Greater London · England
Film Set Catering for Downe events
From the first sizzle in the fryer to the last chip, a fish and chip van for the crew turns food into part of your shoot in Downe.
- Music video shoots
- Unit base lunches
- Location shoots
Film set catering for Downe events
For event organisers in Downe
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers and vehicles: where a van can park, access times and the paperwork they want. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll work through them with you.
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Film set catering in Downe, cooked to order
Schedules move, so a contact on the day helps and we’ll work around it. Popular choices include sausage and chips, cod and chips and pie and chips, and we’re often booked for wrap parties and location filming.
London locations around Downe can have tight access, so tell us the route and any height limits. The menu is short on purpose: a few classics done properly keeps the food fresh and the queue moving.
- Area
- Downe (BR6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Menu
- Cod and haddock, chips, sausages and pies
- On the side
- Gravy, mushy peas, curry sauce
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 24 October 2026
Where the van can park in Downe
A good parking spot makes the whole thing easier. We need:
- Far enough from set to keep noise down
- Permission for the van at base
- Access checked by locations
As a London location, Downe is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about driveways, yards, car parks or a council parking suspension.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
What we serve
- Cod and chips
- Pie and chips
- Mushy peas
- Haddock and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Crew lunches
Nearby places to Downe
Other occasions in Downe
Questions from Downe
What’s the nearest station to Downe?
Chelsfield station, about 2.6 miles north-east of the centre.
Could you trade in South Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Check with them first, and tell us what they say.
How quickly can you serve everyone?
A short menu and staggered groups keep things moving. Tell us your timings and we’ll advise.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack up and leave the pitch tidy when service is finished. Tell us where bins can go for people’s paper and trays.
What areas do you cover?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Downe.
What does the van need?
Not much: a drive, a car park, a yard or a firm lawn, that the van can reach easily. Send us a picture if you are not sure.
Does the batter contain gluten?
Not as standard: batter is normally made with wheat flour. Let us know and we’ll tell you what we can do.
Is grass a problem?
Typically, if it is firm and dry. After heavy rain, soft grass can be a problem for any vehicle, so have a hard-surface back-up.
A closer look at the menu
Mushy peas
Mushy peas are made from dried marrowfat peas, soaked and cooked until soft. They’re the side most people expect.
Haddock and chips
Haddock is a little sweeter than cod, with a finer, firmer flake. It is the traditional favourite in Scotland and much of the north.
Prices and what affects them
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- The number of meals
- Peak dates such as summer Saturdays
- The minimum booking
- Cod, haddock or both
Most vans have a minimum charge, since getting the van there costs the same however many eat. Ask us what applies to your shoot.
What to tell us
You do not need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- A picture of the space and the way in
- How to get in: gates, lanes and ground
- The address or venue name
- Where you’d like the van to go
Still finalising the details? That is fine: give us a rough idea and the date, and we will quote on that. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
Events we cater in Downe
It works in any weather.
Here are some of the occasions we serve in Downe and Greater London:
- Live events and broadcasts
- Wrap parties
- Crew treats on long shoot days
- Stills shoots
Among the historic houses close to Downe are Down House (0.6 miles south) and Addington Palace (4.3 miles west). Historic houses are popular locations, and most set strict rules for vehicles, so plan the unit base with locations.
What to look for in a quote
- The cancellation terms
- Travel, tolls and road charges
- Whether there’s a minimum
- Payment terms and deposit
Location catering around Downe
Downe is about 4 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. For shoots in Downe, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a parking spot and fresh frying on the day. We take the van to 764 places across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for London, about 13 miles away.
For crew arriving by train, Chelsfield station, about 2.6 miles north-east, is the nearest station. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 6 miles of Downe, so check vehicle rules with locations.
Wherever your shoot is in BR6, we can bring the van to you. Local streets include High Street, North End Lane and Belle Vue Road; a shoot on any of them works well with a drive or nearby car park. Close by, we cover shoots in Farthing Street (1 mile north-west), Hazelwood (1 mile east), Luxted (1 mile south), Leaves Green (1 mile west) and Single Street (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include London (13 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (15 miles north-west), Shoreditch (14 miles north-west) and Hoxton (15 miles north-west).
Well-known places in the area include Crofton Roman Villa (2.7 miles north-east) and Princess Royal University Hospital (1.8 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Downe Bank Nature Reserve and Betsom's Hill.
- Schools near Downe include Charles Darwin School (1.8 miles south)
- Local pubs include The Queens Head pub (under half a mile south)
Planning for dietary needs
Allergies are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Tell us about coeliac crew specifically
- Have a back-up for special diets
- Send final numbers the day before
- Collect diets and allergies with crew details
We work to the lunch time on the call sheet, with a contact for changes.
Tables or a marquee at base make lunch comfortable.
DIY versus a fish and chip van
Collecting fish and chips for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is hard work. By the time you’ve queued, paid and driven back, the batter has gone soft. With a van, it’s fried on the spot.
Ordering from a local shop? Call ahead and collect at the last minute. For anything more than a handful of people, a van is normally the easier option.
How the day works
There’s very little for you to do on the day: show us the spot, tell us when to start, and enjoy your shoot. The frying and serving are down to us. Daylight is short on winter shoots near Downe: sunset is about 3:55pm.
- We start with a few details about your shoot.
- You get an availability check and a clear quote.
- Timings and the van’s spot are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we park up and fry fresh for the crew.
- We serve from the hatch, then leave the pitch tidy.
Preparing for the day
- Arrange somewhere dry for the queue
- Let us know the serving time
- Plan where the queue will stand
Get a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: where the van would park, how to get in, numbers and timings. Photos of the spot and the way in help. When you are ready, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
- Fried fresh to order in the van at your event
- Cod, haddock and chips, sausages and pies
- The van comes to you: homes, venues, workplaces and fields
- Served at the time you choose, from the hatch