Taste the Future at the EIT Food Innovation Booth at Hapje Tapje

Citizens do not often see or experience it directly, but the food sector is evolving at an ever-faster pace. To overcome that burden, EIT Food showcases numerous food innovations at the free culinary festival Hapje Tapje on July 31 in Leuven.

From vertical farming to insects and reusable packaging, our innovation booth has it all! Come and meet our startups, sample unique dishes from chef Jelbrich Hendrickx and grab your chance to win great prizes.

Innovation Booth at Hapje Tapje

We are all connected to the food we eat, so the need for a healthy food system is not only crucial for the planet but also for ourselves. Climate change, urbanization and the rapid increase of obesity urge the call for innovation to become louder and more urgent.

“And that is exactly where EIT Food steps in”, says Catherine Breyssens, program manager Business Creation at EIT Food Weset, “we support the transition of our current food sector to a healthy, transparent and circular food system and inform citizens about this.”

You can taste and experience various innovative products and services at the Innovation Booth at the culinary festival Hapje Tapje in Leuven. Start-ups present their products : from vertical farming, reusable packaging and lifestyle apps to the supermarket of the future. After you feast your eyes, you can taste surprising appetizers made by chef Jelbrich Hendrickx.

Wall of Innovation

Learn about the circular food systems of the future, grab your chance to win great prizes and tell us your vision for a sustainable food system. Artist Iris Maertens visually captures your ideas on our ‘Wall of Innovation’.

“As a visual harvester, I 'harvest' everything I hear and see at the event and turn that into images”, says Iris Maertens, “I draw live on large panels to involve the audience on site and afterwards the Wall of Innovation will serve as an inspiration for interesting and much-needed conversations about our food system.”

After the festival, the ‘Wall of Innovation’ will be exhibited in the various public spaces of the city of Leuven (Museum M, City Office, Public Library, etc..).

Practical information:

Hapje Tapje is a consumer event and culinary feast in the city of Leuven. Citizens can taste free snacks on a gastronomic trail through the city center. Every year EIT Food is present with a booth full of innovative concepts and products to present to the general public. The 31st edition in 2019 attracted more than 60 000 people. This is the first edition to take place since the Covid-19 pandemic.

When: Sunday, July 31, 2022 from 12 noon to midnight 
Where: The Innovation Booth is located on the Grote Markt. The entire festival is spread over the Muntstraat, Oude Markt and Grote Markt. 
Price: Free entry