0451 115 552
info@pizzaalFresco.com.au
CUSTOMER SERVICE: MON-SAT 9am-5pm
HOW IT WORKS & FAQ
What happens at your event?
Once you've booked Pizza Alfresco for your event, we do the rest.
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1. We arrive 15-45 minutes before your entrée service time with our woodfired oven already primed and ready to cook.
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2. When you say "go", we begin our catering service with delicious entrée pizzas.
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3. Our friendly chefs bring the pizzas to a designated table so your guests can serve themselves (included in the price) from paddles.
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4. Then the mains are served, and served, and served... until everyone is full and guests have slowed down eating. When there are a few leftovers...
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5. We then tidy up the savoury toppings and switch to the sweet. Our desserts look and taste amazing and is the best way to finish your party.
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6. Once all your guests are no longer eating, we leave you with left over pizza, a fully tummy, wonderful memories and a successful event people will remember.
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Please note: We have provided the above as a guideline for the service that works best with hand-made pizzas. Please read all emails and requirements thoroughly before your event and ask any question you like. We prepare for each event as per the instructions in the emails or our discussions. If you make a style change without our knowledge, your event will not run as you expect and we cannot be held responsible for the outcome.
Our pizzas are delicious!
Your guests will first be served our delicious entree pizzas, like the bruschetta and garlic cheese crust. Just enough are served for all guests to have a slice or two, to tempt the taste buds and prepare for the mains.
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The mains pizzas come out on rotation three at a time every 3-5 minutes, going down the menu so your guests can try them all or just their favourites. These keep coming until guests slow down!
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Imagine your first taste of BBQ Meatlovers with the crispy pepperoni, tender ham and the tangy BBQ sauce, baked to perfection. Or the roasted sweetness of potato, carried by the tartness of sour cream and rosemary, balanced by a salty pieces of ham; our Patata pizza. Or the always favourite margherita with its stretchy cheese, flavoursome tomato and basil blended base, all with an added hint of a charcoal that only wood fire can give.
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After this, the dessert pizzas are slathered in sweet nutella with strawberries, or caramel and banana, or traditional apple crumble. Your guests will love the sweet ending to an amazing meal.
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We can also do a full vegetarian, halal, vegan or customised menu for you as well!
AND THEY'RE SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY
We've got the dough!
At Pizza Alfresco the dough is everything!! We use a 100 year old recipe handed down for generations in Carlo's family pizzerias in Naples, where the dough is matured, kneaded, stretched and formed by hand.
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We only use the hand-tossing technique which is essential to create a crust that is soft, light and full of flavour. Rollers stiffen the dough, making the final product tough to eat once it's been baked. Stretched dough is the only way to get the best pizzas!
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When you book Pizza Alfresco for your next party, function or event, you can be sure you are bringing a slice of Naples to your door.
IT'S WHAT MAKES OUR PIZZAS GREAT!
Why Woodfired Is Superior
ELECTRIC OR GAS OVENS JUST DON'T CUT IT!
If you want great pizza made in the traditional Italian way, you need to go woodfired. Our commercial woodfired ovens reache 400 - 450 degrees Celsius, so our pizzas are cooked in the extreme heat quickly while still maintaining the ingredients' taste and integrity. They only spend about 60 seconds in there, which absorb the subtle smoky flavour from the wood, and the dough is tinged with a hint of charcoal so that every bite, from the centre to the edge, teases your taste buds. These unique flavours make your corporate event or private party a raving success.
A big party? A large corporate event?
NEED TO FEED A HORDE? THAT'S OUR SPECIALITY.
No matter the size of your event, from 20 to 400, we can make sure every one of your guests are filled to the brim. Our mains pizzas are all-you-can-eat until guests are full, and are served every 3-5 minutes so even the largest events can be catered quickly.
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The benefit of hand-made pizza is we can be flexible even on the day. If you have speeches or cake cutting and need to pause your service, we can easily pause ours.
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We also do more than just pizzas!
WHEN YOU WANT SOMETHING ON THE SIDE
Recommended for parties of 45 guests or more. If you'd like your meal to have something extra, we also have available a range of salads, pastas, meat dishes and finger food. They're all hand-prepared and cooked fresh by our head chef so you're guaranteed an authentic taste that adds that something special to the side of your pizzas.
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When you book your event or party with us, ask about our side dishes, or click below to see them listed under our menu.
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Event Formats
Extensive experience in party catering has shown us that guests are fed most quickly and evenly with a 'smorgasbord-style' format. However, if you'd like your guests served directly in a cocktail-style, we may be able to provide wait staff to serve the pizzas at your event. We need minimum three weeks notice to arrange staff, so be sure to book early!
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(Buffet is self-service from a table. Cocktail is a standing party.)
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1. FULL BUFFET STYLE: your chefs bring the pizzas to a table for your guests to help themselves ‘buffet-style’. This is included in the price.
