Maze through corn field in Twente, The Netherlands
In the Dutch village Holten the owners of the playground Dondertman created a very special maze. The maze has the shape of a rabbit and is made through a 2,5 metre high corn field. read more
In the Dutch village Holten the owners of the playground Dondertman created a very special maze. The maze has the shape of a rabbit and is made through a 2,5 metre high corn field. read more
Ottilie Maters
Ottilie Maters
Ottilie Maters
Ottilie Maters
Ottilie Maters
Ottilie Maters
Ottilie MatersEsso Ruyven is a gas station located on the A13 road between Rotterdam and The Hague. The gas station has undergone a remarkable transformation: the traditional shop inside the station is now a modern food formula. Large and colourful images are attached to the glass walls, displaying their unique and fresh variety of menu items such as sushi, salads and burgers from the Big Green Egg. During the reopening on June 29, owner NRGValue revealed the new QICHI concept.
Upon entering, visitors are welcomed by a host and introduced to the new concept. The open kitchen stands out immediately. Chefs are preparing fresh dishes including sushi, pizza’s, BBQ- burgers and all kinds of smoothiebowls. There is also a barista island with freshly prepared coffee and handmade ice cream from ‘IJsmanschap’.
We see more and more food trends finding their way to the gas stations nowadays. For example Dorset’s culinary foodplaza, a food formula at AVIA at Dorset in Borne, also in The Netherlandse. But in the past period, we have seen more entrepreneurs implementing their culinary concept alongside the highway. Another example is gas station Scheiwijk alongside the A27. They also decided to improve the quality of their food, less fat and more healthy, culinary food.
Madurodam, the smallest city in the Netherlands, has a new spectacular indoor family attraction and Madurodam Events has two extra spaces for business and private events. The New Amsterdam in Madurodam is the new attraction in a New Amsterdam 17th century decor. With the opening of these special rooms, the number of meeting and private events rooms in Madurodam is ten in total, suitable for groups of 10 to 1,000 persons. read more
The Tipsy Scoop
Sweet Mirrie's
Suikerspin burrito
Nozem ijs
Lekkernijs
Liefmans ijs
Gin-tonic ijs
CoolMess
Bavaria Radler ijsOne of the unique characteristics of ice cream is the fact that it combines very well with several products. In May we already published a bucket list with ice cream parlours but in the meanwhile we already posted 10 more stories about ice cream. A new list thus with amongst others one of the first ice cream parlours in the Netherlands that sells rolled ice cream, a parlour where DIY soft serve ice cream is being served and a cotton candy burrito with ice cream but also ice cream with alcohol like gin tonic or with beer. We are curious which Dutch ice cream parlour starts selling the black ice cream. It’s a total Instagram hype at the moment! read more
It’s summer, which means that the magic warehouse of city brewery Stadsbrouwerij ‘De Koninck’ in Antwerp has been transformed into a temporary summer bar. After Summer Josephine’s and Smokey Jo’s Garage, the brewery’s interior garden will house Smokey Jo’s Cantina this year. The ultimate place to relax in the city. Prepare for a thick layer of white sand and palm trees, beach chairs and hammocks. read more
The beautiful waterfront city of Hamburg will gain a new architectural landmark later this year when the 131‐room luxury hotel, The Fontenay, opens its doors to guests on October 15, 2017. Considered to be Germany’s most anticipated luxury hotel opening this year, The Fontenay will be located directly on the banks of Lake Alster, with an unique sculptural design resembling three interlocking circles, creating views of the lake and the downtown cityscape from most of the hotel’s rooms and suites, as well as its rooftop bar & terrace, gourmet restaurant, swimming pool and spa. read more
Lekkernijs, serving sorbet & cocktail sorbet turned into molecular ice cream for adults! Lekkernijs can be found in the recently opened foodcourt Hofhouse in The Hague, The Netherlands. You have to be quick because the pop-up will only be there for three months. read more
This week, the doors of the Champagneria ‘Five Brothers Fat’ will open at De Clercq Street 56 in the restaurant area of Amsterdam-West. Inspired by the Champagneria in Barcelona. The idea for a Champagneria originated in a trip to Barcelona by five hospitality brothers. During the trip they visited the famous and very popular Cava bar in one of the side streets of Barceloneta. A success story at the Mediterranean coast and one of the places to be seen in Barcelona. While enjoying freshly prepared tapas, the bottles of Cava Rosat keep passing your table! No fuss, just authentic and good. read more
