---

Trends we spotted | Week 13

31-3-2026

---

---

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:

• Horecava is taking the next step in its culinary positioning with the arrival of the Gault&Millau Netherlands guide launch in Amsterdam.
• Speaking of April Fools’ jokes: BJ’s Restaurants is launching a bold Pizookie with a sweet-and-savory twist on April 1 — the ‘Sweet Heat Pepperoni Pizookie®’.
• Planet Hollywood has announced plans to open a large-scale resort, including hotels, a casino, and an entertainment complex, in Tbilisi.
• Travel and Tour World recently published its list of the 50 safest travel destinations for 2026. Due to geopolitical tensions, travelers are increasingly choosing stable countries with strong infrastructure and reliable systems. Find out where the Netherlands ranks!
• Anantara Ubud Bali Resort has recently launched an initiative to release the endangered Bali starling (a bird species) into the jungle. The first two pairs will be released on Earth Day.
• Grubhub is launching a pilot program for drone delivery by Dexa at Wonder in Green Brook, New Jersey.
• NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort, in collaboration with Planteray Rum, has completed the world’s first certified underwater rum aging process.
• This week, among others: we spotted  ‘Wearable Cones’ on Instagram, handy for the ice cream season? And a funny April Fools’ post by the Nuttington Post about ‘McSushi’.

Enjoy reading!

---

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!

---

Layan Life by Anantara | A new generation of women-focused longevity retreats

23-3-2026

---

---

Layan Life by Anantara, the brand’s flagship wellness retreat at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, introduces a new collection of women-focused longevity retreats designed to support and empower women at every life stage. From tech-overloaded teens to women navigating midlife hormonal changes and those seeking strength and vitality later in life, the programmes address evolving wellbeing needs.

2 minutes read

---

Redefine Meat launches next-generation plant-based Flank Steak

13-3-2026

---

---

Redefine Meat, the pioneer of ‘new-meat’ – an emerging category of premium-quality, 100% plant-based products – today announces the next generation of its multi-award-winning Redefine Flank Steak, offering a richer, juicier and even more premium steak for meat lovers, vegetarians and vegans alike. The New-Flank is now available to both new customers and Redefine Meat’s existing network of foodservice partners and retailers across Europe.

2 minute read

---

Chocolate Hotel Suite opens its doors to the “sweetest person” in the world

5-3-2026

---

---

Tony’s Chocolonely and The Social Hub, two leading B Corp brands committed to making the world fairer and more inclusive, have joined forces to create a chocolate-covered hotel room. But there’s a twist. A stay in the new chocolate pop-up suite at The Social Hub Amsterdam cannot be booked (or paid for). Guests can only stay there if they are nominated as the sweetest person in the world.

2 min read:

---

DAPPER. cooks field-fresh hop shoots straight from the source

3-3-2026

---

---

For chef Nick Dapper, hop shoots are something exceptional. Not only because of their flavour, but because of what they demand from a chef: speed, focus, and a refusal to take shortcuts. Their season is short. They oxidise quickly. And they don’t submit to routine. At DAPPER., he works with hop shoots harvested from the fields of Paul Temmerman.

Are hop shoots on your menu in the season?

3 minutes read

---

Wissel ’ns Wat! sets the Dutch protein transition in motion again

24-2-2026

---

---

On March 2, Wissel ’ns Wat! (or in English: Let’s swap) will launch, a new nationwide behaviour-change campaign in the Netherlands that takes over from the ‘National Week Without Meat’ and will now remain active year-round. The campaign focuses on the so-called ‘movable middle’: the 53% of Dutch consumers who rarely choose plant-based alternatives but are open to change when it is practical, tasty, and accessible.

Based on the change in this initiative: why not serve your guests’ favourite dish as a vegetarian option?

2 minutes read

---

Trends we spotted | Week 8

23-2-2026

---

---

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:

• Westrock Coffee Company recently announced it has officially achieved its goal of becoming 100% responsibly sourced, fulfilling the commitment the company publicly set in 2021.
• The inaugural Anantara Concorso Roma will bring together 70 historic Italian cars in the heart of Rome. Taking place from the 16th-19th of April 2026.
• The development of the Al Layan Oasis project has been approved, it will become a new environmental and recreational destination in Dubai.
• Heineken® launched two new non-alcoholic flavours, Cold Pressed Lime and Nectarine Juniper, in the US.
• Tim Hortons, a coffee chain from North America, is introducing Golden Cinnamon Cold Foam as a limited-time customization option this spring. The brand also continues to highlight its protein latte platform.
• Jordan olive oil from Lesbos is now available in a paper bottle, made from 94% recycled cardboard, featuring a specially designed pourer that doesn’t spill a drop.
• The Dutch coffee and bagels chain Bagels & Beans distributes nearly 1,000 love cards for Valentine’s Day. We spotted Café Pli, een ‘Café à Lettres’ in Paris, where visitors can write a letter to their future selves!
• Onyx Coffee Lab (USA) tops the list as the best coffee shop in ‘THE WORLD’S 100 BEST COFFEE SHOPS’. Fuku by FriedHats in Amsterdam is ranked number 79! Congrats to all companies on this list!

Enjoy reading!

---

Trends we spotted | Week 6

10-2-2026

---

---

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:

• Tropical Smoothie Cafe is celebrating Valentine’s Day with pets, featuring the limited-time Puppy Power Bowl, available through 3 March.
• Starbucks has reached a significant recycling milestone: polypropylene cold to go beverage cups are now recyclable for more than 60% of US households.
• IKEA and Tiny Chef are launching a new mini-series from 2 to 9 February, celebrating the joy of plant-based cooking with the beloved stop-motion character Tiny Chef.
• Wendy’s is marking Singles Awareness Day on 15 February with a special in-app offer: a Dave’s Single® cheeseburger.
• Kwalitaria is the first major Dutch snack chain to introduce completely plastic-free packaging, with fries and snack trays protected by a biodegradable seaweed coating.
• Vaseline® and Red Lobster are launching a temporary Valentine’s Day Kissing Booth in Times Square, from February 10 to 12, featuring exclusive menu items and the new Lip Therapy® collection.
• Café Teichner dal 1922 in Rome is serving an espresso with hazelnut cream and chocolate at Piazza di San Lorenzo in Lucina 15.

Enjoy reading!

---

Trends we spotted | Week 4

27-1-2026

---

---

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:

• Did you know that 1 in 8 Americans has worked at a McDonald’s restaurant at some point? McDonald’s in the US taps into this insight with McDonald’s Arches & Ambition, the 1 in 8 Mentorship Program.
• Bouldering is also fairly popular in the Netherlands. Recently, we came across two new variations: moving climbing walls.
• Happy Doggo: squeaky dog toys shaped like fries, sandwiches and burgers at McDonald’s France. Likely a hit with many Dutch dog lovers and McDo fans as well!
• Burger King US introduced The Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper as part of its ‘Whopper by You’ initiative.
• McDonald’s Germany launched a new vegetarian platform with the introduction of five plant-based products: Veggie lovers welcome.
• On Saturday 31 January, Stooges’ Funhouse opens in Het Industriegebouw on Rotterdam’s Goudsesingel. This will be their second location in Rotterdam.
• From February 26 until the next edition of De Vrienden van Amstel LIVE, a musical get-together, hits the road. Every Thursday evening, a different traditional pub hosts a night full of music, friendship and atmosphere: Amstel LIVE in the pub.
• Van Gelder Netherlands, producer of plant-based products, launched a unique range of seven fully plant-based sauces and dressings for the foodservice market during HORECAVA 2026.

Enjoy reading!

---