Kent · England
Film and TV set catering in Manston, Kent
Fried to order and served hot: a fish and chip van for the crew in Manston and across Kent.
- Photo shoots
- Location filming
- Period dramas on location
Film set catering in Manston
Shooting in Manston: unit bases and access
Manston is about 2 miles west of Ramsgate, in Kent. Bookings in Manston come in all shapes and sizes, but it always starts the same way: a level spot for the van, a time to eat and food fried to order. We serve 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 13 miles away.
Historic houses near Manston include Quex Park (2.5 miles north-west). Historic houses are popular locations, and most set strict rules for vehicles, so plan the unit base with locations. Manston is about 64 miles from central London. The coast is within about 3 miles of Manston, and coastal unit bases can be exposed.
Shoots anywhere in CT12 start with a parking spot for the van. Streets in the area include High Street, The Meadows and Manston Road, and the van can serve a shoot on any of them with a suitable parking spot. If your venue is just outside Manston, we also cover Haine (1 mile north-east), Flete (1 mile north), Newington (1 mile east), Cliffs End (1 mile south) and Chilton (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Canterbury (13 miles west), Dover (15 miles south), Broadstairs (3 miles east), Whitstable (15 miles west), Deal (9 miles south) and Herne Bay (10 miles west).
Well-known places in the area include Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum (0.9 miles west) and Ramsgate General Hospital (2.1 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Sandwich and Pegwell Bay.
- Schools near Manston include The Royal Harbour Academy (1.8 miles east)
- Pubs nearby include Lord of the Manor pub (0.9 miles south-east)
- Local facilities include Margate West (2.6 miles north)
About our film set catering in Manston
Seaside and period locations suit a fish and chip van perfectly. On the menu are sausage and chips, mushy peas and haddock and chips, and typical bookings are for period dramas on location and treat days on a long shoot.
Near Manston, check tracks and ground for the van. Let us know about allergies and dietary needs in advance, and we will be straight with you about what we can do.
For planners, venues and organisers
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers and vehicles: parking spots, arrival times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work through them with you.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Manston? Fish and chips is a reliable crowd-pleaser. Give us the details and we’ll suggest how it could work.
Step by step
Service is quick: everything is handed over hot from the hatch, and people can eat where they like. Afterwards we pack up. On a winter shoot near Manston, the light goes by about 3:50pm, so the unit base needs lighting for late service. Summer shoots have daylight until about 9:15pm.
- Start with three things: the date, the place and a rough headcount.
- A picture of the parking spot helps us check the van will fit.
- Closer to the day, we confirm the arrival time and serving time.
- We park, open the hatch and start frying for the crew.
- Last portion served, we tidy up and head off.
Preparing for the day
- Name one person we can call on the day
- Plan where the queue will stand
- Choose a level, firm spot for the van
Ask for a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many people, plus when you’d like to eat, and you’ll get a clear price. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Where the van can park in Manston
We will agree the van’s spot with you before the day. It needs to tick a few simple boxes:
- A route in the van can manage, with no low branches or tight lanes
- Agreement from the location manager and landowner
- A lit spot for dark mornings or evenings
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
On the menu in Manston
- Haddock and chips
- Crew lunches
- Sausage and chips
- Mushy peas
- Cod and chips
- Pie and chips
Prices and what affects them
Each booking is quoted on its own, based on a few main things:
- Access and parking
- The date and time of year
- Distance and any road charges
- Whether a minimum applies
Travel, tolls and charges such as ULEZ can affect the price, so tell us exactly where your shoot is.
What to tell us
For a quote, it helps to have:
- The date and when you’d like to eat
- Rough numbers for adults and children
- A picture of where the van would go
- Where the van would park
Each quote is put together for your shoot. Give us your date first, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
Manston questions
Can you serve near the sea around Manston?
Yes. The cooking is inside the van, so wind doesn’t affect it, but the queue will want shelter.
Is Manston close to London?
Roughly 64 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
What does it cost to hire the van?
Every booking is quoted individually, based on your numbers and timings. Give us your date, numbers and serving time and we’ll reply with a price.
Do we need to provide anything?
A suitable spot for the van and permission to park there. Tell us whether there is power or water nearby and we will confirm the rest.
What areas do you cover?
We take the van across London and the South East, Kent included. Find your area.
What if we only have street parking?
Only where it’s legal to park, or with a council parking suspension or road closure. Check with your council first.
Do you take everything away?
We clear the van’s area after service. Tell us where bins can go for people’s paper and trays.
Can coeliacs eat the battered fish?
Not as standard: the batter contains wheat. Let us know and we will tell you what we can do before booking.
More for events in Manston
Why choose a fish and chip van in Manston?
For a crew lunch people will remember, a chip van is hard to beat. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: hours, menu, travel, minimum charge and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why us?
- Mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy on the side
- A van that becomes part of the event
- Quick service from the hatch
- No surprises in your quote
The menu, dish by dish
Sausage and chips
For anyone who doesn’t fancy fish, there is sausage and chips, and it’s a favourite with children.
Mushy peas
No fish and chips is complete without mushy peas for many people, and they’re on the menu.
Perfect for your shoot in Manston
It needs no kitchen on location, just a spot at the unit base.
Big or small, the van works the same way. Common bookings include:
- End-of-shoot parties
- Crew treats on long shoot days
- Outside broadcasts
- Ad shoots
For cast and crew travelling by train, Thanet Parkway station is about 1.2 miles away.
Comparing caterers
- The van’s size and access needs
- Whether there’s a minimum
- How long service runs, and what happens if you overrun
- When final numbers are due
Cannot we just order from the chip shop?
Ordering from a local shop? Call ahead and collect at the last minute. For anything more than a handful of people, a van is generally the easier option.
Collecting fish and chips for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is hard work. Long waits and a drive home mean food arrives lukewarm and soggy. With a van, it is fried on the spot.
- 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