Brunching is one of the biggest trends to hit the hospitality industry in the last couple of years and is the perfect meal choice for those who want to embrace their weekend lie-in! With restaurants and cafes constantly creating new, exciting and intriguing menus (such as Bottomless Brunch) it's not hard to see why... The History of Brunch The idea of Brunch was first introduced by English Writer Guy Beringer back in 1895 when he defended those nursing their Sunday morning hangovers in his essay 'Brunch: A Plea'. In it, he discussed that people who had drank too much the night before should not be made to wake up early and be given a rich spread of meaty foods and this would be too much for them to stomach; but instead be served lighter foods such as pastries. He believed that brunch was the perfect chance for friends to get together to talk over their activities from the night before, describing it as 'cheerful, socialable and inciting'. Good food and catching up with friends; what better reason do you need to head out for Brunch? Here's our top picks of Brunch from across the North West, enjoy... Leaf One of Liverpool's leading independent tea shops and bars, Leaf, offers one of the most delicious brunch menus around which is available from 9am-12 noon in the week; and 3pm at the weekend. They hold live band nights throughout the week and serve a range of spirits for guests to relax and enjoy - who won’t have to worry about being up too early the next day to miss out on their amazing breakfast! They picked up the Sunday Times’ award for the Top 25 Brunches in the UK and also the ‘Winning Tea Blend’ great taste award 2015. Address: 65 - 67 Bold Street, Liverpool, L1 4EZ And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon Although this cafe started out originally as a cupcake company, it’s very well known for it’s delicious treats and brunch! It’s so popular that if you’re thinking of heading here, book a table in advance. Their menu is a twist on some of the traditional Brunches - featuring Banana bread, granola and English Scones - what brunch dreams are made of! Address: 230 Burton Road, Manchester, M20 2LW Cafe Tabac You’ll find Cafe Tabac at the top of Bold Street in Liverpool. They are one of the cities oldest cafes - so it's fair to say they have got the breakfast down to a tee! It’s a real chilled environment where you can enjoy good food, and if you’re lucky enough to get a window seat, watch the world go by outside. It's probably one of the best ways to spend a Sunday morning! Address: 126 Bold Street, Manchester, L1 4JA Alabama’s All American Eatery The American inspired breakfast brunch offers a selection of traditional breakfast choices and also a pick for those looking for something different such as French toast, buttermilk pancakes or vanilla waffles. If you fancy a cheeky cocktail with your brunch we’d recommend trying their cocktails too- they’re incredible. Address: 10 Newton Street, Manchester Where is your favourite spot to Brunch? Let us know over on the GB Twitter.
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Although February is mostly associated with Valentine’s Day, to us foodies it’s more about the tastiest day of the year - Pancake Day (also known as Shrove Tuesday). If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent the past couple of years rushing to Tesco to pick up a ready made pancake mix the day before - and topped it off with a dollop of syrup or Nutella... This year, we thought we should up our game and experience fresh, tastier homemade pancakes that can be enjoyed by all! We thought we'd give you a bit more background on Pancake Day and also a guide on making the perfect pancake - with a list of the best toppings around! Happy baking! Why do we celebrate pancake day? It's actually a traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, Christians would begin fasting for 40 days before Easter and Shrove Tuesday became the day that people would use up food that cannot be eaten during Lent . And to avoid waste, would make pancakes with their ingredients. When is it celebrated? Pancake day is always 47 day before Easter and tends to fall during February and March. This year it's Tuesday 28th February! What you will need to make the perfect pancake... Ingredients: (ideal for making 12- 14 pancakes) 100g plain flour 2 large eggs 300ml of milk 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil Caster sugar - optional Method:
Whether you're making them for yourself to indulge on, or to show off to your guests...here are our favourite fillings around... Breakfast bacon and egg Start the day the right way with a twist on the traditional full-english breakfast! Rhubarb compote with Vanilla creme fraiche & pancakes Perfect for those with a sweet tooth - and makes the ultimate desert Strawberry Sprinkle Funfetti Pancakes Great for kids and adults alike- top your pancake with sprinkles and strawberries (to keep it a bit healthier…) Red Velvet Pancakes Our personal favourite - simply add cream cheese glaze to your pancake mix for the ultimate pancake! Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Perfect for mornings or as a snack for those who prefer a sweet treat Fun Pancake Fact.. