LONDON—Hotel Indigo, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)’s boutique brand, has launched its food and beverage (F&B) philosophy in Europe by partnering with food and drink artisans from the surrounding locales.
“Restaurants and bars are the heart and soul of any good neighborhood, so the philosophy brings the best artisans from the local community into Hotel Indigo properties to offer a truly authentic local flavor,” said Simon Burdess, IHG’s VP of F&B, Europe. “The result is a landmark food offering that can be enjoyed not just by guests but by the locals themselves.”
Hotel Indigo’s value proposition centers on providing guests with an experience that reflects the local neighborhood from the building design and the hotel’s artwork, to presenting locally inspired dining options. The F&B philosophy, which launched in Europe beginning January 2015, further extends Hotel Indigo’s brand essence through partnering with local artisans.
Having piloted in Hotel Indigo Kensington Earl’s Court in London, this locally crafted F&B philosophy will be featured across all 17 hotels in Europe including Hotel Indigo Helsinki Boulevard in Finland, which recently opened. The brand has eight hotels in the United Kingdom with seven in the pipeline.
“Rather than simply having a hotel restaurant, we are using a retail element that is tailored to the local community so that we are a hit with the locals, as well as giving our guests a flavor of the local neighborhood,” said Burdess.
Overseen by Burdess, Hotel Indigo Kensington’s F&B menu utilizes a range of locally inspired dishes prepared from organic, seasonal and locally crafted ingredients. Meat and poultry are sourced from independent suppliers who only engage in ethical methods. Dishes range from home-cured smoked salmon and handpicked Cornish crab to products in the drinks section such as Fever Tree, a producer of premium drink mixers. Based in Southwest London, Fever Tree makes a variety of products including tonic water, ginger beer and lemonade.
Hotel Indigo Helsinki Boulevard will host two dining venues—Bröd, an 80-seat restaurant serving a selection of Finnish specialties, and Soup & Juice bar that will sit just next to the hotel lobby providing fresh salads, sandwiches and soups. “Soup & Juice is the perfect example of Hotel Indigo’s new food and beverage philosophy that aims to create a local landmark by bringing the best food and drink artisans from the community into our hotels,” said Burdess.
To raise awareness of the new Hotel Indigo F&B philosophy, IHG launched a search to scour the top food vendors, producers and artisans in the United Kingdom. The “Flavors of the Neighborhood” search led to 7,000 Brits voting for their favorite neighborhood supplier and resulting in six finalists such as Ramsay of Carluke, Scotland’s oldest surviving bacon curer; Indian Tadka, a company which holds Indian cooking workshops; and Supper Clubs in Hove, East Sussex.
Britain’s favorite local food hero was unveiled as Leona Kane, founder of Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil. The company not only wins £1,000 (about $1,492) but also a food-photo shoot that will appear in the Hotel Indigo local foodie guide. A panel comprising Jimmy Doherty, farmer and TV presenter; William Sitwell, editor of Waitrose magazine; Ms. Marmite Lover, food blogger; and chef Kerstin Rodgers judged the entries.
—Matthew Marin