Every third Thursday of the month, top bartender Tess Posthumus organizes the event ‘ShakingSupper in collaboration with chef Joey de Vries. It is a special edition of the Cocktail Nights at Supperclub Amsterdam where Tess and Joey join hands for a special cocktail and food pairing. The evenings consist out of a five-course dinner or small bites, matching with surprising cocktails and music by Sheila Hill and Wife Beaters.
‘Lost animals’ like bull calves, young goats and Jersey bulls are usually destroyed because they have little economic value. Willem Schaafsma of restaurant ‘Eindeloos’, Sicco Gerlsma of restaurant ‘Tandjong Priok’ and butcher Jan Walburg established the ‘Lost Animals’ foundation. This Frisian (north part of the Netherlands) foundation wants to prevent animal cruelty and reduce the waste of these ‘lost animals’. The foundation was launched on 4 October 2014, World Animal Day, at a special lunch in the partially reopened restaurant ‘Tandjong Priok’ in Arum by signing an agreement with a local farmer, cattle dealer and butcher.
In response to the many restaurant promotion weeks in the Netherlands, François Geurds of FGRestaurant**, FGFoodLab and FGShop introduced the ‘FG Food Gamble’ promotion. For a fixed price of € 130, – per person, guests can challenge their luck with the number of courses they will get at the two starred Michelin restaurant. They may draw a card with 4 to 7 courses on it and the kitchen staff will prepare the number of courses that is drawn, or the average amount in the case of different cards. A joker card is hidden between the deck, which will mean an extra for instance live cocktail making at the table.
With this creative campaign François Geurds introduced a countermove for the many promotion weeks. François mentions in the interview by MissetHoreca, that some of the organized actions may affect the company in a negative way. For this reason, he takes matters into his own hands with this FG Food Gamble promotion and will not join third party campaign weeks anymore.
The days are shorter, the night are longer: autumn weather started in the Netherlands already a few weeks ago. The Scottish whisky liqueur Drambuie introduced the cocktail ‘Hot Toddy’ for more warmth and coziness in these days. The Hot Toddy is an alcoholic warm beverage that fits in line with Glühwein and Eggnog.
Make this cocktail for cold days by serving 40 ml of Drambuie with 60 ml of warm fresh apple juice, a cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, a slice of lemon and the zest of an orange.
Would you, as chef or company, like to make your own signature Dutch cheese with Mirjam, feel free to contact her!
Mirjam van Hest, daughter of chef Martin Willemsen, started her cheese making profession after finishing her education at the Hotel Management School. Together with her husband, William van Hest, she runs the wholesale cheese company Fromagerie Guillaume, since 1995. Nowadays their son Bas also works at the company which is specialized in composing cheese assortments for the top notch restaurants.
A while ago Mirjam had the idea to create a cheese with Cas Spijkers (famous Dutch chef), based on his herbs and spices-knowledge and her cheese knowledge. Because of the unfortunally and early death of Cas Spijkers this remained just an idea. Now, a couple of years later, the first cheeses have been created with some other inspiring chefs. Mirjam uses Dutch milk from cows which are grass-fed in the area between Heusden and Altena as a base for her artisan, extra creamy farm cheese. She also has her own website for these cheeses; Mir’s Heart & Soul, at the website you can find where her cheeses are sold.
Hudson Bar & Kitchen, the New York-style restaurant with dishes like the Hudson Burger, Organic Hot Dogs, Chili Con Carne, Wraps, Nachos, Chicken Wings, Cheese Cake and cocktails such as the Royal Mojito and Long Island Ice Tea, recently opened in Zoetermeer.
During the opening there was a short speech by Willem Post (NYC expert) in which he indicated the similarities between restaurants in the city and the atmosphere and menu of Hudson Bar & Kitchen. He gave his new book, The Magic of New York, to Mariette van Leeuwen, who is alderman of Zoetermeer and officially opened the restaurant. She gave the owners an olive tree…. here we have to point out that currently the growth of the Hudson Bar & Kitchen chain is faster than an olive tree grows. Hudson Bar & Kitchen in Zoetermeer is already the 6th restaurant of the chain. The other locations are in The Hague, Naaldwijk, Rotterdam, Noordwijkerhout and Almere.
