Surrey · England
Festivals, fêtes and school events in Ashtead, Surrey
A menu everybody knows: cod or haddock in batter, chips, sausages and pies, with mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy. Fish and chip van for events in Ashtead.
- Agricultural and country shows
- Food for volunteers
- School fairs and sports days
Fish and chip van for events in Ashtead
For planners, venues and organisers
For repeat bookings, such as regular staff lunches or annual fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
If you’re organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a fête committee, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
Fish and chip van for events in Ashtead, fried fresh
The smell of fish and chips brings a queue to any fête. A chip van gives organisers a hot-food trader that almost everyone wants. We serve curry sauce, cod and chips and haddock and chips, and we’re regularly asked to cater school summer fairs and sports tournaments.
A town like Ashtead has schools, churches, clubs and parks that run events through the year. Fish and chips suits any of them. The menu is short on purpose: a few classics done properly keeps the food fresh and the queue moving.
Before you choose a spot
If a spot isn’t suitable, we will tell you, and suggest an alternative. What matters most:
- Details of any power or water on site
- Room in front of the hatch for a queue that does not block walkways
- A clear route onto the pitch
Not sure about the spot? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Sausage and chips
- Mushy peas
- Chips
- Curry sauce
- Cod and chips
- Haddock and chips
How it works
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. Summer fêtes in Ashtead have long light evenings, with sunset about 9:20pm at midsummer, but by late September the light goes at about 7:05pm, so evening trading may need lights.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and roughly how many.
- Show us where the van would go, and we’ll confirm it works.
- Closer to the day, we confirm the arrival time and serving time.
- The van rolls up, the hatch opens and the fryers get going for your visitors.
- Last portion served, we tidy up and head off.
Getting ready for the day
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Plan a bit of cover near the hatch if rain is likely
- Plan where the queue will stand
Ask for a quote
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will come back with availability and a quote.
Planning help
A fish and chip van or other catering?
Cold food stalls are fine on a hot day, but hot food brings people in on cooler days. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: service time, menu, travel, any minimum and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why book our van in Ashtead
- Quick service from the hatch
- Nothing for you to cook or clear
- The classic sides: peas, curry sauce and gravy
- Works on wet days as well as sunny ones
See our pricing and our guide to van hire costs.
Planning for dietary needs
A little planning helps everyone eat safely. Here are a few tips:
- Set a time for helpers’ food
- Send us the pitch size and ground conditions
- Make sure allergen information is available
- Arrange bins and waste collection
If we’re feeding volunteers, agree a time that suits the schedule.
Put the van near the entrance or the tea tent.
Your questions about a fish and chip van for your event in Ashtead
Can the van park in Ashtead Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Check with them first, and tell us what they say.
How far is Ashtead from London?
About 16 miles from central London.
When should we book?
Early, particularly for summer Saturdays and Christmas party Fridays. Ask about your date even if it’s soon.
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.
When do you arrive?
It depends on numbers and the service time. We agree arrival, serving and finishing times with you before the day.
How fast is service?
A short menu and staggered groups keep things moving. We will talk it through when we quote.
What’s on the menu?
Chip-shop favourites: cod or haddock and chips, sausages and pies, with mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy. See the menu.
Can the van come to Ashtead?
Yes. We take the van across London and the South East, and Ashtead is within our area and the rest of Surrey. To check your date, fill in our quote form.
DIY versus a fish and chip van
Ordering in from a local chip shop is an option. The problem is timing: big orders take a long time, and the food is cooling while it travels. A van solves that by cooking on site.
Doing the food yourself saves money, but the host ends up running around. Booking the van means hot food and no stress.
A closer look at the menu
Gravy
Chips and gravy is a favourite in the north and the Midlands, and it’s lovely with a pie.
Pie and chips
Pie and chips gives people a filling alternative to fish, perfect with gravy.
How we price a fish and chip van for your event
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- How many people are eating
- Parking and the way in
- The menu and how many choices
- The day of the week
Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest how to make it work. Keeping the menu short is normally the best value.
What to tell us
These details help us quote quickly:
- How to get in: gates, lanes and ground
- Where the event is
- The spot you have in mind for the van
- Dietary needs, with numbers
Send us the date, the address or KT21 postcode and rough numbers, along with your serving time, and we’ll reply with a quote. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Places near Ashtead
What else we do in Ashtead
Fairs, fêtes and events in Ashtead
Ashtead is about 2 miles south-west of Epsom, in Surrey. People in Ashtead book us for all sorts of reasons, but the plan is always the same: a level spot for the van, a time to eat and food fried to order. Ashtead is one of 395 places in Surrey we cover. We serve events right across the region, from Ashtead to Guildford (about 12 miles away).
If you’re organising a summer fair or sports day for a school such as Parsons Mead School, a chip van is a crowd-pleaser. For visitors coming by rail, Ashtead station, about 0.6 miles north, is the nearest station. Events in and around the Surrey Hills National Landscape, within about 4 miles of Ashtead, often have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we work to the site rules.
Here we cover the KT21 and KT22 postcode area, and we can serve your event anywhere in it. Local streets include The Street, Church Road and Greville Park Road; an event on any of them works well with a drive or nearby car park. If your venue is just outside Ashtead, we also cover Pachesham Park (2 miles north-west), Malden Rushett (2 miles north), Oxshott (3 miles north-west), Barwell (3 miles north) and Stoke D'Abernon (4 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Guildford (12 miles west), Woking (12 miles west), Horley (11 miles south-east), Redhill (8 miles south-east), Ewell (4 miles north-east) and Egham (13 miles north-west).
A little further out are Headley Court (1.7 miles south-east) and Walton on the Hill (3.1 miles south-east). Within reach you will find Box Hill and The Lake.
- Nearby schools include Barnett Wood Infant School (within half a mile north-west) and St Andrew's Catholic School (0.7 miles south-west)
- Local pubs include The Leg Of Mutton And Cauliflower Public House (under half a mile 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