Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts Launches Innovative New Culinary Concept, FoodieKiDS

Picky eaters or adventurous culinary kiddos, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts debuted a new concept for its littlest diners, FoodieKiDS. The children’s menu was crafted after global research saw 5,500 parents of children 12 and under from six different markets interviewed about children’s eating habits.

According to the study, 77 percent of parents believe hotels should provide more healthy options on kids’ menus, with the top three most-eaten foods globally being pizza (44 percent), chicken nuggets (35 percent) and chips (32 percent). Despite limited options, the majority of parents, at 58 percent, said they try to ensure children eat something nutritious with every meal while on holiday.

Armed with this and more information from the globe-trotting families, Jumeirah’s FoodieKiDS menu elevates the available options, offering enticing and nutritious options for children. The menu will be piloted at Jumeirah Beach Hotel before being rolled out across the portfolio. Through Oct. 31, at Jumeirah Beach Hotel kids under 16 enjoy complimentary meals when staying with parents as part of the Ultimate Staycation package.

“Everyone enjoys a treat on holiday, but the staples on many children’s menus can be repetitive and do not necessarily offer much nutritional value. Parents have told us it can be a challenge to get their children to eat varied and wholesome food when dining out or on holiday so we wanted to support by giving them even more choice in terms of delicious dishes packed with goodness that the kids will love,” said Michael Ellis, chief culinary officer, Jumeirah Group.

Specifically, when it comes to U.S. parents, when on holiday, 63 percent have taken steps to encourage kid to eat healthily, with 35 percent giving incentives to their children to eat more healthily. Of those surveyed, 36 percent say they would be more likely to book a trip if the food and beverage options look appealing.

“Our talented chefs came up with an imaginative menu with a healthy twist that we know children will want to eat, because some foodies helped us create it. A group of young diners tasted our healthier options, had fun with our theatre on a plate and told us what they wanted from their menu,” continued Ellis. “Having worked and eaten at some of the world’s best restaurants, I’ve seen firsthand how chefs can be creative and innovative with various ingredients to present an appealing dish, which we’ve put our food to the test and scrutiny of our biggest critics: children, and we found that when prepared and presented in a way to appeal to kids, our dishes with more fruits and vegetables, wholemeal options and less salt were a huge hit. At Jumeirah, we like to do things differently when it comes to dining and always strive to meet the ever-evolving needs of our guests so they can live the moment and make the most of their time with us. FoodieKiDS does just that and is something that will not only give parents extra peace of mind, but also make their stay with us even more memorable.”