Good pizza has a habit of bringing people together.
It works at weddings, parties, corporate events, festivals and those evenings where nobody really wants a formal sit down meal. Give people fresh pizza, somewhere comfortable to stand or sit, and the conversation usually takes care of itself.
That is exactly the sort of experience Benissimo Pizza has built its business around.
Run by Ben Neve, the Norfolk based business serves freshly made, stone baked Italian style pizzas from a choice of mobile setups. What started around two years ago with a converted horsebox and an idea has grown into a business capable of catering for everything from smaller gatherings to weddings with around 200 guests.
Benissimo Pizza can now be found at weddings, parties, pop ups, corporate events and local events across Norfolk, Suffolk and further afield.
And despite that growth, the idea remains pretty simple. Make fresh pizza, serve it properly, and make catering one less thing for the organiser to worry about.
Here are three reasons why Benissimo Pizza deserves a place on the shortlist for your next celebration.
1. The pizza is fresh, simple and made to please a crowd
There are some foods that can become unnecessarily complicated. Pizza really does not need to be one of them.
Benissimo Pizza focuses on freshly made dough and stone baked pizzas, with a menu that has enough choice to keep different tastes covered without becoming overwhelming.
Someone who wants to keep things traditional can go for the Margherita Classica, made with cheese, fresh basil and olive oil. The Marinara keeps things even simpler with tomato, basil and olive oil.
For something a little meatier, there is the Pepperoni Piccante with cheese, pepperoni and chilli flakes, the Pollo Fresco with chicken, sweetcorn and red onion, or the Campo Di Carne with pepperoni, red onion and rocket.
And for the person who takes one look at a pizza menu and decides they want pretty much everything, the Il Grande Speciale combines cheese, pepperoni, chicken, mushrooms, sweetcorn, red onion, olives and rocket.
Vegetarian and vegan options are available too, which is particularly useful when catering for a wedding or large event where dietary requirements can quickly turn into a small spreadsheet.
The pizzas are around 12 inches and are stone baked, giving guests proper freshly cooked food rather than something that has been sitting under a heat lamp waiting for its moment.
Benissimo Pizza also holds a five star food hygiene rating, giving customers some extra reassurance when booking them to cater for an important occasion.
2. They can cater for everything from smaller parties to big weddings
One of the useful things about Benissimo Pizza is that the setup can change depending on the event.
The business started with its original pizza wagon, a converted horsebox that can still be used as a centrepiece at weddings and celebrations. It is capable of serving events with up to around 150 guests.
Since then, things have grown considerably.
The Pizza Pop Up gives Benissimo Pizza an option for smaller celebrations of up to 50 guests, with either buffet style food or pizzas made to order.
Then there is the newer Shiny Pizza Wagon, which can cater for events with as many as 200 guests. Again, customers can choose between buffet or made to order service depending on the style of their event.
That flexibility makes a real difference.
A couple planning a relaxed evening reception will have different needs to somebody organising a birthday party for 40 people. A corporate event is different again. Having several setups means the food service can fit the occasion rather than forcing the occasion to fit around the catering.
For weddings in particular, Benissimo Pizza can work as the main evening food or as a later option once the formal part of the day is finished and everyone has worked up another appetite on the dance floor.
And there are few sights more welcome at that stage of a wedding than fresh pizza appearing nearby.
3. It gives an event a more relaxed and memorable feel
Food at an event is not just about filling plates. It becomes part of the atmosphere.
The mobile pizza setups from Benissimo Pizza give guests somewhere to gather while their food is being cooked. It feels informal, sociable and a little different from the usual event buffet.
That can work particularly well at weddings.
Not every couple wants their evening food to involve another formal meal. Fresh pizza served from a smart catering wagon means people can grab food when they are ready, chat with other guests and get straight back to the party.
There are buffet options available too, as well as sides, meaning Ben and the team can tailor the service around the event rather than sticking to one fixed format.
For couples currently planning ahead, the 2027 wedding diary for Benissimo Pizza is already open, with packages available for celebrations across Norfolk, Suffolk and beyond.
The team also regularly appears at local events and pop ups. Their October schedule, for example, includes everything from pub nights and wedding fairs to pumpkin patches and other autumn events.
It is another sign of how far the business has come in a fairly short amount of time.
Two years ago there was one horsebox and an ambition to serve good stone baked pizza. Today there are three different catering setups and the capacity to serve everything from intimate celebrations to much bigger occasions.
That growth has not changed what sits at the heart of Benissimo Pizza.
It is still fresh dough, stone baked pizza and friendly event catering without making things more complicated than they need to be.
For weddings, parties, corporate events or celebrations where people simply want good food and a relaxed atmosphere, Benissimo Pizza is well worth considering.