At Horecatrends we spot a lot of national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write articles about, the smaller trends we use in our column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. This week amongst others the futuristic Hyperloop hotel and the pilot of the premium version of Airbnb. read more
Credits: Julia Claxton
Credits: Julia Claxton
Credits: Julia ClaxtonThe first year of The Hague Food Festival showcasing chefs and restaurants from the city, alongside food and drink producers from the surrounding region. The festival will be held throughout the whole city with different events. read more
H.A.R.L.A.N.D, the Human Assisted Robotic Linguistic Animatronic Networked Device is KFC’s latest stunt for NFCD (National Fried Chicken Day) and it’s a robot designed to take drive-thru orders. The robot translate the responses from the cashier into Colonel Sanders-speak, with a slight delay. read more
The world’s first rope-free elevator MULTI is set to revolutionize tall building construction. MULTI harnesses the power of linear motor technology to move multiple cars in a single shaft both vertically and horizontally! read more
At Rocycle’s boutique gyms, you get a full-body workout on a spinning bike in 45 minutes. Unlike other gyms, you can do nothing but spin at Rocycle. The costs are also higher but you’ll have to take in consideration that they will arrange everything for you and that you’ll get training from top instructors. The idea comes from America, where the company SoulCycle has grown into a group of 74 boutique gyms in the recent years. read more
CoolMess
CoolMess is a modern ice cream parlour, located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They allow their guests to make DIY soft serve ice cream at their tables. A favourite parlour for kids, teens and adults that love a DIY messy ice cream with a lot of toppings. If you’re one of them you have another place to visit in NYC this summer!
A large number of ‘bicycles to share’ have recently been placed in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Two weeks ago, hundreds of bicycles of oBike were distributed in Rotterdam. Last weekend, it was time for FlickBike to drop 1000 black bikes in Amsterdam. What are these ‘bicycles to share’ and how can you use them? read more
Approachable inspiration, trends and highlights from 2025 that can be easily applied to your own business in 2026. A whitepaper to scroll through when you read more
We’ve been enjoying glorious summer weather for a few weeks now, and the popular seasonal drinks are already known. Mocktails, cocktails, spritz variations, rosé, and read more
The Diabetes Foundation and fund ‘Variatie in de Keuken’ (variation in the kitchen) challenged the chefs of Landal parks in the Netherlands to serve the healthiest and tastiest dish during the ‘Chefs’ Challenge’. Chef Tim Bosch of Landal Coldenhove surprised the jury and won the ‘Chefs’ Challenge’ with his main course and dessert. His main course of ‘skin fried mackerel filet with cauliflower couscous and coriander oil’ and his dessert ‘green tea with citrus, poached pear with vanilla yoghurt panna cotta’ will be on the menu at several Landal parks from June.
From tomorrow it is possible to carry out mobile payments with your fingerprint. Consumers can use the fingerprint scanner of the new Samsung Galaxy S5 to pay through PayPal. The fingerprint is converted to a key that has been encrypted and gets access to PayPal. To activate the fingerprint, consumers must give permission once via an e-identifier. A lot easier for the consumer, it’s not necessary to fill in any data or remember the passwords, but simply swipe a finger across the screen.
The Italian book ‘Futurist Cookbook’ condemned pasta as the worst food on earth. This inspired artist Marije Vogelzang to create a place where people can enjoy pasta, but can also feel like pasta. She created the Pasta Sauna for Performa in 2009 in New York and made an improved version for Dordtyard in April 2013. The Pasta Sauna is a place where consumers can eat pasta while they enjoy the steam of the sauna. Marije Vogelzang used the steam from boiling pasta to create a place where consumers will feel as lazy and heavy as the food they’re putting into their bodies.
At many companies the coffee machine is the place to socialize with others. Conferences often lack this social moment because of the abundance of coffee. The Coffee Connector by the ‘Economic Development Board (EDB)’ from Singapore brings back the social moment in coffee drinking during networking meetings. The impressive machine only works if two people order a coffee at the same time. With a few short questions you get to know your fellow drinker over a cup of coffee. Watch the video.
The Wildschut antique shop in Amsterdam organizes a pure Easter brunch in collaboration with Alice den Boer (Alicious Food) on Monday 21 April. With a maximum of 15 guests, it is a small and intimate event where craft is the key ingredient, both on the plate as in the store.
