They say a day is a long time in politics, but in the world of wine, going back 10 years could easily be the equivalent. There have been so many changes in the world of food and wine that it is interesting to sometimes take a step back and reflect on developments that have taken place. A wine club I am member of, last week organised a very intriguing tasting. It was one which was not only philosophically challenging but also aimed at eliminating any possible misconceptions or preconceptions that one could have. 13 years ago, before I was even a member of this wine club or had even moved to Brussels, the club would once a year organise a supermarket wine tasting and recommend wines that could be cellared. Before you jump to any conclusions about the club, it should be said that the tastings organised by this club are exceptional and have taken us on some great journeys around the world of wine. But in the past, in a bid to attract new members, and at a time when wine was maybe … [Read more...]
Why Michelin may have gone a step too far with acquisition of BookaTable
Michelin may have gone a step too far with its acquisition of BookaTable, an online restaurant reservation platform earlier this week. With the acquisition of BookaTable, Michelin becomes the European online restaurant reservation leader. But the company that is also famous for its Michelin guides is likely to face criticism for a huge conflict of interest. When announcing the acquisition of BookaTable, Michelin said that the acquisition strengthens and accelerates the development of Michelin's technology platform for online restaurant reservations. "The association between Michelin, the world restaurant guide leader with its MICHELIN guide, and BookaTable, the European leader in the online restaurant reservation market, helps restaurateurs develop their business by offering new solutions and helps customers by making it easier to book." While this might make commercial sense, the company can expect a barrage of criticism if it decides to downgrade restaurants or else decide … [Read more...]
2015 – a year of Food and Wine Gazette in review
Just a few hours remain before many will uncork their champagne bottles to bid farewell to 2015 and welcome the New Year, here at Food and Wine Gazette we would like to wish our loyal readers, followers and supporters all the very best for the coming year. We would like to share with you what our readers have enjoyed reading most in 2015. The following is the list of most read articles for 2015. Interview with Peter Goossens: 'Belgium has one of the best cuisines in the world but no one has said it yet' 10 things we learnt from Sergio Herman 10 Sicilian producers to look out for A review of Massimo Bottura's great book Never Trust a Skinny Italian chef Sang-Hoon Degeimbre of L'Air du Temps to open restaurant in Brussels on 5 October Kobe Desramaults announces closure of In De Wulf in December 2016 Massimo Bottura's soup kitchen needs your help Gert de Mangeleer (Hertog Jan): Simplicity is not so simple Francis Mallmann 'Get out of your chair and go out' Fulvio … [Read more...]
Is well-being the answer to the chef shortage problem?
Booking in sought-after restaurants may become even harder than it is today if the trend to decrease the number of sittings in restaurants catches up. In the UK, we heard last month about Mikael Jonsson of restaurant Hedone announcing he would be opening for just six sittings every week. Earlier, Sat Bains, chef of two Michelin star Restaurant Sat Bains announced that his Nottingham restaurant would be introducing a four-day working week for staff as from next month, with staff salaries and bonuses unaffected as a way of countering the chef shortage problem. But why is this trend catching up and what are its consequences both for the industry and customers? It's something we have been observing for some time now. When I moved to Belgium 10 years ago, I was surprised by the amount of restaurants that had 'strange' closing days or hours. I used to ask myself why would a top restaurant not open for Saturday lunch or even on a Saturday evening when you would expect it to be most … [Read more...]
Houston, we have a problem: The Maltese are the fattest in Europe and something needs to be done about it
"Houston. We have a problem." It is not every day that my country makes it to the international headlines given it's one of the smallest countries in the world. But recently it has done so for all the wrong reasons and not for something I am proud of. According to the 2015 European health report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Maltese have tipped the scales as the fattest population in the European Union. 68.5 per cent of men and 59.6% of women over the age of 18 were found to be overweight by the WHO study. You might ask why this should be of any concern to Food and Wine Gazette. Alas it does because obesity is one of society's greatest problems and has implications way beyond the food world. But the problem also lies in lack of education, awareness and a certain naivety which the food industry banks on to profit from the masses. We recently read that the Maltese government had announced measures to disallow tuck shops at school from selling soft-drinks. … [Read more...]
