Hilton has joined forces with Klimato to measure the carbon impact of food served at its UK hotels, and is devising more eco-friendly meals. Nick Hendry reports

UK consumers have become accustomed to seeing calorie counts on restaurant menus but now guests at Hilton hotels can expect to see emissions information as well.

Since May 2023, more than 30 properties across the country have included these scores for each dish, with more than 1.6kg of CO2 across the lifetime of an item being considered a high-carbon choice.

Guests are informed that these dishes “contribute to increased climate impact”. Hilton claims this rollout to be the biggest carbon-labelling exercise by any UK hotel firm.

Response to the scheme in its first few months has been, says Hilton, largely positive. It reports an increase in popularity of menu items considered low-carbon and positive guest feedback to the labelling system.

This has led to the newly-released autumn menu being designed to feature 85 per cent low and medium-carbon options, with some dishes being altered and others replaced entirely.As a result of the initial positive response, the newly launched autumn menu features an increased proportion of low and medium labelled dishes, making up over 85 per cent of the menu.

Guests looking to tuck into a low-impact meal can order gochujang cauliflower wings to start, followed by a butternut squash risotto or a posh fish finger sandwich. For dessert, they can have salted caramel affogato. The three-course meal will result in a total of 1.2 kg CO2e, which is lower than the average UK meal.

As Hilton continues to respond to guest preferences and look for ways to help guests make more informed choices, some dishes containing items with a higher carbon footprint have been replaced with multiple lower carbon alternatives.

This includes the newly launched chicken, mushroom and tarragon, and celeriac and wild mushroom pies, both of which have a medium carbon footprint instead of high.

The menu’s signature cheeseburger has also been updated with a more climate-friendly version featuring a single patty instead of a double, complemented by smoked cheddar, BBQ relish, ranch dressing and vegetables, leading to a 2.3kg CO2e reduction in the dish’s carbon footprint.

For guests looking to go a step further, data from Klimato has shown that choosing the Plant Burger would result in a reduction of CO2 emissions equal to driving 63km in a car.Emma Banks, vice-president of F&B strategy and development for Hilton EMEA, says: “We know our guests are as passionate about reducing their environmental footprint as we are, and we’re always looking for ways to help them on that journey.

“Carbon labelling is an easy way to empower guests to make more informed choices, and we’re delighted to see they’re already embracing these insights – whether that’s by opting for an ultra-low emission dish, or simply reducing the frequency with which they order dishes with a higher carbon footprint.

“As we all continuously look to reduce our impact, every small decision can make a difference, and we’re proud to be leading the way as the first hotel company to introduce and manage carbon labelling on such a scale.”

Hilton has chosen to partner for this initiative with Klimato, a firm specialising in helping businesses understand the climate impact of their menus and communicate this to customers.

The company provides software which calculates the impact of each recipe, with this information then being presented on menus using their standardised graphic – a small circle, filled green to represent the amount of carbon emitted by a dish. The lower the green line in the circle, the lower the impact, giving diners an at-a-glance report on their choices.

The system was used at the COP26 conference in Glasgow in late 2021, as Klimato worked with conference catering partners Levy UK and Ireland to grade each item on the menu in just a few weeks.

Klimato can also work with partners to track their emissions over time, spotting trends in customer behaviour and adjusting menus accordingly, as well as partner with gold-standard offsetting firms to balance any unavoidable emissions.

The carbon labelling of menus forms part of Hilton’s wider “Travel with Purpose” programme. The firm states that this strategy will help them to “drive responsible travel and tourism globally” and “create positive environmental and social impact across our operations, supply chain, and communities” as the world continues to address climate change.

This month, it was revealed that Hilton’s “Green Breakfast” initiative – an industry leading pilot across 13 UAE hotels in partnership with Winnow and ne’ma, the UAE national food loss and waste initiative – resulted in a 62 per cent reduction in food waste, serving as a blueprint for food waste management in the hospitality industry.