The restaurant is located in the ‘Sara Lydia Hoeve’ in Zoetermeer. It’s a spacious, modern decorated restaurant with wall paintings and has a rural American look and feel. In the weekends they have the ‘Afterdinner Beatz’ with DJs and on Sundays the ‘family day’ includes entertainment for the little ones. The restaurant also serves a High Wine arrangement which we earlier wrote about. In the Hudson Suite on the first floor you can eat with a private group.
We wish the owners, Doina Jonkman – de Gier and Alain Reestman lots of success with their new business.
Dutch grocery store Albert Heijn introduced India Pale Ale. The special beers Anchor and BrewDog Punk India Pale Ale (IPA) are now available in their stores. Although IPA is a global trend for years now, until recently it was only available at liquor stores and cafés in the Netherlands. Special beer retailer Bier&Co responded to the increasing demand for home-brewed beers with a distinctive flavor by introducing IPA to the big market.
Wholesale Bier&Co has a passion for tasteful beer and was the first who brought special beers to the Netherlands. As the demand from consumers, liquor stores and restaurants increased, they have become a serious player in the beer industry as well.
IPA beer originates from England, where it was mostly exported to India in the beginning of the 19th century. Because the shipping could take months, extra hops was added to the beer which increased the durability. This process gives IPA beers its typical flavor.
Another fun marketing campaign of Coca-Cola to spread ‘Happiness‘. The brand introduced bottles that could only be opened with two people. This way Coca-Cola encouraged students to start talking: opening the bottle together was the icebreaker.
Other actions from Coca-Cola that we’ve spotted; the eco-bottles in 2012 and the ice-bottles in 2013.
Last Thursday 2 October the flagship hotel of Mercure reopend, the Mercure Amsterdam City. The entire lobby, restaurant, the flexible workplaces and the lounge are merged in order to meet the changing needs of their guests: “People are travelling more than ever, they are aware of what they want and strive to achieve this. The call for comfort and authenticity is great. At the fully refurbished Mercure Hotel Amsterdam City we offer the high international standards that can be expected from an international hotel and at the same time we let guests get acquainted with local elements that give the hotel its own personal touch” according to Caro Eekelen, COO Accor Hotel Services Benelux.
During this year’s Chefs®evolution, the international website Gastronomixs.com was launched. Gastronomixs is already familiar in the Netherlands and used by a lot of Dutch topchefs. Gastronomixs is an online platform filled with ideas, recipes and inspiration about food. It inspires chefs to create new dishes or to adapt existing recipes. This website contains all the classic cooking methods but also the latest techniques all ordened by ingredient or product. Gastronomixs.com is designed to simplify the culinary creative process! Watch their video for more information.
Hotel and leisure center Preston Palace in Almelo expands with the use of the Ytong Casco System of Xella. Expanding horizontally is impossible for the Preston Palace because of lack of space, so they chose for an additional floor on top of the hotel. The special system of Xella will be constructed with high speed, is fire resistance and is light in weight, which fits perfectly with the requirements of the hotel. The extension must be finished before the Dutch autumn-holiday (mid-October), so that the rooms can be sold during this holiday.
The gentlemen of the Gastrovan prepare a Burgundian meal in the farm of ‘Hoeve Biesland’ in Delfsgauw, The Netherlands, on 10, 11 and 12 October. The stable of the farm will be transformed into a pop-up restaurant that serves 4-course dinners and 3-course lunches. Gastrovan prepares a special menu using fresh organic vegetables of ‘De Groentenboerin’ (The Vegetables Farmer) and the organic beef, lamb and dairy products from the farm itself. The purpose of this event is to get people acquainted in a culinary and educational way with local and organic food.