A year of Food and Wine Gazette
A year ago today, we launched Food and Wine Gazette without knowing exactly which direction the website would take. Time flies and in many ways it seems like yesterday. That might be the case because it has been a crazy year. On top of a full-time job, we've been trying to build Food and Wine Gazette into what it is today and that path has gone way beyond our expectations. When I started this website, it was a way to introduce a bit of creativity into my life which was completely missing and combine two things I am extremely passionate about, writing and food and wine. Today, a year later, I am extremely pleased with the results achieved and have more experience and a better understanding of what Food and Wine Gazette has become and how best to enhance it and make it more useful. The latest interview with Belgian chef Peter Goossens is just the culmination of a year in which I have interviewed and profiled the likes of Rene Redzepi, Massimo Bottura, Mauro Colagreco, Eneko … [Read more...]
Food memories and nostalgia – what has happened to that juicy Maltese tomato?
Nostalgia has a way of playing tricks with us. Many times we crave for the things we really enjoyed in our past only to be disappointed when we experience the real thing. It could be a city we visited and loved, a restaurant that is revisited or even a product we used to crave many years ago but which if you are objective is really disappointing. Food memories play a very important role in building our identity. What we eat ends up shaping who we are and who we really want to be with. Food is about sharing moments and experiences. It is also about our past memories. If there is one thing I crave for whenever I am away from Malta, it is the glorious and ripe Maltese tomato. Grown in abundance under the Mediterranean sun, its taste is unbelievably good. And if there was one thing that I could not get used to when I arrived in Belgium, nearly 10 years ago, it was the fact that I could not really find tomatoes that could compare to what I had experienced in the past. Things … [Read more...]
Think twice before posting your photos of food in Germany
Chefs may privately hate it when customers take photos of their culinary creations. For every mouthwatering photo on social media like Instagram and Twitter there are dozens of bad shots taken with phones which do not do justice to the food being served. At the same time, they know this is a trend that they cannot really fight against and in general it has enabled a certain food culture to emerge and one which we are likely to look at years from now as the start of a food revival. Most chefs who speak to Food and Wine Gazette actually don't mind sharing their work on social media or even having people share photos of their culinary creations. There is obviously the issue of food becoming cold on the plate or else disturbing other clients in the restaurants and that is really something that should be avoided. We've heard stories of people standing on chairs in restaurants to take a photo of their dish to be able to share on social media. But in Germany, you may think twice … [Read more...]
What do you think if restaurants google you when you make a reservation?
What would you think if restaurants google you after you make a reservation? Two thirds of respondents to a survey in the United States said they would be fine with such a practice which exists. We have not come across any such statistics for Europe so we need to look at a recent survey carried out by OpenTable for a new e-book Technology and Dining Out 2015. 31 per cent said they found the suggestion creepy and intrusive. 40 per cent thought it was no problem and 24 per cent actually said it is a good thing.We can think of many reasons why this would be a good thing but wonder whether the figures for Europe would be similar particular given the difference in views on privacy in Europe. In today's world of social media where anyone has the potential to become a food critic by reviewing restaurants on sharing platforms, it would seem like standard practice for a restaurant to look for information about their clients. Moreover, it also helps to enhance a user experience. Just … [Read more...]
Gelinaz! shuffle: A crazy idea and excellent use of social media
Since the Gelinaz! shuffle was announced there was a lot of buzz surrounding the event, particularly on social media even if there were some who said they did not know the details behind the event. Many could have been sceptical that the event would be a success and few would have thought that the organisers would be able to keep the secret destinations of the chefs till the last minute. The aim was to have 37 chefs shuffle to other restaurants and cook in different time zones in a span of 23 hours on 9 July 2015. These chefs left the comfort of their homes and kitchens and went to other restaurants around the world. For example, Ben Shewry from Australia was cooking in Dranouter, Belgium, Massimo Bottura from Modena, Italy was cooking in New York and Fulvio Pierangelini, one of the founders of Gelinaz! was in Istanbul to give a few examples The fact that the identity of the chefs cooking in these restaurants was kept secret till the very last minute was an amazing feat in … [Read more...]