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Located in a Norwegian fjord, Iris is an orb-shaped floating restaurant that serves ultra-sustainable seafood alongside lessons in aquaculture. Olivia Palamountain reports

Glance across Hardanger fjord in western Norway and it appears an alien has landed. A vast metallic pebble floats in the deep water, offering no clue as to what’s inside.

Welcome to Salmon Eye, a steel-plated art installation and aquaculture visitor centre that doubles as Iris, an exciting debut on the New Nordic dining scene.

The aim of the Salmon Eye venue is to inspire and inform how we can sustainably provide the world with more food from the sea, while in-house restaurant Iris puts these practices on plates.Opened in June, Iris is helmed by Danish chef Anika Madsen, who trained under Heston Blumenthal at Dinner By Heston in London.

Guests for Iris’s “Expedition Dining” concept are taken on a culinary journey that begins with an electric boat ride from the mainland to the chef’s boathouse. Here, a maximum of 24 diners receive a welcome snack and a preview of the evening’s 18-course tasting menu. The meal continues at the Salmon Eye venue with a “multi-sensory experience” tailored to the natural landscape, showcasing unique flavours and textures using hyper-local and seasonal ingredients.

If weather permits, one course is served outdoors over an open flame, surrounded by stunning views of the fjord and mountains.

At the end of the night, guests take the boat back to Rosendal. The experience costs 3,200 NOK (about £263) per person, with a two-person minimum to book. Iris Expedition Dining says no two meals will taste exactly the same, however, previous dishes have included Norwegian sea urchin or a one-month-old baby salmon fried whole.

“From sewer to hero” is a plate that contains cleaning fish, which fish farmers use to clean louse off salmon before discarding, infused in a fricassee with oysters and mushrooms, which can clean up petrol in the ocean and still be edible.

As reported by The Times, the restaurant already has a waiting list of more than 2,000 people and is sold out for October despite prices starting at an £237 a head.

“We did not expect the bookings would go so crazy and lots of people would want to come,” Madsen tells the newspaper. “Even on the waiting list they will always show up after two days. They are willing to travel far with short notice.” Madsen, who used to visit the Norwegian fjords on childhood holidays, created the “hyper local” menu to raise awareness about sustainable food practices. Like Denmark’s famous chef Rene Redzepi (of Noma), she is determined to showcase the best of Nordic cuisine.

“I definitely hope they [guests] take away more than a really nice dinner,” she said, “Flavour is always first but we have dishes that poke to the consciousness, that can be difficult or challenging for them to eat.”

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Designed for indoor bar-hopping, Level 8 is a multi-faceted dining and nightlife concept in LA’s sprawling Moxy and AC hotels. Gemma Harris reports

LA’s Houston brothers, famed for their high-end nightlife ventures, have joined forces with Mitchell Hochberg, of the real-estate and development company Lightstone, to unveil Level 8.

The unique, multi-layered concept spans the eighth floor of the recently launched Moxy Downtown and AC Downtown hotels is transforming LA’s dining and social landscape.

The brother’s most ambitious project yet includes 2,790 sqm of indoor and outdoor space, taking guests through a maze of various venues.

It transcends the notion of more than just a traditional dinner and drinks out. Visitors begin their journey through the eyes of the venue’s fictional founder, Mr Wanderlust – who also lends his name to the cocktail bar at the entrance. “You can begin the night with a cocktail and live music at Mr Wanderlust, choose from any of the three unique and innovative restaurants, and end the night with dancing at one of LA’s hottest clubs, Sinners y Santos, and maybe a late-night taco – all designed for the city that’s notoriously difficult to restaurant and bar-hop.

“Only the Houston Brothers have the curiosity and imagination to create this series of experiences, all threaded together, each epic in its own ways,” says Hochberg.

Inspired by the brothers’ travels, the eight destinations draw inspiration from around the world.  Mr Wanderlust is a lively piano bar and jazz lounge with a touch of theatrics, including a trapeze artist suspended from its impressive chandelier.Combining intimate and atmospheric rooms, visitors can choose from the vast wine offering from the award-winning sommelier Eric Railsback alongside cocktails and small bites by chef Richard Archuleta.

