For the Love of Food Trucks: TREK Festival The Hague
Food Trucks seem to have entered the culinary world by a storm lately, but it seems the craze is here to stay… and now they’re also a ‘thing’ in The Netherlands. Food trucks weren’t permitted on the streets in The Netherlands for a long time and could only be found at some bigger markets, sporting events or music festivals. But recently, the law changed and food trucks are now free to become a culinary force in their own right.
The TREK Festival in The Netherlands is a free summer festival held in eight cities around the country and is centered around the best food trucks from local business owners. The word ‘trek’ in Dutch means ‘appetite’, and that’s exactly what you get as soon as you enter the festival grounds!
Besides food, drinks and snacks from a dozen stalls, there is also live music, theatre and cabaret for you to enjoy. For a small amount, you get a special TREK-glass at the entrance, made of environment-friendly hard-plastic, that will be rinsed and re-used every time you top up your drink at one of the stalls.
Enjoy the dozens of mobile kitchens at the cities centrally located city parks, which have been transformed into one big open-air restaurant. The Travel Tester went to explore the TREK Festival in Den Haag and investigated just why food trucks have become so popular these days.
To start off, here are three reasons why you’ll probably love a food truck festival as well:
1. Easy access to world food
These days, it’s never been easier to get access to dishes from far-away places, and at a food truck festival they’re conveniently gathered in one spot for you to enjoy. As each trailer specializes in a different cuisine, it’s just a matter of a few steps to make your way around the best selection of flavours from all around the world!
2. A place of creativity
Not only do food truck owners get to experiment with different variations of their popular dishes as well as the look of their unique kitchen on wheels, food truck festivals also bring together the best in local music and theatre acts, which add to the atmosphere of the event.
3. Fun for the whole family
The combination of music, entertainment and many different food options make a food truck festival a great place for families. There sure is something to like for everyone! These type of festivals are perfect for visiting with young children, who don’t always like to stay seated at a sit-down restaurant. The older kids can walk around on their own and have fun with their friends while the parents get to relax at the same time.
Here is a short introduction to the TREK festivals all around The Netherlands:
TREK Festival is held at different dates from May to September in Rotterdam, Utrecht, Maastricht, Enschede, Nijmegen, Den Bosch (’s-Hertogenbosch), Amsterdam and Den Haag. You can find more information on: www.festival-trek.nl
Do you need more reasons to be convinced about why you should like food trucks? Curious to read more about the TREK Festival? Head over to The Travel Tester’s website to read more on the magic of mobile restaurants and a live report from food truck festival TREK in The Hague (Den Haag).
