Medway · England
Film and TV set catering in Strood, Medway
We bring a fish and chip van for the crew to Strood and nearby, frying fresh at your venue.
- Lunch at the unit base
- Location shoots
- Event crews
Film set catering for Strood events
Film set catering in Strood, fried fresh
A chip van is a popular crew treat on a long shoot, alongside regular catering. We’re frequently asked to cater period dramas on location and shoots on location, serving cod and chips, mushy peas and pie and chips.
For a shoot in Strood, tell us where base is and how to reach it. Let us know about allergies and dietary needs in advance, and we will be straight with you about what we can do before you book.
Diets, allergies and planning
Allergies are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Let us know about coeliac disease
- Give us a contact for call-time changes
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Collect diets and allergies with crew details
We arrive at base in good time and set up.
Plan bins at the unit base.
Questions from Strood
Can the van park in Rede Common?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Ask them first, and tell us what they say.
What’s the nearest station to Strood?
The closest is Strood station, roughly 1 mile away.
Can you serve children?
Of course. Sausage and chips is a favourite with children. Tell us how many are coming.
Who clears up?
We take the van and everything with it, and leave the spot tidy. Bins for crew are worth planning.
Is grass a problem?
That depends on the weather and the ground. Let us know what the ground is like, and we’ll advise.
Where can the van park?
Level, firm ground the van can reach, close to where people will eat, with room for a queue at the hatch. Tell us about gates, lanes and soft ground.
What happens if it rains?
We carry on in the rain, because the cooking happens inside. Very soft ground can be a problem, so plan a back-up spot on a hard surface.
Is the food cooked at the event?
Yes. We cook inside the van, so it’s fried on the spot, rather than made in advance.
Why fried-to-order beats a buffet
Next to a sandwich lunch, hot fish and chips is a real lunch. Compared with a sit-down meal, a fish and chip van is frequently good value, because it needs no kitchen and no crockery hire. Ask us for a quote.
Why book with us
- No kitchen, no crockery, no washing up
- Works on wet days as well as sunny ones
- Everything cooked to order at your event
- A van that becomes part of the event
How it works
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, park the van and get the fryers going. Your crew can wander over to the hatch once service starts. In December, daylight in Strood ends around 3:50pm, so the unit base needs lighting for late service. In summer, light lasts until about 9:20pm.
- 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.
- Everything goes out hot from the hatch, and we pack up afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Confirm the van is allowed on site
- Confirm numbers and dietary needs before the day
- Plan where the queue will stand
Get a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many people, along with your serving time, and we’ll reply with a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
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Organising for someone else?
For big groups, the service window matters, so we can plan how to keep the queue short. Staggering groups helps a lot.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we’ll talk you through the process. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on parking and timings.
DIY versus a fish and chip van
Not sure whether to order in or book a van? Consider your numbers and how fresh you want it. We’re happy to send a quote so you can compare.
You could do a chip-shop run for everyone yourself, but it rarely works for a crowd. Long waits and a drive home mean food arrives lukewarm and soggy. A van fries it right there, so it’s crisp.
Strood for film and TV crews
Strood is about 3 miles north-west of Chatham, in Medway. For a shoot in Strood, the van can park on drives, in car parks and yards, and on firm lawns and fields in and around Strood. We cover all 68 towns and villages in Medway, from the larger towns to small villages. We serve events right across the region, from Strood to London (26 miles away).
For crew arriving by train, the closest railway station is Strood station, roughly 1 mile east of the centre. Strood is about 26 miles from central London, within easy reach for London-based crews.
For shoots in ME2, ME1 and ME3, we just need to know where the van can park and roughly how many crew. Whether your shoot is on Ash Road, Gun Lane and Pine Road or anywhere nearby, we will bring the van to you. Main roads around Strood include the A2 and A226, so getting the van to your shoot is simple. Neighbouring places where we serve shoots include Rochester (1 mile east), Borstal (1 mile south), Cuxton (2 miles south-west), Lower Bush (2 miles south-west) and Upper Bush (2 miles south-west). We also serve nearby towns such as Gillingham (4 miles east), Chatham (3 miles south-east), Rainham (6 miles east), Luton (3 miles south-east), Park Wood (6 miles south-east) and Lordswood (5 miles south-east). Strood is among the bigger towns we cover in Medway, with lots of choice for shoots.
Nearby you will also find Six Poor Travellers House (1.2 miles east) and French Hospital (1.2 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Rede Common and Gad's Hill.
- Schools near Strood include Strood Academy (0.6 miles north-west) and Temple School (1.2 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you will find Crispin And Crispianus Public House (0.6 miles east)
- Other local spots include City of Rochester-upon-Medway (0.9 miles east)
What comes out of the fryer
Curry sauce
Curry sauce divides opinion, so we bring it along.
Haddock and chips
Haddock has loyal fans: a firmer flake and a sweeter taste. Tell us if you’d like to offer it.
Also near Strood
Other occasions in Strood
Why choose film set catering in Strood?
Productions book a chip van because crews love it.
These are some of the bookings we take:
- Shoots on location
- Stills shoots
- End-of-shoot parties
- Seaside and period locations
Among the historic houses close to Strood are Temple Manor (0.5 miles south-east) and Restoration House (1.2 miles east). If you are shooting at a historic house, the van will need a base agreed with the property.
Questions to ask before booking
- What they can offer for dietary needs
- Any minimum charge
- How much space the van takes up
- What happens if the event is cancelled or moved
Planning the van’s spot
We will be honest if a spot will not work. The main points are:
- A clear route to base
- Far enough from set to keep noise down
- A lit spot for dark mornings or evenings
Not sure about the spot? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.
What we serve
- Crew lunches
- Mushy peas
- Pie and chips
- Haddock and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Cod and chips
- 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