Mr Wanderlust leads onto Maison Kasi and Lucky Mizu through two discreet speakeasy entrances. The French Teppanyaki experience aptly named the “house of fire”, Maison Kasai is headed up by Michelin-starred chef Joshua Gil. Here, the art-deco-style ambience with a 12-metre Earth Harp stretched across the ceiling provides the perfect setting for a culinary performance.From fire to water, Lucky Miszu is run under the guidance of Kobe native Chef Hisae Stuk and is centred on the art of cooking with water.The culinary exploration of chef-driven concepts and top culinary talent continues into South American flavours with Esquire’s “Chef of the Year” and Los Angeles Chef Ray Garcia at Que Barbaro.At this destination, guests can be seated al fresco with a jungle backdrop while enjoying the traditional wood-fired cooking. Chef Ray Garcia also oversees the Brown Sheep, an authentic food truck serving up Mexican street food.For those searching for exquisite indulgence, the Mother of Pearl champagne and oyster bar is found outside on the terrace, where dishes such as crab bouillabaisse with saffron rice crisps can be savoured.As the sun sets, Level 8 comes into its own across the unique rooftop destination of Golden Hour, with views of Hollywood hills, including a carousel bar with a tiki-inspired cocktail list and DJs and other live entertainment into the early hours.Last but not least is Sinners y Santos, the destination inspired by old Roman Catholic cathedrals; the nightclub playground begins with a speakeasy-style entrance at the “confessional booth”.Mark Houston says: “Level 8 is all about creating opportunities for that kind of immersive discovery – a culmination of our experiences that pays homage to Downtown Los Angeles’ rich heritage and history.”

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Located in a converted industrial building, House of Wow brings together a restaurant, garden, store and thought-provoking cultural programming. Lotte Jeffs reports

How does a business innovate in Ibiza, a place where there is already something to satiate every niche from wellness to hedonism to gastronomy to shopping, to stag nights to chic escapes?

The island is unique in its ability to be all things to all people – you could go on a yoga retreat and never know the clubbing scene existed, you could stay in San Antonio and be oblivious to the beautiful surrounding countryside. It can’t be an easy place to launch a new idea that cuts through the plethora of existing options.

Step forward House of Wow, formerly known as WOW. There’s a lot to live up to with a name like that, but perhaps its community “hub” concept is what the island has been missing.Located just outside the village of Santa Gertrudis in the middle of the island, this expansive warehouse has been reinvigorated into a restaurant, garden, shop and community event space thanks to a new partnership with Aaron Mellor who is group managing director of Tokyo Industries’ (operators of a number of clubs, bars and festivals around the world), and the Dutch creative visionary Nelleke Strijkers.

Strijkers started SPRMRKT – a successful Dutch design house that ran for 21 years. After it closed she moved to New York to run her own photography agency and in a recent interview spoke of having spent most of her days hanging out in a diner in Williamsburg, immersing herself in music, food and people – doing what she does best, networking or as it was then affectionately known, “Nelworking”. She arrived in Ibiza after a stint back in Holland and has bought her SPRMRKT label back in the form of an eclectic concept store within House of Wow.

Browsing the shop before taking a seat for a drink on one of the cabana beds in the garden, or dinner in the impressive restaurant, makes for a unique use of the space. It creates a uniquely relaxed vibe and as one of the few nightlife venues with no minimum spend, it welcomes more of a diverse community, which includes local people along with an international crowd.

You can snack on sharing plates while chilling, or enjoy a delicious three-course meal. The kitchen is headed up by Ibizencan chef Cristina Gledson (formerly Hostel La Torre, Portofina, Giri café, Atzaro, Boulder & Co and Pied a Terre London among others). Her vision is for comfort food executed at a high level with a Balearic twist, created from seasonal, local and natural ingredients. The “anything goes” philosophy of House of Wow embodies the true spirit of Ibiza and also of Strijkers who you can find there most nights talking to guests, sharing ideas or showing pieces from the store.

