‘F&B is what makes the Pukkelpop festival complete, we could say’

The food and beverages (F&B) experience plays a key role in the success of events. Gondola Food Service discussed the importance and evolution of food and beverages with Frederik Luyten, spokesperson for Pukkelpop, one of Belgium's largest festivals.

While early festivals focused exclusively on music and ambiance, food and beverages are now an essential part of the experience. A diverse and high-quality culinary offering can make the difference between a successful event and a missed opportunity. It's also a way for organizers to stand out, keep audiences on site longer, and generate additional revenue. Gondola Food Service spoke with Frederik Luyten about the importance and evolution of food and beverage at Pukkelpop, one of Belgium's largest festivals. Interview.

Gondola Foodservice: What food and drink options does Pukkelpop offer?

Frederik Luyten : We're very committed to our diverse offering. As for drinks, there are, of course, the classics: sodas, pilsners and specialty beers, wine, coffee, and water. But we also offer cocktails, including a very popular Aperol stand. Non-alcoholic drinks are clearly on the rise. That's why, in collaboration with our partner Cristal Alken, we'll even be offering a 0.0% pilsner on tap starting this year.

We're also seeing a growing demand for mocktails, a wide variety of which we've been offering for several years. As for food, we combine classics like fries, kebabs, and sandwiches with more innovative and high-quality concepts. Ten years ago, we launched Food Wood: a separate area with 25 hand-picked food trucks, where the focus is on artisanal cuisine with a focus on quality and presentation.

Prices are therefore slightly higher than at traditional food stalls. The Food Wood food trucks are selected by Pukkelpop: we visit and test them all beforehand. Since we love to surprise our audience, we're constantly on the lookout for new concepts and originality.

As a result, Food Wood offers at least a third of completely new products – both in terms of products and suppliers – every year. Moreover, we also see new concepts appearing at regular food stalls.

Our regular partner, Bevers & Bevers, strives for constant innovation, including offering dishes like sushi, poke bowls, vegetarian and vegan options, and healthy meals. Both the general public and gourmets will find something to their liking at Pukkelpop.

Is this offering comparable to other festivals or is your approach unique?

Many of the elements are found at other festivals, but our Food Wood is unique among Belgian festivals. I dare say that many of our visitors are eager to come and discover our new offerings.

How do you compose the assortment offered?

Bevers & Bevers, our food partner, can draw on a wealth of experience: they know what works and what appeals to the public. They provide us with advice, but above all, they are one of the driving forces behind our overall experience, thanks to the many ideas they translate into an innovative assortment each year. Of course, we also monitor market trends and hire a food consultant to monitor compliance with hygiene regulations and the overall quality of the products offered during the festival.

Do you also ask the public about their preferences?

That would take us too far: our goal is and remains to create a beautiful lineup. But as I've already said, we follow trends and are happy to listen to the advice of our food partner.

Have you seen the range offered evolve over the years?

There's been a huge evolution in the last twenty years, both in terms of drinks and food. Above all, our visitors demand a wide selection, including vegetarian, vegan, and healthy alternatives. And as I mentioned, non-alcoholic drinks are more popular than ever. The days of the hegemony of the classics are clearly over, even though they still account for around 60% of what's consumed at Pukkelpop.

How do you set prices? In recent years, we've heard many people complain about the excessive prices charged at festivals.

We try to remain as affordable as possible. Everyone feels that life has increased, and unfortunately, festivals are no exception. However, we try not to increase the price of many classics. For example, a bag of fries with sauce has been two tickets for years.

It's true that ticket prices have increased slightly, but not as much as potatoes or the price of oil. And given the success of our Food Wood, our visitors are clearly willing to pay a little more for quality and innovation.

We also strive to remain as transparent as possible: thanks to our app, our visitors immediately know what they can eat and drink for 2 or 3 tickets (around 10 euros). This allows everyone to make choices based on their budget.

How important is F&B financially to Pukkelpop?

Along with ticket sales, F&B is our main source of revenue.

How are payments organized on the site?

