Isle of Wight · England
Film Set Catering for Forest Side events
Treat your crew to fresh fish and chips at your shoot in Forest Side. The van arrives, the fryers go on and everything is cooked to order, so every portion goes out hot.
- Crew morale days
- Period dramas on location
- Lunch at the unit base
A chip van near Forest Side
How our film set catering works in Forest Side
On a long shoot day, a good hot lunch keeps morale up. A fish and chip van parks at the unit base and fries to order. Typical bookings include crew morale days and fashion shoots on location, with mushy peas, sausage and chips and cod and chips.
For a shoot in a place like Forest Side, tracks and soft ground need checking. We bring the van and everything we need to cook, and we leave the pitch tidy when we go.
- Area
- Forest Side (PO30)
- County
- Isle of Wight
- Menu
- Cod and haddock, chips, sausages and pies
- On the side
- Mushy peas, curry sauce, gravy
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 24 October 2026
Diets, allergies and planning
With a bit of planning, dietary needs are easier to handle. A few tips:
- Put allergy details in writing
- Tell us about coeliac crew specifically
- Ask for dietary needs on the crew info form
- Agree the waste plan with locations
Fewer choices mean faster service in a lunch break.
A chip van wrap party is a great way to finish a shoot.
Who books film set catering in Forest Side?
It needs no kitchen on location, just a spot at the unit base.
Whatever the occasion in Forest Side, fish and chips from the hatch goes down well. We regularly serve:
- Crew morale days
- Location shoots
- Commercials and music videos
- Period dramas on location
Within reach of Forest Side are historic houses such as Carisbrooke Castle (1.3 miles south) and Swainston Manor (2.7 miles south-west). Historic houses are popular locations, and most set strict rules for vehicles, so plan the unit base with locations.
Before you book anyone
- The deadline for final numbers
- When payment is due
- What the van needs: space, access, power
- What happens if the event is cancelled or moved
Forest Side questions
Could you trade in Seaclose Park?
Only if the landowner, usually the council, allows it. Check with them first, and tell us what they say.
What about events near the coast?
Yes. Wind does not affect the fryers, but plan a sheltered spot for the queue.
Can you feed supporting artists too?
Of course. Just tell us who counts.
Can you cook in the rain?
The weather doesn’t stop the van, because the cooking happens inside. Very soft ground can be a problem, so plan a back-up spot on a hard surface.
Is the fish gluten-free?
Standard batter is made with wheat flour, so battered fish contains gluten. Tell us about coeliac crew when you enquire, and we’ll tell you honestly what we can offer.
Do you cater wrap parties?
We do. It is a great way to end a shoot.
Can you go on a lawn or field?
It depends on the ground. Let us know what the ground is like, and send a picture if you can.
What if we only have street parking?
It depends on the road. Off-road parking is generally simpler; for the street, check the council’s rules.
Nearby places to Forest Side
More for events in Forest Side
What happens on the day
Service is quick: everything is handed over hot from the hatch. When service is finished, we pack up and leave the pitch tidy. At midsummer, Forest Side has light until about 9:20pm, while by late September it is nearer 7:10pm.
- Tell us what you are planning and when you’d like to eat.
- You hear back on the date and the price.
- We agree exactly where the van parks.
- Batter, fish and chips all go into the fryer as people come up.
- We leave the spot as we found it.
Getting ready for the day
- Have a level parking spot ready
- Give us your final numbers and allergies
- Clear the route for the van
Getting a price
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, address, rough numbers and when you’d like to eat. We will come back with a clear quote.
Read more
A fish and chip van or other catering?
A full location catering unit suits long shoots with three meals a day. A chip van suits short shoots and treat days. The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, since the van and set-up are much the same for any size. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why us?
- Fish and chips fried fresh on site
- Bookings across the Isle of Wight, including Forest Side
- A clear quote before booking
- Quick service from the hatch
Planning the van’s spot
Before the day, we will agree where the van parks. It needs to tick a few simple boxes:
- The location’s agreement
- Clear of the shot and sound
- A queue area clear of trucks
For somewhere as remote as Forest Side, early notice helps us plan the trip.
Not sure about the spot? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly.
On the menu in Forest Side
- Haddock and chips
- Pie and chips
- Mushy peas
- Sausage and chips
- Cod and chips
- Crew lunches
Prices and what affects them
Fish and chip van pricing is simple once we know the basics:
- Travel, tolls and road charges
- The date and time of year
- The menu and how many choices
- Access and parking
Travel, tolls and charges such as ULEZ can affect the price, so it helps to give us the postcode.
Details that help
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Expected numbers
- Where the event is
- The date and time of the event
Each quote is put together for your shoot. Start with your date, and we’ll check availability straight away.
For event organisers in Forest Side
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers and vehicles: where a van can park, access times and the paperwork they want. Tell us what your venue needs and we will 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’ll talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on parking and timings.
DIY versus a fish and chip van
Ordering in from a local chip shop is an option. Large orders are slow, and the food cools in the bags. A van solves that by cooking on site.
For a small group, making your own food can work. For bigger numbers, a van makes life easier, and nobody has to miss the shoot.
Planning a shoot in Forest Side
Forest Side is about 1 mile north-west of Newport, in the Isle of Wight. From the centre of Forest Side to the outskirts, the service works the same way: fish and chips fried to order, served hot and quoted clearly. We cover 125 places across the Isle of Wight, from the larger towns to small villages. Our bookings stretch from Forest Side to Southampton (about 15 miles away).
The coast is within about 4 miles of Forest Side, and coastal unit bases can be exposed, so plan where crew will queue.
This part of the Isle of Wight takes in PO30, and we can serve your shoot anywhere in it. Whether your shoot is on Forest Road and Gunville Road or a nearby road, we can park up and fry there. Other places close to Forest Side we cover include Hunny Hill (1 mile east), Parkhurst (1 mile north-east), Noke Common (1 mile north-east), Porchfield (2 miles north-west) and Locksgreen (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Ryde (7 miles east), Cowes (4 miles north), Sandown (8 miles south-east), Shanklin (8 miles south-east), Ventnor (9 miles south-east) and East Cowes (4 miles north-east). Remote sites take a little more planning, so ask early about your shoot.
Nearby you will also find Carisbrooke Castle (1.3 miles south) and St Mary's Hospital (1 mile east). The countryside around Forest Side includes Mill Hill and Briddlesford Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Forest Side include Hunnyhill Primary School (0.7 miles east) and Island Innovation VI Form Campus (1.3 miles south-east)
- 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