Hotel Indigo implements neighbourhood food policy to broaden F&B appeal

21-Jan-2015 - Last updated on 26-Apr-2021 at 18:39 GMT

The new local food philosophy at Hotel Indigo Kensington is helping to boost F&B sales

InterContinental Hotels Group's (IHG) boutique brand Hotel Indigo has introduced a new neighbourhood food policy to its F&B offering to help broaden its appeal to guests and local customers.

The approach, which sees the hotel group partner with food producers local to each property, was piloted at its Kensington hotel last November and will now be rolled out to all new openings.

Under the initiative Hotel Indigo works with local food producers to provide much of the produce for its restaurants and retail areas.

Simon Burdess VP Food and Beverage, Europe, told BigHospitality the move had multiple benefits with guests better connecting with the geographical area they were staying in and the hotel being a more appealing proposition for locals as well as supporting local suppliers.

"The trial at Kensington has been fantastic," he said. "Food and beverage sales are up 50 per cent outside of breakfast and much of that growth has come from locals coming in and using the dining space. Guest satisfaction scores in this area are also higher."

He added: “Restaurants and bars are the heart and soul of any good neighbourhood. The Hotel Indigo F&B philosophy demands that you don’t have just another hotel restaurant. The key to this is using a retail element tailored to your community to help create a local landmark. If you are a hit with your locals, your guests will feel that they have got the inside line on the neighbourhood.”

Flavours of the Neighbourhood

To raise awareness of its new F&B philosophy, Hotel Indigo, which currently operates eight hotels in the UK and has another seven in the pipeline, has launched a competition to find the best food vendor, producer or artisan.

The Flavours of the Neighbourhood search invites small food producers and artisans to enter their products for a chance to win £1,000 and regional and national recognition. Entries, which should include an image and caption uploaded to the Hotel Indigo Facebook page, will be judged by farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty, Waitrose magazine editor William Sitwell and food blogger and chef Kerstin Rodgers.

Entries close on 15 February with the winner announced on 17 March.