FOOD AND BEVERAGE - MIXING IT UP

MIXING IT UP

From branded Gins to fine-dining over Zoom. Plant-Based Restaurants and Non-Alcoholic drinks, the food and beverage scene in hotels has turned healthy, fun and bespoke. James Wilkinson and Matt Lennon look at the trends you need to know.

BRANDED DRINKS COLLABORATIONS

It’s no secret that collaborations between hotels and drinks suppliers have traditionally been around promoting legendary and emerging labels. That has changed tact in recent months thanks to several brilliant collabs in the industry, including NSW distillery, ArchieRose, partnering with Crown Sydney on a tipple for the minibars and QT Hotels and Resorts’ partnership with the YarraValley’s Four Pillars to create an ‘OrderedChaos Gin’. The popular designer-brand also recently debuted a new QT Rieslingfrom Seppeltsfield’s Quelltaler Vineyard inSouth Australia’s Clare Valley.

QT Hotels is bringing the chaos with its new drinks collab

FINE DINING BY ZOOM

Sydney’s Harbour RocksHotel, part of Sofitel’s MGallerycollection, has hosted over a dozen virtual drink and dine experiences, primarily with the family-owned DeBeaurepaire Wines from Rylstoneduring the city’s lockdown. The events have been so good that General Manager, Silvia Kypriotis, has become legendary within Accor globally. She said the idea of the virtual wine and dine experiences was to create “an element of escapism during these turbulent times” and was a fantastic way to connect with both regular guests and Accor Plus members alike.

Sydney’s Harbour Rocks Hotel has been hosting virtual dinners

LOCAL GINS ON POINT

There are over 300 small-batch gin distillers across Australia and New Zealand as the segment continues a meteoric rise and savvy drinkers call for more unique experiences. Leading the way are the worlds first natural black gin Scapegrace fromNew Zealand; Canberra’s award-winning underground Spirits, which has released its latest limited-edition gin in collaboration with the Australian NationalBotanic Gardens; Cairns’ Mt UncleDistillery, which just won ‘Gin of the Year's the London Spirits Competition for 2021and the Yarra Valley’s Four Pillars, which just released a sensational Single VineyardBloody Shiraz Gin with Yarra Yering.

Scapegrace is the world’s first natural black gin

PLANT-BASED RESTAURANTS

Ovolo Group has never been one to do things the traditional way and the last year has been further proof as the hotel operator went 100% vegetarian on all of its dining menus. Ovolo called it the ‘Year of the Veg’, with the initiative building on the success of its ‘Alibi’ restaurant at OvoloWoolloomooloo, its popular vegetarian and vegan hotel eatery in Sydney led by plant-based chef Matthew Kenney.

Alibi Restaurant at Ovolo Woolloomooloo

NON-ALC BOTANICAL SPIRITS HIT THE MARK

Some of the latest non-alcoholic beers, wines and spirits to hit the Australasian drinks scene are so tasty and refined, you could be forgiven for thinking for you are drinking the fully laden beverage. Several Australian producers are leading the global charge on the distillation side including BanksBotanicals from Victoria’s Yarra Valley, which is 100% free from sugar and gluten as well as vegan friendly. Ovant from Western Australia’s Margaret River region brings the art of winemaking to the science of distilling and has a star-studded team of founders including Christopher Bothwell, former HeadSommelier of the three Michelin starred Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London.

TAP AND ORDER TECH

Move your menus online and streamline the guest experience by offering tap and order technology poolside, at the brand for in-room dining thanks to the brilliant platform on offer from ‘hospotech’ company, Order Up. One of the key hotels ordering the technology is Dr Jerry Schwartz’s Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour and it’s made it easier than ever for guests to order a burger by the pool, a glass of bubbles from the champagne Bar and dinner for the family from Atelier restaurant (pictured below).

DINE NOW, PAY LATER

A new Australian enterprise is helping users enjoy the wonders of fine dining without the sobering bill at the end. Payo is the latest in the interest-free installments craze sweeping the nation and is like enjoying a meal on layby. Payo is currently available at more than 500restaurants in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Pay off your meal in instalments

FLAMELESS CANDLES HIT THE TABLES

Beautifully hand-crafted from real wax, the Uyuniflameless candles from Enjoy Living will have you seeing candles in a new light. Hotels and resorts around the world adore these elegant flameless candles for dining spaces, day-spas and event styling. Remote enabled with a built-in timer makes them easy to use, and with 2C batteries offering 1000 hours of candlelight, they are also extremely cost efficient.

Flameless candles provide the mood without the mess

HOTEL DINING DELIVERED

After enjoying success in Europe, a new software platform connecting restaurants with the many delivery services in the market has landed in Sydney. Deliverect aims to improve operational flow and simplify the process of coordinating orders from many different delivery partners to ensure fewer errors. Deliverect integrates with POS systems to automate the inbound order flow, removing the need to monitor orders arriving from multiple sources.

There are many different delivery services in the market today

STUDENTS LEAD THE COOKBOOK CHARGE

Eager to keep her fellow students engaged and connected during COVID-induced separation, BlueMountains International Hotel Management School student, Nao Ogura, rallied her fellow students and teachers to put together an industry cookbook. What resulted was a collection of 50 easy recipes from 15 countries including entrees, mains and desserts, compiled in partnership with the Sala Bai Hotel School in Cambodia.

The cookbook is available as a free download