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest pancake that was ever made was by The Co-operative union in 1994. It measured in at 49 ft 3 in diameter and 1 in deep in Rochdale, Manchester. Share with us your favourite Pancake delights over on Twitter! x The iconic Circo has been part of Liverpool’s nightlife for many years, hosting numerous shows and events for local guests and those visiting the city. The Circus themed venue has always been fantastic - and attracted plenty of attention from those passing by! As you may already be aware, in its 9th anniversary year it's recently relocated from its original home on the Albert Dock up to Seel Street - the heart of the bustling city centre! During this time, there's been a major redesign and enhancement of the successful business model with a vision to really create something new and exclusive! If you're following Circo on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn, you may have already had a sneak peak of what the team are working on including their shows, performances and food - but they are doing a very good job at keeping us all in suspense- which is all very exciting! Before the re-launch has even happened, it's already set to be one of the most unique event space offering a never ever ending programme of day time and night time entertainment in the North West and the team at GB Hospitality are delighted to be working alongside the owner, Jason McNeil, in helping bring his vision to life. While we can't reveal too much, we can share with you that they'll be hosting two spectacular dinner shows a week at 7pm and doors to the nightclub will open from 11pm. Circo - The The Next Generation is due to open in Spring 2017 and booking are well underway. Watch this space as we share with you the new offerings and design. Whether you've experienced Circo before or not, one thing's for sure...nothing will ever be the same again... Follow Circo for updates here: Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Staying in luxury hotel has a few essentials that need ticking off which include a super comfy bed, a stunning bathroom, an amazing restaurant choice and, of course, a room with a view! Although most of us might be happy with a room that overlooks the sea, there are some hotel rooms that offer some of the most exquisite backdrops that many of us may only see in films! Here we take a look at 5 of the best hotel views from across the world. But be warned, they might just inspire you to get searching for the next flights available! Plaza Athenee, Paris, France If you’re spending a romantic weekend in the city of love, it’s important that you get the perfect hotel setting. And what could be more perfect than waking up to a breathtaking views of the beautiful Eiffel Tower? The Eiffel Suites at The Plaza Athenee in Paris definitely offers the most incredible views; especially when it goes dark and you can sit back with a glass of champagne and experience the amazing Light Show from the comfort of your own room. Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, Peru Hidden away in the mountains of Machu Picchu lies the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge. For those looking for the most breathtaking views in the world, this should definitely be on your travel bucket list! It offers spectacular views of the mountains, the looming peaks of Huayna Picchu and the beautiful Urubamba River. It’s the only hotel located around Machu Picchu and takes around for hours to reach by bus or train. The Omnia Zermatt Switzerland Switzerland is home to some of the most amazing scenery in the world. If you’ve ever travelled around the country by train or bus, you’ll have encountered places that look like they’ve filtered on an Instagram post! Here in the ski lodge resort of Zermatt, this boutique lodge has backdrop settings of the Matterhorn and also overlooks the valley. The Samling Hotel, Lake Windermere, England England is home to some of the most incredible views in the world and nothing is more perfect than the views in the heart of the Lake District in Lake Windermere. Relax in the stunning Samling Hotel and experience 67 acres of English countryside to look out onto in front of a log fire. Perfect! Arenal Kioro Suites & Spas, Costa Rica A favourite of the GB team has be to the tranquil views from Arenal Kioro Suites & Spas. Here, guests look out to see the incredible Arenal Volcano - one of the most active in the world that has daily lava flowers. It’s perfect for escaping reality and embracing the stunning setting around it. What is the best hotel view you've ever experienced? Let us know on Twitter! x In an increasingly competitive marketplace, it is important to ensure that you are catering for the needs of the younger consumers. After all, they are likely to be the people that will be using your service in years to come and much emphasis needs to be placed on creating a lasting impression. Here, we take a look just exactly how leading hospitality brands are engaging with their younger audience, and some of the benefits of it Brand promotion through influencers Across many sectors, marketing teams have been working closely with influencers to promote their products, lifestyle and brand for many years; and the hospitality industry is no different. The younger generation of today - millennials - are very different to their predecessors. They are no longer interested in traditional forms of advertising such as newspaper marketing or television ads; they are more inclined to turn to social media platforms to find out where the latest ‘influencer’ is staying, eating or drinking. They put value into what these celebrities, bloggers or the elite are doing and brands are able to promote themselves much more naturally. It’s a new and increasing popular way of engaging with new audiences to show that anyone can live like an influencer. With the constant influx of social media apps and updates - such as Instagram stories or Facebook live - these influencers are inviting everyone on a journey with them and allowing you to experience the moment with them and subtly encouraging you to know that you can do the same. Marketing travel as a lifestyle With the continuous rise of well connected flights and budgeted accommodation around the world, it’s not hard to see why millennials are heading around the globe to create their