Our stories
From farm to fries
With operations stretching across 19 countries, HMSHost International gathers global experience to make a difference on a local level. We are all about creating a personal experience for our guests, and part of this is giving them a sense of place. Whether at our Qfta store at the International Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul, or at Pommes Frites at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, we want our guests to experience where they are, to make the airport visit part of the travel experience. Part of this is through tapping into local suppliers. This way we can authentically create local flavours at our restaurants, and ensure the freshest ingredients are available with the smallest footprint.
Sense of pride
Choosing to work with local suppliers makes us more attractive to locally-based travellers as they can identify with their cuisine and may recognise our suppliers. There is a sense of pride in seeing your local products. In combination with engaged, attentive local staff, who are genuinely interested in going the extra mile for our guests, HMSHost creates an authentic experience. And for non-local travellers it is the encounter with a local taste of what awaits them in the destination country.
From farmer to fries
A great example of a successful local cooperation is the collaboration with Dutch potato farmer Henk Scheele. Together with his business partner René de Zeeuw, Henk is responsible for the potatoes that are exclusively harvested for our concept ‘Pommes Frites’ at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. These solely grown potatoes are freshly cut in store in front of the guests' eyes and processed into crispy golden brown fries.
Harvest Henks’ way
According to Henk you can’t make fries from all varieties of potato. “You need a potato with a high starch content. And therefore you have to let it grow for a long time. The potato needs time to mature. That is why you only harvest it at the end of September or the beginning of October. That’s when the potato is completely full of starch. The taste is determined by the variety on the one hand, but also the circumstances and the soil in which it has grown are very important. If you have beautiful young, lime-rich sea clay, then you get an optimum taste.” And of course that is exactly the type of soil that Henk offers his potatoes.
Interested in how HMSHost International can generate a local sense of pride in your high traffic location? Don’t hesitate to contact us.