharp increase and continued demand for honest and fresh fast casual food, which include hamburgers.
Wrong Christmas Sweater party
23-12-2015
On the Korte Heuvel in the Dutch town Tilburg, they celebrated the last Friday Afternoon Party before Christmas with a ‘Wrong Christmas Sweater’ theme.
Wrong Christmas Sweater party
Last year, the largest Friday afternoon party from Tilburg has been a huge success as well and they had the same theme; Foute Kersttrui (Wrong Christmas Sweater). Hundreds of people gathered at the party area of the Korte Heuvel to kick of the holiday season with colleagues and friends. Santa and his Christmas wives were present and there were torches everywhere. One could eat our famous Dutch pea soup (snert) and there was plenty of glühwein (mulled wine) and beer. This year the ‘Wrong Christmas Sweater’ party was held on Friday 18th December as from 17:00 everyone was welcome. With a wrong Christmas sweater you received free mulled wine at Polly Maggoo. Initiators are the owners of Polly Maggoo and it is now adopted by a number of cafes in the area.
Inspiration
Come up with a nice theme and prolong the festivities surrounding Christmas. Since 18 December, the Christmas Season started and there is no one available for work-related Christmas parties so this initiative in Tilburg is a lovely way to throw a party and to generate additional revenue. Win / win for participants and entrepreneurs. Just as the ‘Kerstmiddag’ (Christmas Afternoon) on 24 December in Hengelo.
Sommelierwijnen; a new Dutch initiative for sommeliers with guts
22-12-2015
Sommelierwijnen (Sommelier Wine) is making exceptional wines from small, but very good winemakers available for the Dutch gastronomy. Sommelierwijnen is an initiative of eight wine importers who have joined forces to sell all their wines through one contact. Various sommeliers from Dutch Michelin starred restaurants already work with them.
Collaboration to make wine from small but major wineries accessible
The founders of Sommelierwijnen are all importers with great skill and passion for wines that are being delivered to restaurants. By combining their offerings they make it possible for sommeliers to work with several wineries that would otherwise be inaccessible or impractical. In plain language: you’re not waiting for yet another wine supplier where you might only buy 60 bottles a year or even less. Even though the wine is very special! Thanks to this initiative, sommeliers are now able to order wines at 8 different importers with the benefit of just one contact and one invoice.
One-stop-shopping at Sommelierwijnen
These importers offer many unique wines from the Jura, Corsica, India and even Thailand. Even from within Europe, they sell classic wines made from unknown grapes like Tibouren, Elbling, Frühroter and Roter Veltliner and unknown wines from for example Madeira, Serbia and Bosnia. The 8 different wine suppliers do introduce themselves at the website, each with two of their so-called ‘signature wines’; wines that are an example for their vision and quality.
)
