Locally sourced food is all the rage: A hotel restaurant touting its “farm-to-table” cred might feature greens harvested from its own garden or beef that until recently was grazing in the vicinity.
That wasn’t always the case. The September 1969 issue of Service World International, the predecessor publication of HOTELS magazine, cited increasing numbers of travelers who demanded not only a unique meal but the culinary comforts of home, as well. That meant hoteliers stocked Japanese beer, French paté—and plenty of Coca-Cola.
“If we can’t get the produce we want locally, and we feel it’s important to include the item on the menu, then we import,” said Maurice Reymond, then director of food and beverage at Le Western, a restaurant at the Paris Hilton where staff dressed in Wild West-period attire. American influence extended elsewhere, as well.
“Many well-known international restaurants are now serving American foods,” said Nick Bravos, director of food and beverage operations for Holiday Inns. “International travelers, as well as local customers, demand it.”
Added InterContinental’s Peter Balas: “After all, Indian water
buffalo is not the same as prime beef.” It’s not—but nowadays,
somewhere, it’s on a local menu, and tourists are eating it up.
This article was published by Barbara Bohn in HotelsMagazine on 11th February 2016, under the title: “#TBT: Before ‘hyper-local,’ it was 'international'”
