Appetisers

The Art of Taking Tea

The rituals of afternoon tea are steeped in tradition, but diners at Bulgari Hotel London are in for a signifi cantly more modern approach. This September, the hotel celebrated its 10th anniversary by calling on the acclaimed British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist Yinka Ilori to transform its off ering of dainty sandwiches and cakes into an immersive experience incorporating his provocative and playful sensibilities.

The Yinka Ilori X Bulgari Hotel London Afternoon Tea launched on 16 September to coincide with the opening of the artist’s fi rst institutional show at the city’s Design Museum. The installation centres on a series of sculptural tea stands featuring interlocking spheres that represent cultural variety, and also includes a vibrant takeover of the building’s façade and a limited edition run of 200 colourful linen napkins.

The joyful off ering features pastries from award-winning Italian pastry chef and chocolatier-in-residence Gianluca Fusto too. The treats focus on autumnal combinations of Italian dried fruits with almond, pistachio, hazelnut and peanut, designed to refl ect the geometry and vibrancy of the tea stands. Highlights include Pistacchio, a choux pastry fi lled with pistachio mousse, nougat and praline, and Mandorla, an orange biscuit, almond cream and orange compote.

“My designs for this collaboration celebrate London’s cultural mosaic and the joy of coming together over food,” explains Ilori. “The tea stands are based on the geometry of the sphere and the meeting of diff erent cultures, and I hope people will gather at the hotel and enjoy a vibrant and colourful dining experience through the afternoon tea.”

Fresh Meat: Reimagining the Steak

Vegetarian, flexitarian and vegan diners all over the world have become used to being able to order plant-based versions of their favourite dishes without hassle, as replacement meat products have established themselves as everyday menu staples across F&B venues internationally. Now the European company Redefine Meat is propelling the trend even further, with the launch of what it claims is the world’s first plant-based 3D printed steak.

The product, which Redefine Meat says delivers the texture, flavour and appearance of a traditional beef steak, allegedly achieves what was previously considered technologically impossible for plant-based meat, by simulating a bleeding quality in a similar way to traditional beef and lamb cuts.

Sceptical? Diners in London can now test out the concept for themselves at Powerplant, the in-house vegan restaurant at the Camden branch of Selina, a hotel chain built to meet the needs of millennial and Gen Z travellers. Head Chef Lukasz Dawidowicz has collaborated with Redefine Meat to create a series of new signature dishes that put the 3D printed synthetic meat product front and centre, with highlights including a juicy steak served with preserved lemon chimichurri, steamed summer greens, fresh peas, pomegranate demi-glace and sweet potato fries. Further dishes include roasted and charred aubergine with caramelised Redefine meatballs, and a grilled pita stuffed with Redefine’s kebab mince, mango amba, tahini sauce, chopped herb and Isle of Wight tomato salad.

Selina is currently working on introducing its Powerplant concept – and, consequently, the collaboration with Redefine Meat – into its properties across Europe and the US, and the hotel chain is clearly anticipating a boom in meat-like consumption. Time to fire up the printer?

Cardboard Footprint

Now that paper straws are the norm, Buen Vato is carving out a niche for the cardboard bottle. This July, the brand – which produces small-batch tequila in Amatitán Jalisco, Mexico – rolled out a revolutionary receptacle in the form of a bottle-shaped cardboard container made from 94% recycled materials.

The bottle, which recently launched in Sweden with other European territories to follow, boasts a lower carbon footprint than traditional bottles and is lighter to transport. It is part of Buen Vato’s parent company AliasSmith AB’s initiative to invest in sustainable manufacturing, transportation processes and CSR initiatives.

“The drinks industry needs a shake-up, and sustainability needs to be placed at the heart of this transformation,” says AliasSmith CEO Claes Puebla Smith. “The cardboard bottle is just the start, Buen Vato will constantly redesign the production, packaging and business model in order to reach perfect sustainability.”

Omar Corona, head of the pollution reduction programme at AliasSmith, adds: “It’s time for a change where conscious consumers buy the nice cardboard bottles and, if they wish to, pour their tequila into a crystal bottle at home,” adds. “Why continue polluting so much to enjoy a tequila?” We’ll drink to that.

Will the UK’s soaring energy bills drive independent restaurants to seek the shelter of hotel group partnerships?

Another month; another precarious moment for the UK hospitality industry. This time, it’s energy bills making the headlines, following record price surges across Europe that have left many bar and restaurant owners fearing for the survival of their businesses. As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to squeeze the gas and electricity supply chain, British hospitality venues are facing dramatically soaring running costs – as highlighted by Michelin-starred chef and business owner Tom Kerridge, who revealed back in September that he was expecting the electricity tab at one of his restaurants to rise from £5k a month to an eye-watering £35k a month at the end of the year. “The numbers are so ridiculous and ludicrous that no wonder

so many businesses are closing and talking of closing,” he said.

Since then, the British government has put together an energy relief scheme that will provide UK businesses with a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices, running for an initial six month period for energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. It’s a move that has been welcomed by F&B venues, but several organisations have pointed out that its temporary nature will still leave the sector vulnerable in the medium term. “Today’s announcement will give businesses some confidence to plan for immediate survival but we will not relent in our pursuit of a more comprehensive package to safeguard businesses and jobs,” said UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls, when the new package was announced. Michael Kill, CEO of Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), added that the measures were “unlikely to be enough to ensure businesses have the financial headroom to survive this winter,” while Jane Pendlebury, CEO of HOSPA, the Hospitality Professionals Association, underlined “as a sector we need more targeted support”.

Rising costs are also a pressing issue in the hotel industry, but owner-chefs whose venues form part of major hotel groups might find themselves with a softer financial cushion than those running standalone restaurants. So will the changing energy landscape lead to more F&B entrepreneurs seeking to collaborate with hotel corporations whose wallets can better absorb rising overheads? “I think a lot of that will come down to the hotels, but if you find the right relationships, they work very well for both parties,” says Kerridge. “As always, these things have to work hand-in-hand, but there are huge

benefits to be gained, not only for the operators but for the guest also.” However, he points out that although the move might be beneficial in relieving the pressure on F&B businesses in some ways, a hotel partnership is no guarantee of fiscal safety. “I think there are a different array of problems that they [restaurants within hotels] face,” he explains. “The finances themselves aren’t run by the restaurant directly, so although it may feel that there is an initial protection, there are other areas that need to work to make it financially secure.”

Pendlebury also believes that the spike in bills could lead to more hotel-restaurant partnerships. “There’s no doubt this would encourage a sense of strength in numbers, whilst also reducing and sharing risk during uncertain financial times,” she points out. “I think the key here is to establish an arrangement that not only benefits both parties financially but also has long-term prospects for the credibility of both outlets.” Could this be hospitality’s lightbulb moment?

Keeping the Lights On