For those looking to host a large group event in Ibiza, House of Wow should be on your mood board, partly for the ample parking on site, but more for the adaptability of the space and tables for up to 22 in the garden.Vintage furniture, warm lighting, palms and other plants make this massive space feel intimate and cool. As the sun sets the al fresco area comes alive with magical twinkling lights and a laidback chatter.

House of Wow intends to maximise the creative use of its space with a line up of cultural events, workshops, talks and one-off “happenings” inspired by the worlds of film, music, art, sex, photography, fashion, psychedelics, wellbeing and literature.

By engaging islanders who want a space to escape the heat of the day, hang out and be creative as well as being equally appealing to visitors, House of Wow has done the impossible and devised something that feels fresh on this legendary island.

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British Airways has opened a Whispering Angel rosé bar for business class passengers flying out of London Heathrow airport. Jenny Southan reports

British Airways’ highly anticipated Whispering Angel bar, located in the airline’s lounge in Terminal 5 at the B gates, has opened in time for the peak summer season.

British Airways is the first airline to have a bespoke Whispering Angel bar, allowing customers to enjoy a chilled glass of the popular rosé wine that originates from the Provence vineyards of Château d’Esclans before their flight.The opening of the exclusive bar marks the first phase of British Airways’ continued refresh of this lounge over the summer months, which will include new and reupholstered furniture across the lounge, as well as a new layout.

Across the rest of the airline’s Club (business class) lounges at Heathrow and Gatwick, eligible British Airways customers can enjoy the Pale rosé, which is produced by the same winemakers as Whispering Angel. Whispering Angel is currently available in British Airways’ Concorde, First and Club lounges.Calum Laming, British Airways’ chief customer officer, says: “We are really excited to open the doors on our new original Whispering Angel bar, just in time for the start of the summer season. What’s more, the opening coincides with the exciting news that customers now have the option to pre-order Whispering Angel across all short-haul flights, to take the experience with them, from the ground to the skies.”

The Château d’Esclans team says: “We are ecstatic to finally be able to share our beautiful Whispering Angel bar with British Airways’ customers, and bring a touch of glamour to Heathrow as the world’s most glamorous rosé. We look forward to travellers being able to enjoy a delicious glass of Whispering Angel before they fly, in a space that really embodies the effortlessly chic nature of our brand.”Elsewhere, the airline has introduced a rosé in its First cabin with Whispering Angel’s big brother, Rock Angel, now available for customers for three months and boasting more structure than its younger sibling.

Customers travelling on short-haul flights can also get a taste of Château d’Esclans’ creations, as Whispering Angel’s Provence rosé is now available to pre-purchase through the airline’s newly branded High Life Café (previously Speedbird Café), giving customers the option to taste a hint of summer whether they are travelling to Europe or further afield.

The Whispering Angel partnership adds to an expansive premium drinks offering, following British Airways’ appointment of a full time Master of Wine, one of only 415 in the world and believed to be the only one appointed by an airline.

In elevation of the onboard wine offerings to customers, in March 2023 British Airways introduced four new English Sparkling Wines served on board. Each wine is available on a quarterly rotation, changing every three months to customers travelling in Club World, including the current Champagne resident Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Silver Top Non-Vintage Champagne, and now an exclusive English Sparkling Wine option.

Château d’Esclans’ Whispering Angel boasts a delicate Provençal pink hue, spoiling customers with sun-kissed creamy flavours of peach and raspberries, with refreshing citrus undertones and a smooth, dry finish.

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Progressive new cocktails are on the menu at the Artesian bar, with sustainable ingredients such as tiger nuts, soil and crickets. Rose Dykins reports

Artesian, the flagship bar at the Langham London hotel, as introduced an innovative new cocktail list called “Ingredients of the Future”.

The new cocktail menu from the luxury hotel features sixteen cocktails. Each one celebrates a single ingredient that has remarkable versatility and adaptability. The idea is to showcase drinks that “taste like a a step towards a healthier planet and a better tomorrow”.

