Surrey · England
Festivals, fêtes and school events in Downside, Surrey
Bring the chip shop to your event in Downside. We park up, heat the fryers and cook to order, so every portion goes out hot.
- Church fêtes and fish and chip suppers
- Food for volunteers
- Country shows
Planning an event in Downside?
Fish and chip van for events for your event in Downside
Everything is cooked as people come up, so nothing sits waiting. On the menu are mushy peas, cod and chips and chips, and we are frequently booked for music and food festivals and village fêtes and summer fairs.
A fête near Downside might be on a field with no mains power; tell us what’s available and we’ll plan around it. Every portion is cooked to order on the day, never cooked in advance and left in a hot cabinet, and handed over as soon as it’s ready.
Organising for someone else?
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on parking and timings.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Should I sort the food myself?
For a small group, making your own food can work. For larger numbers, or when you want hot food, a van takes the pressure off, and you get to enjoy the day.
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.
Space, access and the venue
The right spot keeps everyone safe and the service smooth. We need:
- Confirmation the van can trade there
- A wet-weather pitch on hard standing
- Details of any power or water on site
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and the way in, and we’ll say what we think before you book.
On the menu in Downside
- Mushy peas
- Cod and chips
- Haddock and chips
- Chips
- Sausage and chips
- Curry sauce
Community events around Downside
Downside is about 4 miles west of Leatherhead, in Surrey. Tell us where your event in Downside will be, and we’ll plan access and set-up before the day. Downside is one of 395 places in Surrey where we bring the van. Our nearest city page is Guildford, about 8 miles away.
For visitors coming by rail, Cobham & Stoke Dabernon station is about 1 mile away. For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as St Michael's Chapel, a chip van adds hot food to the cakes and tombola. Within about 6 miles is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, where events may have extra rules on vehicles and waste; we will follow the site’s requirements.
Wherever your event is in KT11, we can bring the van to you. We can serve an event on streets such as Downside Common, Downsview Close and Deacon Close or the roads around them, as long as there’s somewhere for the van. Neighbouring places where we serve events include Hatchford (1 mile west), Martyr's Green (1 mile south-west), Hatchford End (2 miles west), Whiteley Village (3 miles north) and Wisley (3 miles west). Further out, we also take the van to Guildford (8 miles south-west), Woking (7 miles west), Camberley (14 miles west), Epsom (6 miles east), Horley (14 miles south-east) and Redhill (12 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Epsom Cottage Hospital (5.1 miles north-east) and Send and Ripley History Society Museum (3.8 miles west). Within reach you’ll find Jubilee Wood and Boldermere Lake.
- Schools near Downside include Parkside School (1.2 miles east)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Plough Public House (0.7 miles north)
Events we cater in Downside
A chip van is reliably one of the busiest pitches.
Almost any gathering works with a fish and chip van. In Downside, people book us for events such as:
- Charity fundraisers and community events
- Church fêtes and fish and chip suppers
- Village fêtes
- Agricultural and country shows
A school like St Matthew's CofE Aided Infant School can book the van for a fair, fun run or sports day.
Comparing caterers
- Whether there is a minimum
- How long service runs, and what happens if you overrun
- How late numbers can change
- A clear list of what’s included
Why choose a fish and chip van in Downside?
Cold food stalls are fine on a hot day, but hot food is a draw when it is cool. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: service time, menu, travel, any minimum and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why Downside hosts choose us
- No kitchen, no crockery, no washing up
- All the chip-shop extras
- Something for visitors to gather round
- Fried fresh, not kept warm
See how we price or the cost guide.
A closer look at the menu
Curry sauce
Curry sauce divides opinion and it’s on the menu.
Cod and chips
For many people, cod and chips is the definitive version. Fried to order in the van, it’s hot, crisp and generous.
How it works
Here’s how the day typically runs: we arrive, park up and set up, the fryers heat up, and food goes out hot when you’re ready to eat. Summer events in Downside have daylight until about 9:20pm 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.
- First, the plan: what, where and what time.
- We come back with availability and a clear price.
- We agree exactly where the van parks.
- On the day, everything is cooked to order, so nothing sits in a hot cabinet.
- We leave the spot as we found it.
Before we arrive
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Share the timings for the day
- Confirm numbers and dietary needs before the day
How to get a price
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Tell us about your event in Downside, and we will check the date and send a price.
Related guides
What else we do in Downside
Questions from Downside
Can the van go to venues in the Surrey Hills National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules for vehicles; ask your venue. We’ll follow the site rules.
Can you come to a school fair in Downside?
Yes, if the school is happy for the van on site. Send us the date and where the van would go.
When do you arrive?
That depends on your numbers and timings. We agree arrival, serving and finishing times with you before the day.
Where do you take the van?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Downside.
What about visitors who do not eat fish?
Yes: sausage and chips or pie and chips. Give us a rough idea of numbers.
What does the pitch need?
Level, firm ground the van can reach, and room for a queue. Tell us about power and water.
Can you cook in the rain?
The weather doesn’t stop the van, because the cooking happens inside. Very soft ground can be a problem, so plan a back-up spot on a hard surface.
How much does a fish and chip van for your event cost in Downside?
The price depends on numbers, menu, service time and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Prices and what affects them
Fish and chip van pricing is simple once we know the basics:
- The length of service
- How many people are eating
- How easy the site is to reach
- Any minimum charge
Larger groups usually cost less per head, because the van, travel and set-up cost much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Getting an accurate quote
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- Rough numbers for adults and children
- Your date and serving time
- A picture of the space and the way in
- Any dietary needs and allergies
Send us the date, the address or KT11 postcode and rough numbers, along with your serving time, and we will reply with a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
- 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