Here’s a video about the new television series ‘World’s Best Chefs’. It is a new series from Fox in which Katie Button, chef of restaurant Cúrate in Asheville, North Carolina, visits a number of three-star chefs; Grant Achatz, Ferran Adrià, Joan Roca, Alex Atala, Michel Bras, Daniel Humm, Gaston Acurio, Massimo Bottura, Andoni Luis Aduriz and Jose Andres.
We can’t wait for this series to start in the Netherlands and we think a lot of chefs and foodies do too. Who is going to broadcast it?
Update: from 26 October on, 24 Kitchen will broadcast ‘The World’s Best Chefs’ in the Netherlands.
The Dutch jenever brand KETEL1 launches a new commercial this week. In this video campaign Bob Nolet, 11th generation of the KETEL1 family business, gives a unique insight in his life. For over 300 years, the family business in Schiedam brews this artisan jenever. A special aspect is that in each generation only one member of the family receives access to the secret recipe of the drink.
KETEL1 feels strongly connected with personal stories. They launched storytelling video before with Dutch singers Joshua Nolet (Chef’Special) and Willem de Bruijn (Opposites) in the lead.
Another example of Storytelling; ever thought about the story you could tell about your restaurant or hotel?
From 6 October on, listeners of the Dutch radio station ‘Radio 538’ can win tickets for a special event in collaboration with the NH Barbizon Palace hotel in Amsterdam. On the occasion of the Amsterdam Dance Event, NH Hotels and Radio 538 join forces and organize four evenings where the world’s best DJs provide a unique showcase in the Sint Olofskapel of the NH Barbizon Palace. These showcases are only accessible for the winners of the Radio 538-action. Of all these winners some may also check into Hotel 538: they win a dinner, a meet & greet, access to the showcase, tickets for a party during the Amsterdam Dance Event and an overnight stay for 2 persons in the NH Barbizon Palace. The performers in the Sint Olofskapel are Martin Garrix, Nicky Romero, Hardwell and Afrojack.
Culinary robotics company Next Robot unveiled its latest innovation, ‘Al Dente’, at the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Designed to automate the preparation read more
We have been sharing inspiration on our website since 2007, inspiration that we find in the hospitality industry or by online spotting of what our read more
The most unnecessary product of 2011 is the Penguin Tea Timer. The machine takes the tea bag out your mug after a few minutes.
Samsung designed a new portable hot plate for small kitchens which also came out as the winner of 2012 IF Design Awards. The heat from the hot plate can be adjusted by a touch panel, like an iPod touch. The hot plate features also an automatic function to boil water and keeps food warm. It has 15 different abilities and a pan detection system. Samsungs hot plate is available in the colors Capri Blue, Mint Green, Stylish Black and White Cream.
Samsung designed a new portable hot plate for small kitchens which also came out as the winner of 2012 IF Design Awards. The heat from the hot plate can be adjusted by a touch panel, like an iPod touch. The hot plate features also an automatic function to boil water and keeps food warm. It has 15 different abilities and a pan detection system. Samsungs hot plate is available in the colors Capri Blue, Mint Green, Stylish Black and White Cream.
Babyccino is a coffee for toddlers without caffeine that is popular in trendy coffee bars. The trend started a few years ago in Australia, but becomes popular in other cities as well, like New York. The drink consists of steamed milk with foam and a layer of chocolate and is served in an espresso cup. Watch this video how to make a Babyccino.
In Carolyn Steels book “Hungry City” (an international bestseller) she approaches in a humorous way the issues on the way we eat. She also sketches a picture what impact the foodproduction has on the world.
The Uncookbook for Kids by Joanne Newell is the first raw food cookbook for children which inspired many children to get creative in the kitchen. The Uncookbook for Kids is not only popular among children, but also among the adults.
Swedish student Lena Louise Meyer designed a table on which vegetables grow. The Sprout Table combines traditional craft with a modern design, is eco-friendly and brings enviromental growth in your house.