We still work with classic drink tickets. It's a simple system that our festivalgoers appreciate. Pukkelpop is therefore immune to complaints about cashless systems—like wristbands or searchable cards. Sure, this requires us to hire extra staff, but that's simply our approach.

Does F&B also play a role in the festival experience?

F&B has steadily grown in importance over the years. We can even say that it's now an integral part of the Pukkelpop Experience. The Food Wood is a good example: a cozy zone entirely dedicated to quality food. In other locations, we adapt the food and drink stalls to the identity of the zones.

Additionally, we've increased the number of seating options in recent years. Our Look&Feel department is working hard on the role of food and beverage in the overall festival and campsite experience. With Beer Schack and PKP Café, we even have two authentic cafés on site!

Moreover, we are very proud of the efforts we have made to ensure that all the drinks served on site are very cold, which is not always easy, especially in high temperatures.

What are the challenges related to F&B?

The long periods of drought we've experienced in recent years create additional risks. Consider food trucks with open flames: we'll check with the fire department whether we can allow them or not. The introduction of reusable cups also presents particular challenges. Although we have an almost entirely circular system, we were forced to switch to reusable cups last year to comply with the legislation.

Unfortunately, such a system entails enormous logistical costs. It is impossible for us to wash cups on site: as we are located in a residential area, the water pressure does not allow it. This pressure is in fact entirely allocated to the operation of toilets and other sanitary facilities, as this is a public health priority.

To wash the cups, we therefore have to transport them elsewhere, which represents an additional cost of several hundred thousand euros. We are therefore requesting consultation with the authorities to jointly find better and more cost-effective solutions.

What are the challenges in food hygiene?

We take this matter very seriously and scrupulously follow all hygiene rules and regulations. Each stall receives clear instructions and must have all necessary permits. All food stalls have a water and electricity connection at the rear. Our consultant conducts checks and provides support if necessary.

To what extent does F&B affect the festival's energy consumption?

F&B is certainly not the biggest consumer—it's the various stages. Most of the F&B infrastructure runs on generators, the majority of which have been powered by blue diesel since last year. This has allowed us to significantly reduce our CO₂ emissions.

Additionally, a small portion of the infrastructure runs on gas. We're also committed to educating our F&B partners about energy conservation. But since they're the ones paying for it, all our tips and tricks are generally well received.

Who works in F&B? Are they volunteers?

All employees of our F&B partners are paid. The bars are staffed by volunteers. To achieve this, we work with nonprofit organizations, supplemented by individuals recruited through the crew. The nonprofit organizations receive compensation, and individual employees receive a volunteer allowance.

What about catering for artists and festival staff?

For artists, we work with a professional caterer who tailors the offerings to the specifications. Here too, we're seeing a similar trend to F&B trends on the site. In principle, everything is communicated in advance so we can offer the requested service to everyone. Consider special lactose-free or gluten-free recipes.

Occasionally, an artist may prefer to bring their own chef. For example, we once had to convert a dressing room into a kitchen. Once, an artist ordered 40 pizzas, but since the band and crew had to leave early after the concert, our staff ate well that evening. With artists, there's always a bit of tension and the unexpected... For the crew, we provide fresh sandwiches, soup, fruit, and coffee 24/7...

Is marketing an important factor for F&B at Pukkelpop?

Without a doubt! We inform our visitors about the full offering in advance. The Food Wood has its own page on our website. And bars like the Beer Shack and PKP Café actively contribute to our brand experience.

Are there any fun ideas you've tried recently?

In 2024, we successfully introduced three croquette vending machines, similar to those found at festivals in the Netherlands. The success was such that we'll be repeating this initiative this year. There's also our VIP area, where we traditionally serve typical Limburg dishes from Cellini and Santi. We welcome 500 people daily for a gourmet buffet or a seated dinner with wine pairing.

How do you see F&B at festivals evolving in the future?

F&B is constantly evolving, and we want to continue to embrace the latest trends. But only if we can guarantee a decent price-quality ratio. We're already fully committed to diversity, with around 180 different options on our website, and we may expand our range further.