One of the many changes to everyday living brought along by Covid-19 has been the meteoric ascension of food delivery, not only to homes and offices, but increasingly also to hotel guests. The trend really took off during the early stages of lockdown de-escalation, when a lot of hotels couldn’t feed their guests due to staffing shortages.
Before the pandemic, it was quite customary in restaurants to whet the appetite with the tableside delivery of a breadbasket, or some variation of a small loaf of bread, as a welcome to the establishment. There has always been a positive symbolism with this act, as breaking bread not only increases meal satisfaction by alleviating any hunger pangs but also implies a deeper sense of trust and camaraderie.
Truffle. A true love it or hate it delicacy, with its pungent flavour and heady scent, the truffle is not a flavour which takes a back seat in any dish and can easily overwhelm the palate if overdone. The truffle is an edible fungus belonging to the mushroom family, but it’s not a mushroom like any other; many describe the taste as earthy, gamey even. Those on the other side of the fence might describe it as ‘musky’ or ‘funky’. Whatever the taste, there’s no denying for those who love it, it’s a unique, rich and luxurious ingredient that when found on a menu is extremely difficult to pass up the opportunity to taste once more.
Food trends change every few years. The 2010s brought us quinoa, the Millennial-staple avocado toast, imitation meat products, and keto became a lifestyle for some people.
Michel Magada, lecturer in Practical Arts at EHL Campus Lausanne, specializes in food science research and development. He explores new cooking technologies and how to teach them. After years of teaching, he put himself in the students' shoes and attended a remote online course on Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science (chemistry). Thanks to this experience, he reflects on how the practical arts should be taught in the immediate future.
In 2020, the global consumption of tea amounted to about 6.3 billion kilograms! As a result, tea has quickly grown to become the second most popular beverage in the world after water. But how much do we know about the ceremonies and proper brewing methods behind this delicious beverage?
Lately, much is written about veganism and vegan food and how it can improve our life and the environment. Having been one of those individuals that gave this a good try (I lived a 100 % vegetarian life for six months) here are my observations and thoughts.
When it comes to culinary trends, vegan is one that has seen a dramatic increase over the past decade and even more so over the past few years. Health-conscious consumers and animal rights supporters from all around the world are dedicated to following vegan guidelines, cooking vegan food, and dining in vegan restaurants more than ever.
As we emerge from a tumultuous year of lockdowns and traveler uncertainty, hotels have in many ways been given a carte blanche to relaunch their rooms product, their restaurants, their spas and any their revenue generating services. To focus solely on F&B, a minimalist approach will ultimately be profitable as guests continue to realign their shopping habits.
You never know what really is just a fad or what is signaling a change in the industry. But the rise in non-alcoholic (NA) spirits available on the market and the buzz around them is taking on a whole new momentum.
In recent years, the esthetics involved in drinking wine have become increasingly important. Wine is not drunk for its taste alone but also for what it represents financially, socially and culturally. Wine reflects a certain status for its drinker or buyer. Consuming wine goes above and beyond mere pleasure. Certain wines are considered works of art and winemakers are seen as artists. The extravagant prices fetched in auction houses has had the effect of breaking down barriers between wine and art.
Nutrition and Diet are complicated subjects. First, we will speak of well-known research for Hoteliers. While it is important to appeal to restaurant clients, hotel guests and dining room patrons, it is crucial that the food and beverages are tasty as well as nutritious.
Local and state mandates regarding the operation of restaurants during the pandemic hit the hotel industry hard. Was the hit hard enough to force permanent changes to how hotels deliver food and beverage service? Could such changes fundamentally alter the hotel industry as currently segmented? How will hotel guests react to these changes?
While most oenophiles can recite a litany of grape varietals and their traits off the cuff, most consumers aren’t nearly as informed. They’ve likely heard of the top international grapes that have been transplanted around the globe as well as one or two that characterize a specific region, but beyond that getting into esoteric vintages can be both intimidating as well as alluring.
In the wake of the coronavirus, and the issues it created—including a labor shortage—hoteliers are working to get their arms around food and beverage service.
From starred restaurant tables to embassies, head chef of the Berceau des Sens, Cédric Bourassin, has acquired a unique expertise that he shares with students and clients at our Michelin Star gastronomic restaurant.
The Indian restaurant industry has been on a roller coaster ride, with several lows and few highs since the onset of the pandemic. The strict lockdown regimes of the first and second pandemic waves in the country have had a severe and long-lasting impact on the dine-out culture, with industry associations estimating that 25-30% of the outlets have shut down in the last year. However, with the easing of restrictions in the last couple of months, the restaurant industry is gradually getting back on its feet, though subdued customer sentiment on in-restaurant dining is still a major roadblock.
Getting the alchemy just right for food and beverage service in a hotel is challenging, but necessary if the hotel is to be successful.
As we once again begin to cautiously consider future travel plans, the experts at Cult Wines round up some of the best wine museums around the world, from state-of-the-art facilities to the brilliantly quaint.
How much does the impact of your diet weigh on your carbon footprint? How can you eat more sustainably? How to make an informed choice at the supermarket? All of these questions seem overwhelming at the start but can easily be addressed with a bit of research and new habits. In the following text I’ve tried to give you my take on some of these questions of sustainability without any guarantee of completeness. It's a hot topic where many of us agree or disagree, however, there are three inescapable things we should all agree on when it comes down to a more sustainable way of living: reduce, reuse, recycle.