A special Droog design pop-up store opened at the Bijenkorf on the Dam Square in Amsterdam. The store on the 3rd floor of the warehouse is open to 4 May and offers various products for living room, kitchen, bedroom and garden. Most of the items are known from the Hôtel Droog at the Staalstraat. Here all activities by Droog Design come together and are the services focused on care and hospitalty instead of spending the night. The additional services in a regular hotel like a dining room, bar and tea room, gallery and store cover the majority of the hotel. The 700 square meter building only has one bedroom: The One and Only Bedroom. In addition to the pop-up campaign, it is possible to win a night at this room by sending in a slogan.
Warsteiner celebrates the introduction of the brand at the Hotel Bloom! in Brussels in a special way. The beer brand provides a platform for art projects in the hotel under the name ‘Warsteiner Art Space’. The first project is a Blacklight Air hockey Room in cooperation with the TonTon club from Amsterdam. Warsteiner will start a (secret) project with pop artist group ‘De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig and in September 22Tracks comes along with three events.
Utrecht Tourism has developed an online game for the hospitality industry. Entrepreneurs can train their personnel more easily with this game and track their progress. Utrecht had an average score at the ‘Most Hospitable City’ research last year, with an 11th place from the 21 cities studied. Watch the video by Shapers for an impression.
In November last year, we’ve written about food pairing by biscuit manufacturer Jules Destrooper. The Belgian cookie bakers have consulted cheese specialist Betty Koster from fromagerie L’Amuse to create new flavor combinations. One of the combinations she has created are the ‘Virtuoso Chocolate Cookies with goat cheese’. The recipe combines chocolate cookies with roasted peppers and goat cheese. We are huge fans of the open minded taste approach from our Belgian neighbors and will definitely try the recipes.
Starting this week, it is possible for the consumer to pay contactless with a Maestro debit card at the NS retail stores in the Netherlands. Tomorrow, NS retail introduces the contactless payments in collaboration with MasterCard in the NS retail stores like ‘Broodzaak’, Smullers, Kiosk and Julia’s. The consumer can pay by holding the mobile phone or the debit card against the payment terminal. For an amount below € 25,= there is no PIN required. This method of payment saves time, particularly at the stations, where consumers are often in a hurry.
In our publication ‘Royal hospitable gestures‘ we wrote an article about in old-fashioned origami with towels in hotels. But also restaurants can have a folded napkin on a set table. Duni napkins has some instructional videos folding napkins on their website, like the feather napkin in the video above. For every occasion and theme, a matching folded napkin.
Tough guys and fresh espresso. The ‘espresso jongens’ (espresso boys) can be hired for any type of event, party, wedding or exhibition. The espresso served is made of sustainable coffee beans and they use a hand-operated pump to generate the pressure to serve the espresso. With the belt with cups, stirrers and sugar they have everything needed. The espresso boys can be combined with the ‘meisjes met smaak’ (girls with taste) to make a combination of coffee with something sweet and delicious. The ‘meisjes met smaak’ are known of the oyster girls, but can also be hired as macaron girl, pata girl, sushi girl, ice cream girl, brullee girl etc.
The quirky bar concept ‘General Store & Co’ in Melbourne sells goods, groceries and grog. The concept is inspired by the old American Trading Posts where grocers sold food, clothing and household items. Later this evolved into General Stores that sold everything including alcohol, groceries and all sorts of retail products. The General Store & Co in Melbourne has a full service bar and café, in-house barber, shoe and clothing store, a bookstore, a private courtyard garden and a grocery with a wide range of organic products. A meeting place for people, that starts in the morning with a cup of coffee and ends in the evening with a drink in the bar.
Do you have 60 seconds? Then watch the video of the seven-course tasting menu of fine dining restaurant Daniel in New York. Chefs Eddy Leroux, Jean-Francois and Ghaya Oliveira prepare the menu with canapés, appetizers, desserts and petit fours, worth $ 220,=. The ’60 Second Tasting Menu’ video’s of the Eater make a fast-paced visual tour of beautiful, technically advanced menu’s of restaurants. Click here for more video’s.
April 26 it is King’s day in the Netherlands and Berentzen ApfelKorn has introduced a special limited edition drink for this day: the OranjeKorn (orangekorn). The OranjeKorn has the same fresh and sweet taste as the original Berentzen ApfelKorn, only the color is different. The orange drink can be served as a shot, in combination with mineral water, apple juice or with a soft drink with lemon flavor.
