photo by Ming Chao
photo by Ming Chao
photo by Ming Chao
photo by Ming ChaoDuring the opening of the Gin & Tonic season at restaurant Mercat on 19 May, Mister Cocktail launched its new product concept ‘Gin & Tonic Collection’. Nowadays there are many types of gins and tonics and it is unclear which combinations are possible. The Gin & Tonic Collection consists of nice gins and six different matching tonics and gives a good overview of the different styles gins and matching tonics. The collection consists of handcrafted, small batch, copper distilled gins and 100% natural tonic water. The Gin & Tonic Collection gives the consumer a ‘perfect serve’ recommendation.
More and more people grow their own vegetables in a garden at home. It is now also possible to grow your own mushrooms on recycled coffee grounds. GRO Mushrooms has developed a home cultivation kit that allows consumers to grow fresh mushrooms within 10 days. The DIY Mushroom Farm Kit is packaged in a handy takeaway box and filled with leftover coffee grounds from coffee bars. You just open the bag, put it in water and occasionally spray it with water. The DIY Mushroom Farm Kit is available at the Coffee Company, Artis Amsterdam and UVA Amsterdam Science Park 904.
In February we posted an article about ten original sweets with coffee or tea, recently we spotted Chocodate, a delicacy that can be served as coffee snack. Chocodate is a date filled with roasted almonds, covered with a layer of white, milk or dark chocolate and is originally an Arab snack from Dubai. Dates support the balance of your metabolism, almonds regulate blood pressure and chocolate contains natural antioxidants, this makes the Chocodate a healthier snack. The Chocodate is available at Chocodate Benelux.
When the sun shines, people love to eat ribs and burgers from the barbecue grill. Those who want to have a culinary barbecue can try the surprising and innovative barbecue pot by Casper Tolhuisen. The barbecue pot is a ceramic pot with a spout to cook stew dinner. You need to fill the barbecue pot with ingredients, seal it with a lemon and put it on the barbecue. Steam is created and the taste of lemon will be mixed with the ingredients through the smoke. The barbecue pot originated in Güveç and is a traditional Turkish preparation method. The ceramic bowl is filled with ingredients, sealed with a dough and cooked in the coals of the fire.
In August 2013 we’ve spotted the brand-free advertising of TBWA Paris for McDonald’s. The campaign consisted of various close-up images of popular McDonald’s products without branding. The latest campaign of TBWA Paris for McDonald’s consists out of simple graphic illustrations of McDonald’s products. The items Big Mac, cheeseburger, fries, Sunday, chicken nuggets and filet-o-fish are expressed in a simple illustration without text but only the small ‘M’. The simple and colored graphic illustrations are set against a white background, so they are immediately recognizable.
On 4 June pop-up insect restaurant ‘Pestaurant’ will open in Utrecht. Pest control company ‘Rentokil’ opens the pop-up restaurant to ask attention in a playful way for pest control. A chef cook specialized in preparing dishes with insects will make mini muffins with Buffalo worms, chocolate grasshoppers, sour cream crickets and barbecue mealworms. The entomologist of Rentokil will also tell the latest trends and developments in the field of insect pests and pest control in the Netherlands.
The sun is shining and the terraces are full again. Last year the Aperol Spritz and summer beers were a big hit on the terrace, but what will we see this year? Perhaps the sparkling cocktail ‘Limonsecco’. The Black & Bianco Limonsecco is a wine cocktail of limoncello and prosecco. The drink has a subtle bubble with a fresh twist of lemon. The Limonsecco is served cold and contains 5.9% alcohol.
‘De Kookfabriek’ has three locations in the Netherlands: Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. At these locations large groups, both business and private, can cook and eat in the kitchen. ‘De Kookfabriek’ organizes especially for individuals various Masterclasses of well known Dutch chefs. During the 4,5 hour master classes the chefs will guide the cooks in making their own four-course seasonal menu. The master classes of chefs Julius Jaspers, Sandra Ysbrandy, Jos Grootscholten and Alain Caron cost € 75,= per person and the master class of Niven Kunz € 99,= including his latest book Niven 80/20. The video shows the master class by Julius Jaspers.