From 7- 11 February the HEL YES! event took place in Stockholm. The event was a combination of gastronomy, design and dance. The organisators of the event are restaurateur Antto Melasniemi, designer Mia Wallenius and artist Klaus Haapaniemi. Visionary Antto Melasniemi, whose food restaurants have the position of the most interesting in Helsinki, created vega and vegetarian menus that were sold at the event. The HEL YES! events were organized in London and Helsinki before.
Product designer Arvid Häusser designed a porcelain espressomachine, because porcelain withstands high temperatures and does not affect the taste of coffee. Häusser is a student at the Bauhaus University in Weimar.
PaperLinks, a company from Los Angeles designed a new service for restaurants that gives customers access to the restaurant menu via a QR code. Customers only need to scan the code to see the menu, special offers and order. The order will be sent to the fax or mail of the restaurant.
GoFun is the first travel organisaton of the Netherlands that makes it possible for young people to book their travel through Facebook. GoFun provides advice and special vacation and entertainment offers. GoFun is a popular organisation among young people and known for the many pub crawls and party holidays they organise.
According to Food Inspiration, soup is undervalued. They created the competition ‘Best Soupier of the Benelux’. During the competition, participants are judged on originality, presentation and taste.
The first macaron shop of the Netherlands opens it’s doors in Amsterdam, on the day of the macaron (Jour du Macaron) on March 20th . Poptas Pastry make their macarons based on a French recipe in their own pastry kitchen??. Besides selling macarons, they also give macaron workshops.
On March 3th and 4th the New York Vegetarian Food Festival will take place at The Pavilion Metrpolitan. This event is about healthy living, sustainability, vegetarianism and nutrition. Besides de present of vegetarians, vegans and people who (try) to eat healthy, a chain of restaurants and suppliers of vegetarian products are present. There will be also some musical performances.
How easy can it be to decorate your dining table! You only need wine glasses, candles and roses or other flowers! For more inspiration check the website of The Little Round Table.
Giorgio Armani opened a wine bar on the top floor of their Armani Ginza Tower in Tokyo. Previously it was a private floor, but is now a publicly accessable wine lounge. They hope to introduce the Italian cuisine from the restaurant on the floor beneath to the Japanese shoppers. Guests can choose between 300 wines.
David Gelb made a documentary about the famous sushi chef Jiro Ono. Watch the video of the documentary “Jiro Dreams about Sushi”!
During the second edition of the Food Film Festival there will be more than 20 movies about food, debate, cooking workshops, art & music. The Food Film Festival takes place in Amsterdam on 16, 17 and 18 March. Check the website of the Food Film Festival for the program!
Every day, the restaurant Un Jour (France) gives an amateur cook the opportunity to be head chef. The chef of the restauarant, Ludovic Dalavaud, will give advice to the amateur chefs. During the evening the amateur chefs serves the dishes to his/her family and friends who judge the dishes.
Stable Table is a table that automatically adjust the table legs to the surface. The mechanical system inside the pillar is connected to the table legs. No wobbling tables anymore! Nice for in a restaurant. The table is nominated for the Innovation Award during Hotelympia February 26th- March 1st in London.
The Swedish-American company Plantagon placed its first shovel into the ground in Linkoping (Sweden). A few years ago they already had plans to post greenhouses in large cities. Watch the video.
“Variatie op de kaart” (Dutch) stimulates professionals to discover new ingredients and begetarian dishes. They also support restaurants on the way to a varied menu and give advice on what vegetarians like to eat in restaurants. Watch de video!
Penquin Hug neck bands is a collar that works cooling through the basis of evaporative cooling from micro-crystals. The collars are environmentally friendly and reusable.
The “Caffeine Zone ‘ is an app that counts the average of caffeine you take in. It also makes you aware of the consequences of to much caffeine consumption. The app can be downloaded via iTunes app store for iPhone, iPad and iTouch for free.
The Cheetah Generation is a group of new generation leaders around the world. They create innovative ideas for new sustainable ways. NCDO organises “Battle of the Cheetahs” (Netherlands) a competition for five teams (60 young proffesionals) to find solutions for fair and sustainable food. Coaches from business, science and NGO will guide the groups to develop ideas within six weeks.
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