The team at Artesian researched and identified ingredients that met these criteria. They explored vegetables and fruits such as sweet potato, beetroot, mushroom, date, jackfruit and pea, as well as plants and trees, including amaranth, moringa, pandan and nopales. They also explored some unexpected cocktail ingredients, such as insects, spirulina, soil, tiger nuts, kombu and water.

The end result is a cocktail list with intriguing ingredients and flavours. For example, “Insects” (pictured above) is celebration of the unusual becoming usual, with a whiskey sour with dry and smokey notes, using Michter’s bourbon, Campari, Nixta Corn Liqueur, crickets, chicatanas, coffee and lime.

Meanwhile, “Kombu” combines sweetness and umami. Designed to make you feel like you’re sipping it beside the sea, it is made from Macallan 12, kombu, Oloroso, chocolate wine, martini bitters and Tio Pepe.A fruity option, “Nopales” is bitter and refreshing, combining Roku Gin, Sakura Mancino, cactus leaves, prickly pear and London Essence tonic.“Moringa” is a margarita-style drink with herbal notes and a hint of bergamot thanks to its make-up of Casamigos Blanco, Italicus, moringa, lime and aduki beans.“Beetroot” is a celebration of the vegetable’s natural sugars – the cocktail has a vivid, peppering taste, combining Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, Asahi, beetroot and Sichuan peppercorn.Meanwhile, “Jackfruit” is a fresh and fruity mocktail, concocted from Everleaf Mountain, Everleaf Forest, Oddbird sparkling rosé, soy milk and jackfruit.Ingredients of the Future embodies Artesian’s ethos around modern hospitality, combining imaginative and progressive mixology with refined, effortless style.

The development of the innovative new menu was a collaboration between Artesian’s head bartender Giulia Cuccurullo, bar manager Lorenza Pezzetta, and assistant bar manager Nikos Tachmazis.

Cuccurullo says: “We are excited to launch our new cocktail menu, Ingredients of the Future. As a team we wanted this menu to combine both our creative and progressive mixology approach, whilst also offering the potential to have a positive impact on our world, through a series of future ingredients mixed into delicious and unique cocktails.”

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From 2025, Zephalto will take intrepid gourmands to the edge of space in a dining capsule attached to a helium-filled balloon. Rose Dykins reports

Zephalto is taking bookings for an out-of-this-world dining experience coming in 2025, which will transport people up in capsule attached to a balloon for lunch in the stratosphere.

The French low-carbon balloon travel company promises to float up to six people at a time 15.5 miles above the surface of the earth for an unforgettable meal, which will cost £105,000 per head.

Diners will travel in a pressurised capsule carried by a balloon “the size of Sacré Coeur”. The vehicle will float upwards at a speed of 13 feet per second.

Vincent Farret d’Astiès, founder of Zephalto told Bloomberg: “We choose [15.5 miles] high because it’s the altitude where you are in the darkness of space, with 98 per cent of the atmosphere below you, so you can enjoy the curvature of the Earth in the blue line. You’re in the darkness of space, but without the zero gravity experience.”Taking off from Zephalto’s spaceport in France, guests will arrive a couple of days before take-off to enjoy exclusive events and to prepare  for the process.

On the day of the flight, passengers board the capsule and travel 15.5 miles above the earth’s surface, with the ascent lasting 90 minutes. They’ll spend three hours floating in the air before descending, and the whole experience will last six hours in total.

During the three-hour meal, diners will be treated to meals created by French chefs and guided wine tastings from an onboard sommelier. The interiors of the dining capsule are designed by Joseph Dirand, the creative mind behind Paris’s Loulou  and Monsieur Bleu restaurants, and the Balmain and Givenchy stores in the French capital.

Zephalto’s balloons are equipped with wifi, so passengers will be able to livestream their experience to their followers (though they might be too busy enjoying the incredible view of the earth from above).

The Overview Effect is the term for the extraordinary emotion astronauts have described when looking own on earth from space, an experience that gives an entire new perspective on the universe and our place within it.

