InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the launch of the first global children’s hotel menu designed by leading children’s food expert and best-selling international author, Annabel Karmel MBE, and award-winning celebrity chef, Theo Randall. The menu will feature delicious dishes which embrace flavours, textures, smells and tastes that will take children on an educational culinary voyage around the world while ensuring an enjoyable and nutritionally balanced meal.
As part of the menu’s development, Annabel and Theo conducted a test-and-learn tasting session with young guests in October. The dishes trialled proved a big hit and provided the duo with additional insight into the dishes that will form the final menu.
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts will roll out the new menu from January 2014 and it will be available in all properties globally by the end of June 2014.
Annabel Karmel MBE says, “Children are naturally inquisitive, and grown-ups are often surprised by the flavours they enjoy. Sometimes it takes a little encouragement, and a holiday with the family can be a great opportunity to explore new and exciting foods. Working with Theo, we’ve created a menu filled with diverse flavours and tastes whilst offering the nutritional balance InterContinental travellers with young families are looking for.”
Simon Scoot, Vice President Global Brands, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and IHG Global Resorts said: “For InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in particular, we understand our guests’ desire to give their children the best opportunities to learn about the world whilst having fun – and food is a great opportunity to do this.” He continued, “This partnership is based on the principle of ‘Food Exploration’ which is all about creating food experiences children will find intriguing and exciting. At the same time we want to reassure parents that our children’s menus are nutritionally balanced – just another way we endeavour to give our guests piece of mind when they are away from home.”
This menu launch is a key part of a renewed food and beverage focus for IHG, whose family of brands also includes Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts and Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts. IHG’s team of chefs and food experts globally are working on a number of new programs to improve and enhance the food and beverage experiences guests can enjoy across the company’s family of nine brands and more than 4600 hotels globally.