To reduce food waste, several applications are developed, earlier we spotted the ‘Hospitality Waste Coach’. Unilever Food Solution comes with the ‘Stop Wasting’ tool to deal more effectively with the waste in the kitchen. There are three types of food waste: the waste inventory, the waste during the preparation and the waste on the plate. The app suggests menus that can reduce waste by 20% and chefs can use the app to determine the amount of food waste divided in breakfast, lunch and dinner. The progress can be tracked and they can read / share tips.
SCiO is a new device that allows customers to scan products and get information about the chemical compositions. The SCiO is developed by Consumer Physics and has the size of a USB drive. Constomers can not only get information about medicines and plants but also about the nutritional value of their food and for example if the avocado is ripe enough to eat. The device sends the information through Bluetooth to the smartphone and there are several apps available. The goal of the Kickstarter project has already been achieved but when you order the SCiO you will get all new apps for free the next two years.
Soft drink brand Pepsi has launched a new interactive can with the famous footballer Robin van Persie, as part of the ‘Live For Now’ campaign. The free augmented reality app ‘Blippar’ brings Robin van Persie to life. Through the app some football tricks of the footballer are shown and consumers can download music, watch video’s and play an interactive game. The limited edition cans of Pepsi are widely available in the Netherlands as of Monday. Last March, Pepsi surprised waiting people at a bus stop with an augmented reality bus shelter.
On 10 July, two lying concerts take place at ‘Het Concertgebouw’ in Amsterdam. Visitors can listen to the famous Dutch classical piece Simeon ten Holts Canto ostinato while lying on the floor. Pianist Jeroen van Veen and four friends will perform the concert on four grand pianos. Before the concert there will be a relaxing yoga class by yoga teacher Jan Kuiper.
A glass served too full costs money. The operators of industrial screen printing company ‘Logoforma’ solved this problem in an elegant way. They print wine glasses with logos that functions as a tick mark. Under the name ‘Wijnwinst.nl’ they sell glasses which the entrepreneur can provide 20 to 30% more profit on wine. sses.
The possibilities with the Google Glass are endless now Google also wants to strike the culinary world. The portable computer in the shape of glasses are not yet available in stores but are tested by several people, like Roy Choi. The Korean-American chef is the founder of the Korean taco food truck Kogi BBQ in Los Angeles. During the national holiday of Ireland ‘St. Patrick’s Day’, Google launched a promotional film of Roy Choi cooking a burrito with the Google Glass on. He is searching for the recipe, cooks the dish, calls his mother and his cooking is also filmed. The Google Glass is not only useful for a chef to find recipes and multitask but consumers literally get a look through the eyes of a chef cook like the video above shows.
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
There is a roof available and you fancy a kitchen garden? Annelies Kuiper, better known as the rooftop farmer, offers a solution. She designs, develops rooftop gardens and can even take care of the maintenance. Her working area is focussed on urban environments, the ground is scarce and there are rooftops enough! (Photo David Galjaard).
The fruit basket from Kare Frandsen is suspended from the ceiling. This saves you space on you counter and gives a futuristic touch. An idea for your kitchen?
Fair Trade Original introduces a new chocolate character this year, that can be used for the whole family. It’s the letter “&”. On the packing there is space to write a personal message, the Fair Trade qualification benefits cocoa and sugar farmers in Africa and Latin-America. The letter is available from the 15th of October.
Philips has launched the MediaSuite, an internet based television specially for the hotel sector. This tv allows guests to visit the internet without the need of a computer or laptop. The TV offers several applications like Facebook and the weather forecast, but the guests can also browse the internet.
Recently the first library on a train station (in Dutch Bibliotheek op het station) has opened its doors. This is the first library placed on a train station, specially created for the daily travelers. The travelers can borrow books, magazines and they can go online. In the future more libraries will be opening on train stations in the Netherlands.
Sluiz is a new store concept which can be found on Ibiza. This is a warehouse for fashion, lifestyle, living and eating and drinking and is created by the Dutch couple Yvonne and Hans Nuyten. During shopping, an adventured, magical and inspirational feeling will be created.