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2. PART COCKTAIL, PART BUFFET: Some pizzas are served to a table and others to your guests. Guests can help themselves to the table if the wait staff is serving elsewhere. Recommend 1 x wait person per 60 guests.
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3. FULL COCKTAIL: all guests served directly. Recommend 1 x wait person per 40 guests. Please note, a table will still be required for the left-over pizza.
4. SERVICE TO GUEST TABLES (FULLY SEATED): This style does not work with hand-made pizza because it slows the distribution, limits selection and may have certain pizzas run out. Unfortunately we cannot accept parties that have this format.
5. GUESTS CHOOSE PIZZAS: Unfortunately we cannot offer this service for our regular catering as some guests wait too long for their selection.
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Wait staff are paid separately at the party in cash (between $160 - $250).
Please contact us for costs and further info!
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OTHER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
​WHAT DO I NEED TO PROVIDE?
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A designated table for us to place the pizzas.
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Access to a power point. We bring a 20m extension lead to connect. If no power is available, we can use our generator for an extra $60.
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The equivalent of 2-3 car parking spaces for our equipment on firm, relatively flat space.
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Access to a tap (outside preferred). During summer, we require a hose attached to comply with our RFS fire ban exemption.
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CAN I REDUCE MY MENU TO ONE OR TWO COURSES?
Yes! We are happy to adapt our menu and do less courses for you. For corporate lunches, we find dropping the entrees is a good way to compact the service time. The price per head remains the same as people still eat the same number of pizzas.
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WHAT AREAS DO YOU COVER?
We are based in Western Sydney and stay predominately within Sydney metro, which is the area between Palm Beach and Cronulla to Narellan and North Richmond. Only for parties of 100 people or more we may travel to Wollongong, the Southern Highlands, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast, plus the travel fee. Please note it's not always possible to travel if we have other bookings that day or our limited resources cannot stretch to cover the time, so we may decline even if given notice.
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WHEN DO YOU ARRIVE TO SET UP?
Our oven comes hot and our toppings ready, so we only need 10 mins to set up. We arrive at the venue 20-45 minutes before the event to set up. Then, the first pizzas are served at your allocated time or when you give the go ahead. For example, if you have a 7:00pm function, we arrive at the venue between 6:15 - 6:45 with the first pizzas being served fresh and hot at 7:00.
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START TIMES ON SATURDAYS?
We cannot take bookings that start between 2:00pm - 5:00pm due to a high chance of booking clashes.
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DO YOU HAVE A TIME LIMIT?
Yes and no. You have us until your guests have stopped eating and there are a few left over pizzas, which for most functions is 1 to 3 hours. While other pizza catering services have a time limit of 3 hours, we are flexible according to your guest numbers. If you're having an all-nighter, we leave you with some for later. If you want service beyond people being full, or arrival more than 45 mins prior, we charge $200 per hour.
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IS THERE A MINIMUM PRICING PER PARTY?
These prices are the least you can expect to pay to hire us (not including sides, travel, dietary or generator). See our pricing pages for more information.
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HOW DO I SECURE THE BOOKING?
• CELEBRATIONS, PARTIES, GENERAL EVENTS
For events less than 6 months away, we only require written response to an email confirmation to secure the booking. For events more than 6 months in advance), we require a $200 non-refundable deposit (pay via EFT or Visa/Mastercard (1.3% surcharge)). If you do not reply in writing or a deposit isn't received, you may forfeit your booking.
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• WEDDINGS
$200 non-refundable deposit payable via EFT or Visa/Mastercard (1.3% surcharge)
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• CORPORATE, SCHOOLS, BUSINESS
First time customers: $200 non-refundable deposit by Visa/Mastercard (1.3% surcharge)
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OUR BACKYARD HAS NO DRIVE TROUGH ACCESS. CAN I STILL BOOK YOU?
Absolutely. In fact, most of our parties are catered from the front of the house. We can set up in the front yard or on the street and carry the pizzas to where your guests are eating. We can only cater from backyards if it has clear vehicle access. We cannot carry our ovens. It is the customer's responsibility to check our equipment can fit as your service may be cancelled without refund if we arrive and cannot set up.
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HOW MUCH SPACE DOES YOUR EQUIPMENT NEED?
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FOOD TRUCK (preferred vehicle): 9 metres (L) x 3.5 metres (W) and 4 metres (H)
TRAILER OVEN: 7.5m (L) x 5m (W) x 2.5m (H)
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We require a minimum heigh clearance of 2.5 metres for the trailers and 4 metres for the truck.
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Please note: the oven is heavy and may sink if taken onto a soft surface; therefore, pavement or hard dirt/grass is necessary. If we get bogged, the customer will be invoiced for the cost of vehicle retrieval.
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CAN YOU CATER AT COMMERCIAL OR PUBLIC VENUES?
