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Pizza van hire
Pizza van hire costs £10 to £16 per head for pizza cooked to order over a two to three-hour service, and most vans set a minimum charge of £600 to £900. A wood-fired oven cooks a pizza in 60 to 90 seconds, so one van keeps up with a crowd better than most food cooked to order.
What this covers
What it costs. Pizza van hire costs £10 to £16 per head for unlimited pizza over a two to three-hour service, with a minimum charge of £600 to £900 for most private events. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- Wood-fired pizza as evening food at a barn wedding
- Unlimited pizza for a garden party of 60
- A pizza van at a school summer fair, selling to families
- Pizza, salads and dessert pizzas for an informal wedding meal
- A staff party in a car park with a gas-fired pizza trailer
What is involved
The van, trailer or converted horsebox arrives an hour or two before service with dough, sauce and toppings prepared, fires the oven and cooks to order. Most private bookings are unlimited pizza for a set window from a menu of four to six pizzas, including vegetarian and often vegan options, with sides, salads and dessert pizzas as upgrades. At public events the van sells to guests directly.
Pizza vans are a summer business. Searches and bookings peak from May to August, and some vans stop trading over the winter, though many still take indoor corporate and Christmas bookings with a gazebo oven. A wood-fired oven gives off smoke, so the van needs to sit downwind of guests and away from marquee walls. Gluten-free bases are common, but a base cooked in the same oven as ordinary pizza may not be safe for someone with coeliac disease; ask how they handle it.
The practical check is the pitch. Ask for the van's size and weight, whether it can go on grass, how close to the guests it needs to be, and whether it needs power or brings a generator. caterers.trade lists only caterers rated 3 or above, or Pass in Scotland.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask how the price is set: unlimited for a set time, or a number of pizzas per guest. Ask what menu choices are included and what the vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are. Ask what they need on site, including pitch size, ground, access and power. Ask about bad weather. And ask how many events they cover on one day, because a van can only be in one place.
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Common questions
How much does it cost to hire a pizza van?
£10 to £16 per head for unlimited pizza over two to three hours, with a minimum charge of about £600 to £900 for a private event. Wedding packages with sides and dessert pizzas run £15 to £22 per head.
Is a pizza van good for a wedding?
It works well for evening food and for relaxed weddings where the main meal is informal. For a timed, seated wedding breakfast, one van serving 100 guests to order can take longer than plated service, so ask about their pace or book a second oven.
How much pizza do I need per person?
Most vans allow roughly one 10 to 12-inch pizza per adult when pizza is the main meal, and less for evening food after a meal. On unlimited packages the van keeps cooking for the agreed time.
Can a pizza van do gluten-free pizza?
Many offer gluten-free bases. Cooked in a shared oven alongside ordinary pizza, they may not be safe for someone with coeliac disease, so ask how the van separates them.
Does a pizza van need electricity?
A wood-fired oven does not, but lights, fridges and card machines may. Many vans bring a generator or ask for a mains hook-up; check before the day.