Inspiration for the Christmas and New Year’s Eve table 2021

Christmas is just around the corner and it’s time to think about how to decorate home dining rooms, restaurants and hotel banqueting halls. After a tough few months for everyone, and especially for the hotel and catering industry, it’s time to get back to celebrating the holidays the way they deserve to be celebrated: in style. Let’s get started.

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Why are pizza boxes square if pizzas are round?

Out of the millions of questions that are asked every day on Google, there are some that are already mythical, due to the number of times they are repeated. “Why is the sky blue?”, “Why do cats purr?” or “Why are pizza boxes square if pizzas are round?” are some of those that have become part of the ranking of the most frequently asked questions on Google. We have the answer for at least for the latter.

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Reasons to be happy

The restaurant industry is smiling again. First and foremost, that is because the recovery of the sector is finally in sight. After some very tough months with severe restrictions, it seems that we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. The gastronomic sector wanted to start taking steps towards this desired «normality» by making some actions, such as recovering the awards that distinguish the best restaurants and chefs of the moment, and which had not been held for more than two years. The pandemic has not only punished the sector, but also has deprived it of the much-needed recognition and promotion that come with mentions in these international competitions when the sector needed it the most.

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The secret formula of «Grab & Go»

Who hasn’t ever stopped at a train station, airport or petrol station cafeteria with the intention of grabbing a quick bite to eat and continuing their journey? The «Grab & Go» concept was born precisely out of this need: grab something to eat that catches your eye and continue your way. No waiting. Without having to stop and sit down. But cafés or restaurants that want to offer their customers this type of service must consider a series of basic rules if they want to see their business prosper. Here are some of the secrets of a good «Grab & Go».

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Paper and cardboard packaging, a consumer favourite

Do we care about what product packaging is made of? Do we opt for recyclable packaging when shopping? Are we aware of the environmental benefits of paper and cardboard packaging? «Two Sides», an international nonprofit organisation working to promote a sustainable economy, decided to find out by surveying 5,900 citizens in nine European countries about their consumption habits. By doing so, we were able to find out more about our preferences and perceptions regarding the packaging materials used in the products we consume. The results are revealing.

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#THEPACK

Can single-use food packaging be reinvented? The answer is yes. If we ask consumers what an ideal disposable food packaging should look like today, most of them would be clear about this. The prevailing requirement should be sustainability. Containers have to be made of biodegradable and easily recyclable materials. Therefore, if there is one material that meets this requirement, and it is the first that comes to mind, it is cardboard.

The second requirement, but no less important, would be strength. A container must always be capable of fulfilling the function for which it is made. In this case, for serving food, it is essential that a box, a container or a cone for fries does not deteriorate with the moisture or grease that food inevitably releases. A good dish should never be ruined by an unsuitable container.

And last but not least, design. We are not discovering anything new if we say that a modern and attractive packaging makes customers as loyal to an establishment as the product itself. Beautiful packaging enhances a dish and may even end up being immortalised in one of the thousands of photographs that foodies post on social networks every day.

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Single-use paper and cardboard packaging is becoming more and more important in the fight against climate change

García de Pou echoes a recent study on the use of paper and cardboard packaging in the hotel and catering industry, which shows that we are on the right track to make our planet more sustainable. The comparative study on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) carried out by Ramboll concludes that quick service restaurants that use paper and cardboard packaging contribute to a lower consumption of drinking water, generate fewer CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and help to slow down the depletion of fossil fuels, compared to those that use reusable packaging. These are key factors in the European Union’s goals to end climate change.

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García de Pou, present in the EU Ecolabel Product Catalogue

At García de Pou we continue to strengthen our commitment to the environment. This is evidenced by the 300 products of our company that can be found in the European Ecolabel Catalogue, a list that aims to reward those companies that work with ecological criteria and give visibility to the products that have obtained this distinction.

Among our products with the Ecolabel distinction, all of them made of tissue paper, we can find «Maxi Jumbo» toilet paper, hand towel rolls, industrial and couch covering paper. There are also white and coloured napkins from the «Double Point» and «Quattro» ranges, as well as «Mini service» or «Kangaroo» napkins and the line of recycled napkins. Continue Reading

Jordi Labanda, cover of the new García de Pou Catalogue 2021

For yet another year, and this is the 30th, at García de Pou we wanted to elevate the cover of our catalogue to the category of art. Javier Mariscal, Forges, Antoni Pitxot, Quim Hereu, Leonard Beard and countless other artists have illustrated the cover in previous editions. On this occasion, it is the prestigious illustrator Jordi Labanda who is in charge of attracting all eyes and inviting them to take a look at the new García de Pou Catalogue 2021.

«I think it is a fantastic initiative that García de Pou is using visual artists to create its covers. This decision, so brave if you take a retrospective look, gives the brand an extra quality and excellence. The union of art and big business has always yielded interesting results», says the artist.

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Menus 0 – Placemats 1

Vintage style is all the rage as a new approach in the restaurant sector. While in the past we may have been surprised to go to a restaurant where the only option is that the waiters reel off the menu from memory, now it is a new requirement of lockdown easing. ‘Leave the menu alone and sit down properly’ is something we’re not going to be hearing from parents for some time, because, due to Covid-19 prevention measures, having a menu in restaurants is no longer permitted in order to avoid contact with surfaces that pass through many hands.

Imagination is power and innovation. And as long as the so-called ‘new normal’ ceases to be abnormal, alternatives must be sought, just in case waiters end up losing their voices. In fact, before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of the changes that have now suddenly come into force were already starting to be implemented. Occasionally, some things come to stay. So what options do restaurants have to provide information on food while maintaining maximum safety for all?

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