Bistrot de la Place – Chez Norbert in The Hague is proclaimed by the Dutch magazine ‘Leven in Frankrijk’ (Living in France) to Finest French restaurant of the Netherland. This restaurant was chosen of 10 nominees. The restaurant organises on regular base ‘Soirées Chansons Françaises’, where the owners sings French songs, to complete the experience of the evening.
The Dutch company Mobiele Pizzabakkers (The Mobile Pizza chefs) can be rented to serve the most fresh pizzas on your party or event.
There is a clear and professional qualification among the wines. Heinz also has it’s beaujolais primeur now with the ‘Heinz first harvest’. Heinz focusses on the seasons and the freshness of the ketchup with this new bottle. Be quick, there are only 130.000 bottles!
For the smokers among us it is always a challenge to find a smoking area. The sigaret brand Ronhill comes with QR-codes on their cigarette packs and automaticlly directs the smoker to the closest smoking area.
The concept of a silent disco is widely spread nowadays. Last week was the birth of a new concept, the silent concert. Rowwen Hèze played in a forrest, the audience could hear their songs through headphones and the animals didn’t hear the music.
The second Wash & Coffee in the world is opened in Amsterdam. It is an initiative from Persil and Bosch and opened in München before. In a wash & coffee there is the possibillity to wash, study, lunch and use internet.
The problem of finding a babysitter often withholds parents to go to the theater. The Theater Bellevue in Amsterdam came with a solution for this group. Parents can visit a show while a babysitter from Babysitter Central Kriterion looks after the young one(s). The service cost 7 euro per hour and is only for inhabitants of Amsterdam, an extra fee is charged for houses outside of the city ring, at IJburg and in Amsterdam-Noord.
Foursquare, some use it active others don’t see the use of it. Students from Miami are creating ‘Foursquaropoly’, Monopoly in real life. The (fictive) prices of the buildings rise if more people check in. We are curious about promotion possibilities for restaurants and hotels.
Do you also encounter that you receive reservations and the guests prefer some privacy? Molonews came with the solution, special walls of kraft paper that you can easily place in your restaurant. The walls connect with magnets and are made of sustainable material.
Nowadays many people use car navigation systems. TomTom has incorperated Expedia, Tripadvisor, Yelp and Twitter in new systems. The user will be able to check hotel availability, see restaurant reviews or tweet their arrival time.
The world-famous Spanish restaurant El Bulli has released a movie about their success. Ah highly recommended tip for all the entrepreneurs and food lovers to be inspired by one of the best chefs of the world. Watch the trailer!
With this smartphone app you can collect points by scanning QR codes at the participating companies. A modern way of creating loyalty. The earned points can be exchanged for nice rewards. Watch the movie at the website.
Beer is a typical men’s drink. But this beer ‘Witness the Chickness’ of brewer Shazz Lewis, developed this beer only for women. The packaging, the looks and the taste is specially designed for women.
An unique way of emphasizing the Remy Martin aromas. The new Seduction Series of Remy Martin are ment as accessories during special events. The aromas of Remy Martin are thus used in a completely new expierience.
We all know it is important, intense control on the expiration date. LG just came with the fridge that controls it for you! No constant date checks on your F&B anymore, your fridge does it for you. So at the end, it minimizes your waste.
Nowadays everybody is busy watching what they eat, many try to remember or to write it down. Foodzy introduced an app for Android and iPhone that can easily track and control your eating habits.
With all that misery in the world, sometimes we really need some fun. The simple idea to put a table with a megaphone in the middle of the streets brings some joy into the streets. Just say hello to your friends or family or just to let the street hear your talents.
The German organization Die Liebeskummerer is focusing on people that suffer from heartbreak. They organize holidays for groups from six to eight persons where they can recover from their their heartbreak, in which they are supported by a team of psychologists and coaches.
In our daily lives we cannot live without internet and other online tools. The Marriott’s Renaissance Pittsburg hotel offers her guests a ‘detox’ package, whereby all mobile devices needs to handed over to the reception upon arrival. The rooms feature no television or telephone, but instead, books are available at the rooms.
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