This May, the Corinthia Hotel London launches the Sleep Menu as part of the ‘Power of Sleep’ project throughout the hotel. The pressures of modern day life make a sound night’s sleep an increasingly difficult challenge; shortfalls in the recommended seven hours sleep per night are often attributed to longer working hours, distractions from technology - particularly smart phones, and excessive caffeine consumption. Through the project, the hotel strives to welcome all guests with a night of quality sleep. Executive chef Garry Hollihead has worked with nutritional therapist Jeannette Hyde to design the Sleep Menu, available in The Northall restaurant, the offering will be selection of food and drink to ensure hotel guests, and visiting diners, have the best possible chance of a good night’s rest.
Garry Hollihead showcases his talents alongside the highest quality ingredients sourced from British artisanal suppliers in the Sleep Menu, which is based on four principles, as recommended by Jeanette Hyde. The first rule is to include a portion of protein with each meal, which helps to balance blood sugar levels and avoid cravings for stimulants which may be unhelpful to relaxation. Secondly, foods rich in proteins containing amino acid tryptophan are beneficial in the last meal of the day as tryptophan is used to make the sleep hormone melatonin. Foods such as salmon, haddock, eggs, pumpkin seeds and walnut oil are rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids and important for brain health. Lastly, foods rich in magnesium help to relax the muscles and mind.
The Sleep Menu is an all-day dining offering, with additions to the existing breakfast menu, blueberry protein shake with flaxseed, almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts and Bircher muesli, designed to help promote healthy sleep from waking. The menu has a three-course lunch or dinner selection, with offerings such as spinach and nettle soup to start, main dishes include roast hake with smoked haddock, spring onion risotto and curried velouté and poached duck eggs with fondant potatoes, celeriac, wild mushrooms with new season garlic. Sleep enhancing desserts on the menu include a malted milk panna cotta and toast ice cream with caramelised bananas.
In addition to the restaurant menu, guests can order a bedtime wind-down snack of sunflower seed butter, banana, and pumpkinseed cookie with Horlicks milk or Valerian tea, which can be enjoyed in The Northall or served to resident guests in their bedrooms. These soporific treats have been chosen for the amino acid tryptophan-rich pumpkinseeds, which, combined with the lactose sugar in milk, is proven to trigger the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
“There are many factors which can disrupt sleep, but eating food of excellent provenance containing quality proteins, vitamins, and minerals can only be a good thing if you want to feel better and sleep better. The food on this menu has been sourced by executive chef Garry Hollihead from the best, small, artisanal, food producers in the UK, keeping air miles down and nutrient-density high”, comments nutritional therapist Jeannette Hyde.
The Sleep Menu is available in The Northall restaurant at the Corinthia London Hotel throughout May and June. Additional activity within the hotel’s ‘Power of Sleep’ project includes novel spa treatments, room comforts, and weekend-long sleep packages. Dr Guy Meadows, of the London Sleep School and author of The Sleep Book (Orion), is the hotel’s resident sleep coach throughout this activity.
The Sleep Menu at the Northall
Give in to the ‘Power of Sleep’
This article is connected to The Northall
Published Apr 15, 2014