Miscellaneous

🍴 Bret Thorn is a senior editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016. His career includes writing for The New York Sun (2005-2008) and Asia Times (1995-1997). A Tufts University graduate, he also studied at Peking and Nanjing Universities in 1988-1989. Thorn won a 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and served as IFEC president in 2005. His expertise spans food trends, French cuisine, and Asian culinary arts.

🍹 Scottish distiller Eden Mill refreshes its gin range with new bottles and labels in 2025, emphasizing local botanicals from Scotland's East Coast. Notably, Golf Gin is the first spirit distilled with botanicals from St Andrews' Old Course. Eden Mill's distillery, operational in 2025 and open to the public by August, is powered by renewable energy. Golf Gin is available in over 200 Waitrose stores across the UK. Eden Mill partners with MiAlgae to enhance sustainability efforts.

📰 Kristian Olsen, founder of Atypical, discusses the evolving marketing strategies tailored for Gen Z consumers. As media consumption habits shift, social media and content marketing become crucial. Key insights include understanding the media behavior of Gen X, Y, and Z, and strategies for inclusive social media marketing. Businesses are advised to leverage content marketing effectively, highlighting its importance and identifying common missed opportunities. Brands like LG, WWE, and Jeep exemplify successful adaptations in this landscape.

🚀 Nordic airline Finnair, in collaboration with Amadeus, has implemented the first global 'Native Order' system, transitioning from Passenger Name Records to a unified 'Offers and Orders' model. This aligns with IATA One Order directives, enhancing customer experience and modernizing processes. Tiina Vesterinen, Finnair VP, highlighted its potential for personalized and dynamic product bundles. Cyril Tetaz of Amadeus emphasized integrating multiple travel services into a single record. This technological transformation aims to streamline customer interactions and boost business agility.

💻 EgyptAir partners with SITA to modernize its network infrastructure, enhancing efficiency and service reliability. The agreement, signed in Cairo by EGYPTAIR's Eng. Yasser Omran and SITA's Houssam Dakroub, introduces scalable, cloud-native connectivity. SITA Connect Go will secure airport connectivity and streamline operations with the Community Departure Control System. This initiative supports EgyptAir in meeting rising passenger demand and strengthens Egypt's aviation sector competitiveness as a regional hub.

🍱 HungerRush has integrated Grubhub into its POS system, joining DoorDash and Uber Eats. This centralizes food orders, eliminating separate tablets and third-party aggregators. James Ryan from Flippin’ Pizza notes improved accuracy and streamlined operations. Eran Hollander, HungerRush CPO, highlights enhanced guest experiences and reduced tech complexity. The integration reduces time, costs, and employee frustration. It's available to all HungerRush customers, offering real-time updates and efficient order management.

🥜 JING™ collaborates with Michelin-starred chef Niklas Ekstedt at Ekstedt at The Yard, London, since 2021, to enhance their Scandinavian-inspired 5-course and 7-course tasting menu with Phoenix Honey Orchid and Vanilla Black teas. Located in Great Scotland Yard Hotel, this partnership focuses on innovative tea pairings with dishes like bay leaf ice cream and honey mead. The Chef’s Table offers an exclusive dining experience for seven guests, showcasing exceptional culinary techniques.

🍺 Duck & Waffle Edinburgh introduces The Tequila Edit, a summer menu with five unique cocktails crafted by the team. Highlights include inventive drinks like Main Character Marg and Matcha Better. The menu, available all day, offers a £25 cocktail flight featuring any three options. Enjoy these tequila creations on the terrace, accompanied by city views. Reservations can be made at duckandwaffle.com, though walk-ins are welcome. Celebrate summer with bold and unexpected tequila experiences!

💸 Helen Brocklebank discusses the British luxury industry's impact, worth £81 billion to the UK economy, and its 11% annual growth. Walpole, with 250+ member brands, acts as a collective voice. British luxury exports 67% of its production, contributing £56 billion. Nearly 500,000 UK jobs depend on this sector. The Brands of Tomorrow initiative supports 12 new luxury brands yearly. The US accounts for 22% of British luxury exports. Walpole's trade missions to New York help smaller brands enter the US market.

🏖 On March 5th, 2021, a new property listing appeared just seven minutes from home, featuring a hidden pond behind a thick wall of trees. After months of searching Zillow and Google Earth, the discovery led to a handshake with the listing agent that very morning. The journey toward building a modern cabin village in nature had finally begun, all starting from a hidden gem in the woods.