Reading · England
Festivals, fêtes and school events in Arborfield Cross, Reading
Fried to order and served hot: a fish and chip van for your event in Arborfield Cross and across Reading.
- Fundraisers
- Sports club events and race days
- Sports days
Book the van in Arborfield Cross
Who books fish and chip van for events in Arborfield Cross?
It keeps people on site.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Summer fairs
- Fish and chip supper nights
- Community festivals
- Community open days
School fairs, for a school like The Coombes Church of England Primary School, are a natural fit for a fish and chip van.
Before you book anyone
- The cancellation terms
- The deposit and payment dates
- Whether there’s a minimum
- What the van needs: space, access, power
Fish and chip van for events in Arborfield Cross, fried fresh
We bring the van and everything we need to cook, so we need little help from busy volunteers. Typical bookings include charity fundraisers and community events and horse and dog shows, serving cod and chips, haddock and chips and mushy peas.
Near Arborfield Cross, events may be far from shops and cafés, so fish and chips goes down well. Everything we need comes with the van, and we pack up and leave the spot as we found it.
Step by step
We get there well before service, set up and bring the oil up to temperature. Visitors usually gather round the hatch once service starts. Summer events in Arborfield Cross have daylight until about 9:25pm at midsummer and about 7:05pm by late September, which helps evening trading. Winter fairs, dark by about 3:55pm, need a well-lit pitch.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and roughly how many.
- 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 your visitors.
- Once the last portion is out, we pack up and go.
Getting ready for the day
- Send us final numbers and any allergies in good time
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Arrange somewhere dry for the queue
Getting a price
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: where the van would park, how to get in, numbers and timings. Photos of the spot and the way in help. When you’re ready, use our quote form.
Planning help
Community events around Arborfield Cross
Arborfield Cross is about 3 miles south-west of Wokingham, in Reading. Around Arborfield Cross, we park wherever there is level, firm ground. We serve all 34 towns and villages in Reading.
If your event is in Shepperlands Farm Nature Reserve, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission for vehicles and traders. For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as Church of St Bartholomew, a chip van adds hot food to the cakes and tombola.
This part of Reading takes in RG2, and we can serve your event anywhere in it. Local streets include Eversley Road, Chamberlain Gardens and Melrose Gardens; an event on any of them works well with a drive or nearby car park. If your venue is just outside Arborfield Cross, we also cover Farley Hill (2 miles south), Swallowfield (3 miles south-west), Spencers Wood (3 miles west), Riseley (3 miles south-west) and Bramshill (4 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Caversham (6 miles north-west), Norcot (7 miles north-west), West Reading (6 miles north-west), Tilehurst Within (7 miles north-west), Caversham Heights (7 miles north-west) and Horncastle (6 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Beaumys Castle (3.5 miles south-west) and Berkshire Library & Museum of Freemasonry (2 miles north). Open spaces near Arborfield Cross include South Lake and The Marshes Local Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Arborfield Cross include Bohunt School Wokingham (1.3 miles south)
- Local pubs include Swan Inn (within half a mile north)
Common questions in Arborfield Cross
How far is Arborfield Cross from London?
About 36 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Do you trade at school fairs around Arborfield Cross?
Yes, if the school is happy for the van on site. Send us the date and where the van would go.
Do you bring everything you need?
Everything is cooked in the van. Let us know what’s available at the site.
Do you take everything away?
We clear the van’s area after service. Let us know about bins for visitors.
What if the weather’s bad?
We carry on in the rain, because the fryers are inside. Soft ground after heavy rain is the bigger issue, so have a hard-surface spot in mind.
Do you cover Arborfield Cross?
Yes, we do. We serve events in Arborfield Cross and across Reading. Tell us your date and we’ll check availability.
Can you cater for allergies?
We provide allergen information for everything we serve. Battered fish contains fish and, in standard batter, gluten. Tell us about allergies in advance.
What do we need to supply?
Somewhere suitable to park, with permission. Tell us whether there is power or water nearby and we will confirm the rest.
Nearby places to Arborfield Cross
What else we do in Arborfield Cross
How we price a fish and chip van for your event
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Peak dates such as summer Saturdays
- The length of service
- How many people are eating
- Access and parking
Cost depends on numbers, menu and service time, along with distance and access to the site. We quote for each booking individually.
What we need to know
These details help us quote quickly:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The date and when you’d like to eat
- A picture of the parking spot
- Roughly how many people, including children
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the van would park, roughly how many people and when you’d like to eat. You can fill in our quote form.
A closer look at the menu
Mushy peas
No fish and chips is complete without mushy peas for many people.
Curry sauce
Some people won’t eat chips without curry sauce, so we bring it along.
A chip van compared with other options
At larger events, a van adds to the mix and spreads the queues. Compared with a sit-down meal, a fish and chip van is frequently good value, because it needs no kitchen and no crockery hire. We’ll send you a quote.
Why book our van in Arborfield Cross
- The queue at the hatch gets people talking
- Served hot, straight from the hatch
- Rain does not stop the fryers
- Classic food your visitors already know
Take a look at our pricing or the cost guide.
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 are happy to send a quote so you can compare.
Frying for a crowd at home isn’t a good idea: big pans of hot oil, children and garden parties don’t mix. A van is designed for exactly this.
What the van needs
A good parking spot makes the whole thing easier. We need:
- Access that avoids crowds
- Information about power and water
- A hard-standing or firm grass pitch
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and the way in, and we will say what we think.
What we serve
- Sausage and chips
- Haddock and chips
- Cod and chips
- Chips
- Curry sauce
- Mushy peas
Allergies and dietary needs
A little planning makes sure everyone is looked after. Here’s how:
- Settle the pitch terms early
- Plan something for visitors we can’t cater for
- Let us know about allergy rules on site
- Arrange bins and waste collection
We arrive before the gates open to set up on the pitch.
A clear route for the van before the gates open avoids problems.
- 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