Can you cater a reception after a doctoral defence?

Yes, that option works well. We time the start of the service to the expected end of the defence and can shift by a quarter of an hour if the jury runs over. Small pieces of pizza and an aperitivo keep the reception smooth and informal.

Do you also come during graduation season?

Certainly, although that period is popular. Enquire in good time with the date, location and number of guests. Whether it is a graduation party in the parents’ garden or a reception for a whole year group, we adapt the setup to the gathering.

Can the oven stand in the courtyard of a university building?

That is for the building’s manager to decide. Technically we need a space open to the sky for smoke extraction, and level ground for the tent. Ask the facilities department what is allowed and send us their contact details.

What about vegan colleagues from abroad?

A few vegetarian pizzas are always part of the selection. Vegan and gluten-free guests can ask for a pizza of their own, made apart from the rest. An allergen list arrives beforehand, which helps with an international group and varied eating habits.

Pizza catering in Leuven

Leuven runs on the rhythm of the university: graduation ceremonies in summer, doctoral defences all year round, a city that fills up again in September. Pizza catering fits that rhythm, from a reception after a defence to a garden party in Heverlee or Kessel-Lo.

After the defence

You celebrate a doctorate with family, colleagues and the jury. Pizza in pieces and a glass of wine turn that reception into a warm, relaxed moment.

Historic surroundings

Around Park Abbey or Arenberg Castle the setting calls for a refined, understated setup. The fire may be seen; the rest stays sober.

Green outlying districts

Heverlee, Kessel-Lo and Wilsele have spacious gardens close to woods and parks, ideal for an evening with the wood-fired oven at its heart.

A city with an academic calendar

Anyone planning a party in Leuven takes the university into account. During the exams in January and June the student districts are quiet, but graduations and graduation parties follow right after. A doctoral defence almost always ends with a reception, often in a courtyard or garden close to the faculty. Pizza in small pieces, eaten standing, suits such a moment perfectly.

For a reception after the defence, a short, intense service works: an Aperitivo of focaccia and bruschetta, followed by a few rounds of classics and seasonal pizzas. The newly minted doctor can walk around and talk to everyone, without worrying about the food. A glass of prosecco or another Italian wine makes it festive.

From the Vaartkom to the Heverleebos

The Vaartkom, where the canal to Mechelen begins, has grown in recent years into a lively district of old industrial buildings, new homes and waterside terraces. Companies and young start-ups like to choose it for a summer drink or launch. The oven outside on the quay, guests inside and out: an easygoing format that suits the neighbourhood.

South of the centre lies Heverlee, with villa districts on the edge of the Heverleebos and the Meerdaalwoud. Families with large gardens live there, and Communions, birthdays and summer parties are celebrated there. A Full experience with antipasti, Pizza à volonté and tiramisu or cannoli gives such an evening a proper arc, without the host having to cook.

In Kessel-Lo and Wilsele the gardens are a little smaller, but the request stays the same. We look for a level spot in the open air or under a shelter, big enough for the smallest tent, and a route along which the equipment can get in. A lawn between terraced houses is often enough, provided the neighbours get a heads-up.

Access and setup in Leuven

The centre inside the ring road works with a traffic plan and is largely low-traffic. An address in the inner city therefore needs a well-planned approach and an agreed loading moment. Send us the address, the access and the day’s programme. Together with the venue or the city we fix where and when we may unload, and we arrive in good time to get the oven hot.

On office campuses such as the research park in Haasrode there is usually plenty of room, including for a second baking station when the group is large. Give us the name of the person in charge on site and any safety rules of the site. After the service we leave the pitch clean, so the campus can carry on as normal the next morning.