Kent · England
Festivals, fêtes and school events in Abbey Gate, Kent
Bring the chip shop to your event in Abbey Gate. We park up, heat the fryers and cook to order, so nothing sits waiting in a tray.
- Food for volunteers
- Community open days
- Church fêtes
Planning an event in Abbey Gate?
About our fish and chip van for events in Abbey Gate
A hot-food van gives families a reason to stay longer, which is good for every other stall. For feeding event crew and community festivals, we can cook chips, curry sauce and sausage and chips for your guests.
For a village fête or field event near Abbey Gate, we can bring hot food to a field. Ground and access matter, so tell us about them. Tell us about dietary needs and allergies when you enquire, and we’ll tell you honestly what we can offer.
Abbey Gate events: pitches and permissions
Abbey Gate is about 1 mile north-west of Foley Park, in Kent. For events in Abbey Gate, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a parking spot and fresh frying on the day. Abbey Gate is one of 922 places in Kent where we bring the van. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 24 miles away.
For anyone arriving by train, Maidstone East station, about 1.4 miles south, is the nearest station. If your event is in Tyland Barn, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission for vehicles and traders. Within about 6 miles is the Kent Downs National Landscape, where events may have extra rules on vehicles and waste; we will follow the site’s requirements.
We take the van to events all over ME14 and ME16 and the streets around it. Your event could be at a house on Lock Lane, Grange Lane and Tyland Lane, as long as there is somewhere for the van. Abbey Gate is on the M20, which makes the journey straightforward. Other places close to Abbey Gate we cover include Sandling (1 mile north), Ringlestone (1 mile south), Harbourland (1 mile east), Penenden Heath (1 mile south-east) and Foley Park (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Sittingbourne (10 miles east), Sevenoaks (14 miles west), Gravesend (11 miles north-west), Tonbridge (12 miles south-west), Northfleet (12 miles north-west) and Minster (15 miles north-east).
Nearby you’ll also find Allington Castle (under half a mile south-west) and Fremlin Walk (1.6 miles south). Within reach you’ll find Boxley Hills and Burham Down.
- Local schools include The Maplesden Noakes School (1.3 miles south)
- Local pubs include The Yew Tree pub (under half a mile east)
Who books fish and chip van for events in Abbey Gate?
Organisers book a chip van because it’s one of the most popular stalls at any fête.
A fish and chip van suits almost any gathering. In Abbey Gate, people book us for events such as:
- Country shows
- Festivals
- Fish and chip supper nights
- Village fêtes
If you’re organising a summer fair or sports day for a school such as Sandling Primary School, a chip van is a crowd-pleaser.
Before booking anyone
- What happens if plans change
- VAT, if it applies
- Payment terms and deposit
- What the van needs: space, access, power
A fish and chip van or other catering?
One good hot-food van can be enough at a smaller event. Comparing vans? Look at what each quote includes: hours, menu, travel, minimum charge and VAT. We set ours out clearly.
Why book with us
- A van that becomes part of the event
- Works on wet days as well as sunny ones
- Everything cooked to order at your event
- A quote that spells everything out
Take a look at our pricing or what a fish and chip van costs.
Towns and villages near Abbey Gate
Other occasions in Abbey Gate
Diets, allergies and planning
We need to know about dietary needs and allergies in advance, and we will tell you honestly what we can offer. To make it work smoothly:
- Plan bins near food stalls
- Share pitch details
- Settle the pitch terms early
- Plan something for visitors we can’t cater for
When the event closes, we pack up.
Pre-sold meal tickets can help at fundraisers.
What affects the price in Abbey Gate
Each booking is quoted on its own, based on a few main things:
- The minimum booking
- The length of service
- Parking and the way in
- How many people are eating
Dates make a difference: peak summer weekends and Christmas party Fridays book up first. Ask about your date early.
Getting an accurate quote
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- The spot you have in mind for the van
- A picture of the parking spot
- How to get in: gates, lanes and ground
- The address or venue name
Send us the date, the address or ME14 postcode and rough numbers, plus when you’d like to eat, and you will get a clear price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
What comes out of the fryer
Curry sauce
Chip-shop curry sauce is a mild, slightly sweet British classic, perfect with chips or a sausage.
Cod and chips
Cod and chips is the meal most people picture when they think of a chip shop. Fried to order in the van, it goes out hot and crisp.
Where the van can park in Abbey Gate
Every site is different, so we will ask about yours when you contact us. Generally, we look for:
- A wet-weather pitch on hard standing
- A hard-standing or firm grass pitch
- A clear route onto the pitch
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and the way in, and we’ll say what we think before booking.
Abbey Gate: your questions answered
Do you trade at school fairs around Abbey Gate?
Yes, with the school’s permission. Tell us the date and pitch details.
Could you trade in Tyland Barn?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, normally the council. Ask them first, and tell us what they say.
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.
Do you take everything away?
We take the van and everything with it, and leave the spot tidy. Bins for visitors are worth planning.
Is grass a problem?
Often, if the ground is firm and dry. After heavy rain, soft grass can be a problem for any vehicle, so have a hard-surface back-up.
What does the pitch need?
A firm pitch with space for a queue. Tell us about power and water.
Do you trade at schools?
We do. We will need a safe route onto the site away from children.
What areas do you cover?
We take the van across London and the South East, Kent included. Find your area.
Should I sort the food myself?
Doing the food yourself saves money, but the host ends up running around. With a fish and chip van, you get hot food without the work.
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.
The process
Setting up takes a little while, because the oil has to come up to temperature, so we always arrive well ahead of your serving time. Winter fairs in Abbey Gate are dark by about 3:50pm, so we need a lit pitch; in late May there is light until about 8:50pm.
- You share your date, numbers and address.
- We check access for the van and quote.
- We arrive early to park and heat the fryers.
- Everything is fried to order as the queue moves.
- We serve hot from the hatch and pack up when we are done.
How to prepare
- Send us final numbers and any allergies in good time
- Think about a gazebo by the van in case of rain
- Give us a contact for the day
Getting a price
Still finalising the details? No problem: give us a rough idea and the date, and we will quote on that. Start when you’re ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
- 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