Yes. It's the customer's responsibility to check we have permission to cater, and to make any arrangements with security, or after-hours access or permits - including council. We are happy to provide any documentation you need. Not checking may result in your event being stopped without a refund if we're told to move on during service, so we strongly recommend making sure we can cater there. If you need us to arrange permits, this comes with a $70 per hour administration fee.
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WHAT'S YOUR CANCELLATION OR POSTPONEMENT POLICY?
EVENTS WITH NO DEPOSIT TAKEN:
We have a ten (10) cancellation policy for bookings confirmed by written confirmation. Any bookings cancelled within 10 days of the event will be invoiced a $200 cancellation fee, payable within 7 days.
EVENTS WITH DEPOSIT TAKEN:
This will not be refunded should you cancel at any time. Postponements are $100 as long as we can fit in your new date, and you will have this charge added to your next invoice.
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HOW DO THE SIDES WORK?
We provide enough of each side for your guests to have one generous serving of each. This is how we keep the price lower, as the sides are designed to accompany the pizza, not replace it.
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Please note, as the sides are placed on the table prior to the pizzas, sometimes guests think the sides are the main meal and serve themselves too much, not leaving enough for everyone. We strongly recommend guests are informed to only take one portion to begin with either with a sign, an announcement or with someone serving. Then they quickly fill up from the delicious pizza.
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DO YOU CATER FOR HALAL, GLUTEN-FREE OR OTHER DIETARY REQUIREMENTS?
Yes. Our menu is flexible for those with dietary requirements - some may have a cost. Please see our Menu and Pricing page. We request those with dietary requirements place their order directly with the chef, then wait beside the oven until it's complete. That way they get it piping hot and fresh. NOTE: we are not certified as allergen free. There will be traces of gluten, nuts and eggs. While all care will be taken, please be aware there may be some included and guests with allergies eat the pizzas at their own risk.
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HOW MANY CHEFS COME TO OUR EVENT?
~ 40 guests or fewer, you may get one or two chefs.
~ 40+ guests, two professional and friendly pizza chefs will be attending your function.
Your chef will will bring the pizzas to a table where your guests are located.
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HOW MANY OVENS COME TO THE PARTY?
One oven comes to your event with either one or two chefs - we can cater for events up to 180 guests with one oven. However, if you have a lot of guests that need feeding quickly or in excess of 150 people, we can bring a second oven and chefs for an extra $800 to cover the cost of the transport and the extra two chefs. Be sure to book this well in advance to make sure both ovens are available.
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CAN YOU COOK IN MY OWN OVEN?
Yes, we can. We require your oven to be lit at least FOUR HOURS prior to the start time and stoked regularly so the oven is hot and ready to go by the time we get there. There is no reduction in price if we cook in your oven.
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DO YOU USE ROLLERS FOR THE PIZZA BASES?
No. Our pizzas are made completely from scratch, including the dough, with our chefs authentically hand-forming and tossing the bases immediately before topping and cooking. This stops the air from being pushed out of the dough which creates a hard flat base. Our pizzas are authentic, old-fashioned Napoli-style.
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DO YOU SUPPLY PLATES, SERVIETTES OR CUTLERY?
WHAT WE SUPPLY:
• Plates and serviettes made from cream-coloured fully-sustainable and biodegradable materials.
• Forks are provided if you order sides. They are made from wood.
• Serving utensils are supplied with your sides only and taken after the event.
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WE DO NOT SUPPLY:
• Knives, spoons or cups
• Pizza stands/risers
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CAN GUESTS ORDER THEIR PIZZAS DIRECTLY OR CAN I DO A SEATED TABLE SERVICE?
We do not recommend either style. Hand-made pizza works best with self-service (buffet) or standing cocktail style, where we serve a large variety of pizzas quickly and efficently. A seated service or guests directly order does not work well with hand-made pizza as not only does it slow the service, it limits variety and could result in running out of certain toppings. If you would like a different service style, be sure to ask us prior to the event or it may see it not running to expections.
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HOW CAN I ENSURE MY GUESTS ARE SAFE FROM FOOD BORNE-ILLNESS?
This is extremely important! We refrigerate our ingredients from time of purchase until it is spread on your pizza. We have a refrigerated transport van, a fridge attached to the oven trailer and a refrigerated pizza ingredients bar. We have seen many mobile pizza businesses use plastic containers placed on ice, which is unacceptable. We are also fully insured for product and public liability.
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DO YOU NEED ELECTRICITY OR WATER?
We definitely require electricity. We will supply all power cables for electricity supply within 20 metres of source. If there is no power source within 20 metres, please let us know so that we can bring a generator ($50). The power source is to run our lighting and refrigeration, which is imperative for food safety.
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We bring our own water, but it's helpful to have access to a tap to rinse our dishes after the event. This is not essential.
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WHERE IS YOUR FOOD PREPARED?
We have a professional factory set-up with a commercial-grade kitchen which is where the ingredients for your event are prepared. We follow all Food Safety requirements, as necessary to hold our certification.