Chök – the chocolate kitchen- located at las Ramblas in Barcelona is a chocolate delicacy shop and opened its doors in August 2013. A true paradise for the sweet tooth! The shop has a real ‘chök’ wall and a open kitchen where customers can taste during the production process. The star product ‘chök’ is a delicacy that comes in 30 flavors made according to a special recipe with less sugar, fat and frying time. It’s a healthier version of a donut. The shop also sells chocolate chips, macaroons, cupcakes and churros. Chök also organizes courses where chocolate plaus a key role, like ‘taller de tapas’ with recipes for salmon marinated in cocoa, making a ganache and a chocolate tortilla with mascarpone.
Folkert-Jan Duynstee decided after his world tour in 2012 to do something with his passion for wines. In the France Burgundy region he found a Citroen HY Currus bus from 1964, the start of ‘Vive le Vin’. Vive le Vin is available for events throughout the Netherlands, such as festivals, receptions and weddings. The wine poured by Vive le Vin comes from countries around the world and is organic. Beside the wide range of wines, Vive le Vin also pours organic juices, beers, coffee and serves snacks and sweets. The bus has a heated tent and bar stools.
In early 2013 we spotted various types of plates and bowls of the First impression shop. The shop sells various sets of dishes inspired by nature and they have recently launched fort in the shape of oysters and shells. The oysters and shells are designed by true form, the mold is made of an original shell. The bowls are smooth on the inside and rough on the outside. A beautiful set of dishes to serve seafood dishes in style at a restaurant!
#Throwback Thursday. We started with horecatrends.com / hospitalitytrends.eu in August 2007, in June 2009 we posted an item about the credit tiles of restaurant La Colline in Oss, the Netherlands. The restaurant sells original credit tiles instead of the well-known dinner vouchers; something different! The credit tiles are hand-painted in Spain and available in € 20,= and € 50,=. Both fun to give but also to receive!
Bart Desmidt, owner and chef cook of the Belgian Michelin star restaurant Bartholomeus** makes with BbyB (Babelutte by Bartholomew) a statement towards the top of the Belgian chocolate makers. In 2010 he started with a combination of chocolate with the local product Babelutte, a creamy caramel. Along with chocolatier Jan Verleye he makes several surprising chocolate combinations like white chocolate with passion fruit and basil or dark chocolate with cherries and pistachio. They describe themselves as taste artists and their creations are available through the shops in Antwerp and Bruges or via the website BbyB.be.
To provide consumers with the easiness of a 3D printer in the kitchen, the designers of the Foodini 3D printer have started a crowdfunding project via Kickstarter. The printer comes with empty capsules so that you can use your own fresh ingredients. The machine is expected to be ready for mass production in January 2015.
Leiden is the Dutch food truck capital on 23, 24 and 25 May. The Pieterskerkplein in the city center will be full with delicious trucks including Choripan, Het Crepe Chalet, Fritez, Garbanzo, I scream for Icecream, Vive le Vin, Los Hapje Pasta Joe, YOOS, Mac & Cheeze, Grill ‘nd Smoke, Allegaartje op wielen, Dartel, Lizz Bizz, All Class, World Wide Wraps and WattSap. To subscibe with a food truck, owners can get more information on the Facebook page of ‘Rrrollend Leiden’.
Hero introduces preserved fruit juices with Max Havelaar Fairtrade certification at the Dutch hotel chain Van der Valk. The hotel chain introduces the juices as the first in the Netherlands. Hero wants delicious, honest products based on fruit without artificial flavors or colors. Hero Fairtrade juice contains 100% fruit and only sugars that are naturally present in the fruit.
The ACME hotel in Chicago is the first hotel to offer the possibility to guests to try the Google Glass for free. The Google Glass can be reserved for a couple of hours at the reception or with your booking. You can use it for a walk through Chicago. Besides the Google Glass the hotel offers more devices to their guests as well as an almost old-fashioned breakfast Knock N ‘Drop service from the Weston Town Bakery in the lobby. There is also an old-fashioned football game available for guests… Beautiful combination of modern technology and art and old-fashioned games, door chalkboards and service. Quote from a guest on Tripadvisor: “Came here to try the Google Glass, but realized the hotel had way more than just that. So many quirky little things, from the odd name to the chalkboard on the door”.
Every year the Ghent Marriott Hotel in Belgium participates in the global Earth Hour. Last Saturday 29 March they dimmed the lights again during Earth Hour for an intimate free concert from a jazz guitar player and a jazz singer of the conservatory in Ghent. Have a look at the Dutch Issue calendar and inspire yourself with the many (inter)national days you could pay attention to.
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