Trends we spotted | Week 46

14-11-2025

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:

• On 28 November, Groningen will light up Europe’s largest Christmas ball at DOT Groningen, with music, mulled wine and hot chocolate.
• Firehouse Subs combines humor and flavor with the “Gravy Extinguisher”, a creamy turkey sauce for unexpected Thanksgiving.
• Mandarin Oriental Mayfair is collaborating with By Rotation. The “Dressed in Mayfair”-package offers accommodation, cocktails and personalized styling.
• Burger King is launching a limited edition Whopper advent calendar with 12 surprise boxes for extra festive fun in the run-up to Christmas.
• Suparnin, a restaurant in Guangzhou, and LITT, a bar in Dubai, have won the Best Restaurant and Bar Design Awards 2025. The We are EDN hotel in Amsterdam also won an award.
• Pak Pak Gauw pop-up in Het Industriegebouw from 17 to 22 November with street food, lunch, dinner, cocktails, DJs and surprising events, including a Drunken Lion Soundsystem party.
• Restaurant Flore nr. 3, Spectrum nr. 44 (fast climber), and Herberg onder de Linden (Discovery Award) from the Netherlands are recognised on the list of the best vegetable restaurants by We’re Smart.

Enjoy reading!

Europe’s largest Christmas ball lights up Groningen

On Friday 28 November, Groningen will once again become the shining center of Europe. At 6 p.m., DOT Groningen will light up Europe’s largest Christmas ball, marking the start of the Christmas season in the north of the Netherlands. The round building on the Vrydemalaan will be transformed into a giant, luminous Christmas ball full of atmosphere, music, mulled wine and hot chocolate. The terrace will be open from 5 p.m. for winter fun, followed by the joint countdown. The Christmas ball will continue to shine until 18 January 2026, serving as an atmospheric landmark during the festive season. We also wrote about their Christmas ball in 2020!

Firehouse Subs® launches limited-edition gravy extinguishers for Thanksgiving

On Thursday, 28 November, Firehouse Subs will add a tasty twist to Thanksgiving. Firehouse Subs firefighters will launch their limited edition ‘Gravy Extinguishers,’ bottles of rich, creamy turkey gravy ready for unexpected Christmas table emergencies. The promotion combines humor, taste and a good cause: the proceeds will go to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. Fans can pick up the sauce at select locations, with live demonstrations and photo opportunities. This is how Firehouse Subs shows that they not only provide delicious food, but also safety, community and a healthy dose of festive fun at the table.

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair and By Rotation redefine sustainable luxury

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair has partnered with By Rotation, the world’s first social fashion rental service, giving guests a unique chance to explore London’s fashion scene sustainably. To mark the launch, a festive campaign in November introduces the year-round “Dressed in Mayfair”-package, including an overnight stay, a signature cocktail at the Hanover Bar, and a styling session in-store or in-suite, with a wardrobe tailored to each guest’s preferences. Pieces can be returned effortlessly via the hotel concierge for a seamless, personalized experience. Last year we wrote about the ‘Silent Night’ by Mandarin Oriental.

Celebrate a whopper-ful time with Burger King’s limited edition advent calendar

Burger King is bringing extra fun this festive season with its limited edition advent calendar, a festive nod to the classic Whopper. The calendar has 12 boxes filled with surprising goodies: from a JD the Dog cuddly toy to a game and candles inspired by the iconic “Cini Minis”. Designed for and by fans, the Advent Calendar combines festive cheer with a dose of Burger King fun, offering a little surprise and smile in each box in the run-up to the holidays.

Announcing the 2025 Best Restaurant & Bar Design Awards winners

The Best Restaurant and Bar Design Awards is the most influential competition for food and beverage architecture worldwide. The 17th edition named Suparnin, a restaurant in Guangzhou, designed by Republic Metropolis Architecture, and LITT, a bar in Dubai, designed by Verhaal, as overall winners. Five regional winners and 37 category winners were also announced at the ceremony at EPIK Dubai. The competition is judged by 40 leading figures in design, hospitality, and lifestyle. The awards received 1100 entries from 61 countries. If you’d like to visit one of the category winners for inspiration, you can go to the We are EDN hotel in Amsterdam.

Pak Pak Gauw opens pop-up in Het Industriegebouw

From Monday 17 to Saturday November 22, Rotterdam catering collective Pak Pak Gauw will take over the pop-up space at Het Industriegebouw. The brainchild of Freek Dekker and Jorn de Vries will bring their favourite street food classics, combined with a vibrant evening program. Think lunch and dinner, cocktails, DJs and surprising events, from chess tournaments to a Drunken Lion Soundsystem party with BBQ. With this pop-up, Het Industriegebouw adds another creative chapter to its anniversary year. For ten years now, the listed building on the Goudsesingel in Rotterdam has been a meeting place for creators, thinkers and entrepreneurs.

We’re Smart Awards in London | Restaurant Flore ranked third best vegetable restaurant, Herberg onder de Linden wins Discovery Award

Chef Bas van Kranen’s Amsterdam restaurant Flore has risen from fifth to third place in We’re Smart’s global ranking of best vegetable restaurants. Spectrum, also from Amsterdam, also climbs the Top 40 as a plant-based pioneer. A new talent, Herberg onder de Linden from Groningen, received the Discovery Award. This was announced during the We’re Smart Awards 2025 in London, which celebrate top chefs who focus on fruit and vegetables. Three Dutch restaurants were awarded 5 Radishes status, bringing the total to 20 restaurants.

El Invernadero in Madrid, Spain, remains the Best Vegetable Restaurant in the World. The three ambassadors of the Pure Plant philosophy, Emile van der Staak (Netherlands), Xavier Pellicer (Spain) and René Mathieu (Luxembourg), retain their lifelong title of Untouchable. This is the highest recognition a chef can achieve within We’re Smart World and is awarded to those whose restaurant has held the number 1 position for two consecutive years. With the confirmation of his second year, Rodrigo de la Calle of El Invernadero will join this group next year.

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