For those of you who know Sue Keels, EventTrender Co-Founder and Director of Sales and Marketing at the Royal Park Hotel, you must also know that she has a secret obsession for gingerbread! Sue and the RPH team play a very important role in "making spirits bright" for thousands of guests this season. The holidays are always magical at the Royal Park, filled with many joyful hotel happenings.
The lavish grand lobby features Rochester's Largest Gingerbread House which has become a tradition for families to visit year after year. Inspired by many passionate Royal Park associates including a team of talented pastry chefs and engineers who start designing the sweet gingerbread house in August.
The gingerbread house has been in our lives forever it seems. It's magical enchantment springs to life as the holiday season approaches, and it's memory lingers throughout the year to put a smile and sparkle on our faces.
Gingerbread houses come in all shapes and sizes, are displayed in moderate proportion from inside our homes to extremely elaborate models as the focal point in hotels, lobbies of enterprising businesses and so many other locations. The Royal Park Hotel even hosts a ribbon cutting at the beginning of each season to kick off gingerbread fever!
E-Trenders - have you ever entertained or questioned where or how it all began?
We need to travel back in time...
Ginger is a spice from Indo-Malaysia and believed to sooth an upset stomach. In 2000 B.C wealthy Greek families sailed to the Isle of Rhodes for spiced cakes. Ginger was then introduced to the Europeans in the eleventh century which led to the English creating ginger candy.
Two hundred years later, breadcrumbs were added and gingerbread, almost as we know it, was born. In Queen Elizabeth - the first regime, molasses replaced the breadcrumbs and the gingerbread became more cake-like, evolving and leading to the shaping and building of The Gingerbread House. After this time, gingerbread houses became popular in America and caught on quickly to the creative eye, becoming more detailed and playful and a true work of art.
The folktale of Hansel and Gretel became world famous and Germany began it's many traditions and competitions as did America. The Gingerbread House is a lovely and timeless legion that appeals to all ages and imaginations.
We are not done with gingerbread fever yet E-Trenders! Stay tuned for our next post - we have asked Jenn Tilton, one of the pastry chefs at the Royal Park Hotel and owner of Indulge by Jenn to share some gingerbread recipes and the ET gals have a few ideas up there sleeve as well!
Also, don't forget to enter to win a $50.00 Lowe's gift card! Post a picture of your mantel-scape on the EventTrender facebook page or on the Patch.com! Here is a picture of the Royal Park Hotel mantel-scape for a little inspiration!
One winner will be randomly selected on December 23rd! For full details, check out our EventTrender blog post here and good luck! We can't wait to see all of your ET holiday creativity.
Also - a shout out to E-Trender Judy Rizzo for helping us research the history of gingerbread and also thank you to Arising Images who took all of the gingerbread house photography. Prem - you have an amazing eye for imagery!
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