A surprise party, without the truck giving it away
A truck parked outside the house is visible from far off, and that is exactly what spoils a surprise. The fix is simple: we arrive after the guest of honour, not before, and we park a street away until they are inside. Say so when you book, with the exact arrival time of the person being celebrated. The crew waits for the organiser’s signal before opening the counter, and only lights the sign then.
Birthdays of a building, a neighbourhood, an association
A street party, a sports club anniversary, fifty years of an association: these are collective birthdays, with a shared budget and one person ordering. The difficulty is never the quantity but the place: a public square, a club ground, a shared courtyard in a co-ownership. In that last case, the managing agent’s agreement is worth more than one resident’s verbal consent, and it is obtained before booking.
A birthday at home, in a narrow street
Most of the birthdays we serve happen in front of a house, not in a hall. The question is then not quantity but parking: you need a free space outside your door, or a neighbour’s agreement for their driveway. In the tight streets of the centre it is the Velo Truck that travels. Warn the neighbours, and expect the gathering to be visible: this is one of the few desserts that brings a street outside.
Children’s birthdays
A children’s party does not count like an adult evening: one piece each, sometimes two, and many more for the parents who stay. The slot sits around 3 or 4 pm and rarely runs beyond an hour. The children come to the counter themselves, which is part of the fun; we serve slowly and without a scrum, with plenty of napkins.
The milestones people really celebrate
Forty, fifty, sixty, a retirement: parties where guests span three generations and dessert has to suit everyone. The pastel de nata is familiar to the oldest and new to the youngest. Count two pieces per person, three if you serve late, and do not forget the colleagues who drop in for an hour.
The birthday cake, in a version that moves around
A cake has to be cut, plated and handed out: that is twenty minutes of work for the host. Our pastéis de nata, baked that same morning, arrive by the tray and are picked up by hand. Nothing to slice, nothing to serve, nothing to wash. And you stay with your guests instead of standing in the kitchen.
In a garden, a hired hall or outside your home
The truck sets up in a driveway, on a car park, outside a house or a community hall. It is self-contained: no electricity, water or kitchen required. Where access is tight (an inner courtyard, a pedestrian street, a garden at the back of a plot), the Velo Truck gets through where the truck cannot.
How much to order for your guest count
Two pieces per person is enough when a meal has already been served, three if the foodtruck is the main dessert. The minimum is 100 pieces, in steps of 100, about thirty guests helping themselves more than once. Every 100 pieces gives you one free hour on site.
For the cake itself, you can also order a custom birthday cake.