Zephalto is committed to presenting a low-carbon alternative to space travel. Compared to a suborbital rocket-based flight that emits 4.5 tonnes of CO2 per passenger – which would increase the temperature of the Antarctica by 1 degree celcius after 1,000 flights – Zephalto’s balloons generate 26.6 kg of CO2 per trip, making it one of the least polluting means for travelling to the stratosphere.

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An Australian cultured meat start-up has harnessed woolly mammoth DNA to grow a sustainable meatball that’s light on the planet. Olivia Palamountain reports

Ever imagined coming face to face with a woolly mammoth? Well, now you can – in the form of a volleyball-sized meatball.

Australian cultured meat start-up, Vow, has created a giant orb of lab-grown meat, produced with a DNA sequence from the fabled animal eaten by people in the Stone Age (great for people on the Paleo diet).

If that sounds like something you’d like to eat: bad news. The meatball is an experiment designed to highlight the environmental impacts of standard agricultural practices and present cultured meat as a viable option for food production in the future.Unveiled at the Nemo science museum in Amsterdam, the meatball was cooked with a blow torch in front of an audience. Although no one tasted it, they reported it as smelling like crocodile meat.

“We wanted to get people excited about the future of food being different to potentially what we had before,” Tim Noakesmith, a co-founder of Vow told Mike Corder of the Associated Press (AP).

“We thought the mammoth would be a conversation starter. What we wanted to do was see if we could create something that was a symbol of a more exciting future that’s not only better for us, but also better for the planet.”According to The Guardian, the company has already investigated the potential of more than 50 species, including alpaca, buffalo, crocodile, kangaroo, peacocks and different types of fish. The first cultivated meat to be sold to diners will be Japanese quail, which the company expects will be in restaurants in Singapore this year.

Not the first time Globetrender has reported on lab-grown meats, the woolly mammoth meatball joins the likes of cultured salmon from Californian start-up Wildtype and cultured chicken on the menu at The Chicken restaurant in Tel Aviv.

San Francisco-based Air Protein has even made a meat substitute from elements found in the air.

Seren Kell, science and technology manager at the nonprofit Good Food Institute, which promotes alternatives to animal products, told the Guardian’s Damian Carrington she hopes the mammoth meatball “will open up new conversations about cultivated meat’s extraordinary potential to produce more sustainable food”.

According to The Smithsonian, woolly mammoths roamed across Eurasia and North America from 700,000 years ago to 4,000 years ago.

Following the last Ice Age, the species was driven to extinction, perhaps from a combination of human hunting and changes in the climate.

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The Dorchester hotel in London has opened Cake and Flowers, a destination patisserie and florist selling gourmet cakes and couture florals. Jenny Southan reports

Following the lead of the Connaught, the Berkeley and Claridge’s, which now all have destination cafés selling highly Instagrammable baked goods, the Dorchester has debuted Cake and Flowers as part of an ambitious transformation project. (Globetrender recently reviewed its revamped ground-floor bars and Promenade restaurant.)

Bringing together the talents of designer florist Philip Hammond and executive pastry chef Michael Kwan, the patisserie-florist has its own entrance on the Deanery Street corner of the hotel. Complete with mirrors, marble counters and mosaic floors, the opulent interiors have been designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, with the intention of inspiring “joie de vivre”. On display will be signature cakes to take away in chic packaging, gift hampers, floral bouquets and a selection of champagnes and artisan chocolates. Hammond has been crafting floral arrangements for the Dorchester since 2010 and was behind the creation of the hotel’s signature rose variety, the Dorchester Rose. Now, his bespoke, hand-crafted bouquets and floral masterpieces will be available for purchase at Cake and Flowers, both for pre-order collection and delivery. The boutique’s products will also be available online for delivery in central London.Kwan joined the Dorchester team in January 2022. Highlights include his take on the Dorchester Rose – a cake made with rose and jasmine cream, compressed pear and coconut crunch – as well as a citrus and orange blossom pavlova, with yuzu and bergamot meringue, citrus compote, orange blossom cream and confit citrus. Meanwhile his signature Tree Cake will change seasonally and include flavours such as cherry blossom tea mousse and sour cherry in the spring.

Open daily 10am-7pm.

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