own travelling adventures. Most of the younger generation have put careers and investing in a house on the backburner and packing their bags to explore new cultures, embrace new food and drinks and be involved with experiences that they’ll never forget. Many hospitality companies have already tapped into this and have very cleverly marketed travel as a way of life. They’ll use content across blogs, websites and on social media to really connect with their new audience sharing inspirational messages to obtain interest from younger travellers. Hotels have come away from simply sharing pictures of their rooms and are sharing experiences that have been created within it which is much more moving and motivational than just a bed! Allowing the younger generation to promote business Across the younger generation, it’s extremely normal for them to whip out their phone to snap a picture of their food or drink, upload it straight onto social media, tagging who they are with and where they are. Hospitality industries are embracing this and encouraging their guests to take photographs of their establishment and post it on social media. One way they are getting people to do this is through having quirky decor, great art-work, cool cutlery - and most importantly access to free Wi-Fi. In return, they are gaining online promoting for free - a very clever tactic! These are just some of the ways that hospitality industries are really engaging with the younger audience, Let us know your thoughts on what makes the younger audience tick over on Twitter! x When creating your visual brand strategy, it's important that time is set aside for considering what you want to achieve and how you can get key messaging across to your audience. It's vital that every image that is produced is consistent and carries the same tone of voice, styling and colouring so people will associate that with the brand. The overall aim is to reach out to your audience and take them on a journey with you to allow them to be part of the moment that you are creating. There are numerous ways to achieve this and we wanted to share our top three tips on how it can be done. Create an inspiration board If you are working in a team, it’s important that together you have one image of what you want to achieve from your photography. It could be anything from the layout of the products, to the lighting, styling or just simply to the overall feeling of it. To help make sure you are all on the same page, you could take research around what you like and create an inspiration board between you that can round up everything you want to see come to life. Pinterest is one of the easiest and quickest ways to find new inspiration which can hold thousands on pictures and ideas on. When it comes to shooting, you can draw on your favourite parts of the board and incorporate it within. It will also help ensure that what you are creating is on brand and that it will resonate with your audience. Consider where the images will be used On any photoshoot, there will be hundreds - if not thousands - of images being created. Use this opportunity to ensure there's a mixture of images that are different sizes, shapes and filters that can be used across all promotional channels. You should consider taking images that might used on social media platforms that might need content adding into it which would require a smaller background image, or a large image that could be used on the website, for example. You should always ensure each image is optimised for every unique channel. Express who you are Even if you are taking photographs that might be quite formal or for marketing material, it's still important that you should allow your brand's personality to shine through. Take behind the scenes photographs of what's happening that you can share on social or in a blog post, short videos of preparing the shoots or close ups to show that there's real people behind the brand and that you want to encourage your audience to be with you on your journey with you to see the end result! Share with us your tips on a successful photoshoot over on Twitter @Gbhospitality! x Last week saw a sigh of relief across the country; the gin crisis has been averted! Back way back in October 2015, experts had warned that the main ingredient in gin, Juniper Berry, was being threatened by a deadly fungus known as Phytophthora Austrocedrae up in Scotland (where the majority of UK gin is made). Across the country, people expressed their concern of what might happen to their favourite tipple. Without the berry, gin would no longer exist... However, our saviours came in the form of a group of gardeners who work for the UK National Tree Seed Project. They realised what was happening and decided to collect all the juniper seeds from around the country to ensure they were protected away from the lethal fungus and stored them safely away in the Millennium Seed Bank in Sussex - phew! Although we know that storing them away will not prevent the disease in some of the areas they grow in, there are plenty being conserved for as long as possible, and keeping the chances of catching it at a minimal level. Today, gin remains of the one the country's most loved drinks and is set to take over the leading tipple - Scotch Whisky - by 2020. Over the past couple of years, it's become extremely fashionable especially among the younger generation! So much so, there's been an increase of gin parlours across the country - and even a real life gin school that's been established over in Ireland. We are just really glad to hear the news that our favourite beverage is safe for now. We might just go and celebrate with a gin and tonic... Let us know your thoughts on the gin crisis over at @gbhospitality! X |
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