Cognac by Maison GAUTIER reinvents itself with a new design blending heritage and modernity

15-5-2026

Although the official birth certificate of Maison GAUTIER dates back to 1755, following the founding charter signed by King Louis XV, the story of the House actually began a century earlier, in 1644. Charles Gautier, son of an oak merchant from the Tronçais forest, married Jacquette Brochet, daughter of a winegrower. From the meeting of viticultural expertise and oak craftsmanship, a new passion was born: the art of cognac-making. Over the generations, the House continued to grow, and in 1890 the family decided to settle in a former water mill on the Osme River, in the small village of Aigre. An article about their new face with recipes to different cocktails with their cognac!

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Will we be able to enjoy lattes for €1 here in the Netherlands too?

13-4-2026

A blog by Leonie van Spronsen on the trend towards cheaper catering, will we soon be able to enjoy lattes for €1 here in the Netherlands too? This blog has previously been published in Dutch on the website of the Van Spronsen & Partners, hospitality consultancy.

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Chez Chloé | Vins et cuisine Française moderne

3-4-2026

Early April 2026, Chez Chloé will open at Overtoom 28/30 in Amsterdam, a French-oriented fine-dining restaurant where classic gastronomy and modern refinement come together. Chef Marcelo Hernandez, maître Rutger Bogers, and entrepreneur Matthijs van Stapele create a culinary experience that combines refinement with accessibility. The interior feels warm and inviting thanks to soft lighting, rich materials, and a layout that radiates comfort and calm. With 54 covers, an extensive wine collection of over 250 French wines, and a focus on seasonal produce and local suppliers, Chez Chloé aims to become a sustainable and distinctive addition to the gastronomic scene in Amsterdam.

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Make it Peachy | A new summery spritz variation: the Peachtree Spritz

31-3-2026

This season, the spritz gains a colorful and summery new variation. Peachtree, the global market leader in the peach liqueur segment, introduces the Peachtree Spritz: a light, refreshing cocktail with peach at its core, also launching as a ready-to-drink canned option. With the Peachtree Spritz, the brand adds its own twist to the spritz category, which has grown significantly in popularity in recent years.

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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!

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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!

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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!

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Conservatorium Hotel x Italian Jewelry House Pasquale Bruni | A sparkling Christmas tree

4-12-2025

We often write about collaborations involving Christmas decorations in hotels, particularly the iconic Christmas trees at Claridge’s and, recently, ‘The Jewel of the Season’ at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London. But Amsterdam also has several luxury hotels with remarkable festive decorations,  including the Conservatorium Hotel. This year, the impressive 4.5-metre Christmas tree in the lobby has been decorated by the Italian jewelry house Pasquale Bruni. Following a successful collaboration with Cartier last year, the hotel is once again presenting a dazzling Christmas tree this season. The additional details, such as the festive atmosphere created around the violins at the entrance, are also wonderful to see and experience. We often stop by ourselves to soak up the ambiance, enjoying a cocktail, a glass of wine, or a meal at Barbounia.

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Young Entrepreneurs & new locations | L’ABEILLE Oegstgeest, Gastrovino PYK Deventer and Kafei in Leuven

1-12-2025

Every day fun new concepts open their doors. This week: L’Abeille in Oegstgeest, a warm and modern restaurant where Suzanne van Haaster showcases her love for refined, light dishes, with seasonal products and accessible flavours that guests quickly come to appreciate. In Deventer, Gastrovino PYK is moving to the Houtmarkt and simultaneously launching De Wynkantine: a cozy tasting room where wine, whisky and delicious bites take centre stage. And in Leuven, Kafei is opening a new location, where their iconic Japanese fluffy pancakes, colourful brunch dishes and specialty coffee can now also be enjoyed outside of Brussels.

We wish these entrepreneurs and their teams the best of luck and lots of fun with their new concepts.

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Ozempic menu | Hype or something to it?

24-11-2025

A blog by Marjolein van Spronsen about the increasingly common ‘Ozempic menu’ popping up abroad. A recent article in The New York Times noted that 8 to 10% of Americans now use some form of Ozempic*. The article also gave several examples of how restaurants and bars are responding to this trend. Marjolein wonders whether more people aged 60 and over, like herself, might also prefer enjoying a ‘mini meal’.

This blog was previously published in Dutch on the Van Spronsen & Partners Group’s website.

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