selection of nigiri sushi okura at home

The perfect packaging for an exquisite dining experience

If there is one wooden packaging that says 2020, it’s the box for the Okura at Home concept! What started as a service product for loyal customers of the Amsterdam branch of the international hotel chain, is now a resounding success. It really turned out to be the next level in home food delivery.

“It was quite a step for us to start delivering our dinners to our guests’ homes. But it was a conscious decision to start doing so nonetheless. The Okura concept is all about quality, perfection and a sublime dining experience. If we were going to offer home delivery, we wanted to do it the Okura way,” according to Tim Maathuis, Assistant F&B Director at Hotel Okura Amsterdam.

Unique dinner box

When you place an order at Hotel Okura Amsterdam, you can expect a dinner that is unique in both taste and experience. The box is not delivered in a simple paper bag, but wrapped in an authentic Japanese muslin cloth. Maathuis: “The dishes are delivered in a custom-made wooden box. The idea is based on the Japanese bento box, and the dimensions of the box ensure that it displays the dishes in the best possible way.”

A great service product

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, loyal guests of Hotel Okura Amsterdam are no longer able to visit their favourite restaurant. “We wanted to offer our guests a fine dining experience at home. The Okura at Home box was developed as a service product. We wanted to take our guests along on a journey of discovery of the world of our chefs. Everything is prepared right down to the finest detail. By offering a clear concept and explanatory videos, everyone can serve up our famous dishes,” says Maathuis.

With the holidays coming up, Okura is meeting the need for fine dining at home with a small group of guests. To make it a really exquisite experience, guests can enjoy delicious restaurant food at home, combined with the atmospheric Okura play list. “We were not surprised to see the Okura at Home concept become such a tremendous success! The way in which Okura is bringing home delivery and at home dining to the next level is just amazing. Every detail is correct,” according to Antoon Pelgrim, Sales Manager at Krepel. “It is great to work with clients that share our love for unique packaging.”

Partnership

The great reviews and extensive social media exposure have boosted the sales of the Okura at Home box. “The decision to start home deliveries was triggered by the COVID-19 measures imposed, but it does not mean that this will be a temporary concept. We paid a lot of attention to perfecting the concept. All the details have been worked out, from the explanatory videos to the packaging. We expect home dining to remain popular in the future, especially with the luxury of a hotel dinner, and we want to meet that need with Okura at Home. We see the collaboration with Krepel, who provides the packaging, as a true partnership. Krepel has the same ideas about quality as Okura. They are very critical about the entire process, are flexible and understand how important packaging is. It is the only way to develop the perfect product together.”