Medway · England
Fish and Chip Van Hire in Rochester
Fish and chip van hire in Rochester: cod, haddock and chips fried to order, then handed over hot from the hatch.
- Garden parties and summer get-togethers
- Weddings, especially the evening
- Birthday celebrations
Planning an event in Rochester?
Fish and chip van hire in Rochester, cooked to order
There is no kitchen to hire and nothing to wash up. All it needs is a level spot it can reach, which most drives, car parks and yards can offer. We are frequently asked to cater village fêtes and school fairs and wakes and celebrations of life, with mushy peas, pie and chips and curry sauce.
Drives in Rochester range from short to sweeping, and most can take the van with a little planning. A hall or club car park is a good fallback. Your quote spells out what’s included: serving times, the menu and anything else agreed.
Common questions in Rochester
Can you serve after a service at Church of St Nicholas?
Yes, at a nearby hall, home or venue with somewhere for the van. Churches rarely have space for a catering van, so the food is usually elsewhere. Tell us where you’ll gather.
What’s the nearest station to Rochester?
Rochester station, in Rochester itself.
What can guests choose from?
The classics: cod, haddock, chips, sausages and pies, with mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy. See the menu.
Can you park on the road outside?
Only where it is legal to park, or with a council parking suspension or road closure. Check with your council first.
Is the fish gluten-free?
Our battered fish contains gluten, because standard batter uses wheat flour. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance, and we’ll tell you honestly what we can offer.
Is a chip van good for a large crowd?
It depends on numbers and timings. A short menu and staggered groups keep things moving.
Where do you take the van?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
What about guests who don’t eat fish?
There is: sausage and chips or pie and chips. Tell us roughly how many to expect.
Towns and villages near Rochester
Other occasions in Rochester
A fish and chip van or other catering?
With a barbecue, somebody ends up cooking all afternoon. With a van, nobody misses the event. Compared with a sit-down meal, a fish and chip van is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and nothing to wash up. We will send you a quote.
Why book with us
- Nothing for you to cook or clear
- A van that becomes part of the event
- A quote that spells everything out
- A menu almost everyone likes
For planners, venues and organisers
Hosting at home? Send us a photo of the drive or the spot and the way in, and we’ll tell you honestly whether it works.
For big groups, the service window matters, so we can plan how to keep the queue short. Sending people up in groups helps.
What a fish and chip van costs
We’ll give you a clear quote. What affects it most:
- The day of the week
- The menu and how many choices
- Numbers
- The length of service
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: service time, menu, travel, any minimum and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Getting an accurate quote
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- A picture of the space and the way in
- Roughly how many people, including children
- Where you’d like the van to go
- The venue or postcode
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the parking spot, access, numbers and serving time. Photos of the spot and the way in help. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
What happens on the day
A typical booking goes like this: we arrive, park up and set up, the fryers heat up, and food goes out hot at the agreed time. Around midsummer it stays light in Rochester until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:50pm, the van and the queue need lighting.
- First, the plan: what, where and what time.
- You hear back on the date and the price.
- We agree exactly where the van parks.
- On the day, everything is cooked to order, so nothing sits in a hot cabinet.
- The pitch is left tidy when we go.
Getting ready for the day
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Ensure the van can get in
- Give us your final numbers and allergies
Getting a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many people, plus when you’d like to eat, and we’ll reply with a quote. Just use our quote form.
Planning help
Planning a chip van in Rochester
Rochester is about 27 miles east of London, in Medway. Bookings in Rochester come in all shapes and sizes, but the plan is always the same: a level spot for the van, a time to eat and food fried to order. Rochester is one of 68 places in Medway we cover. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 26 miles away.
Churches such as Church of St Nicholas rarely have room for a van, but a hall or home close by usually does. Thinking of using Broomhill Park? Parks normally need the owner’s permission, frequently the council’s, before a catering van can park or trade.
Events anywhere in ME2, ME1, ME3 and ME4 start with a parking spot for the van. That could mean an event at a home on High Street, Gundolph Square and Station Road, wherever the van can park. Rochester sits on or near the A2 and A226, which makes travel to your event easy. Neighbouring places where we serve events include Strood (1 mile west), Borstal (1 mile south-west), Cuxton (2 miles south-west), Lower Bush (3 miles west) and North Halling (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Gillingham (4 miles east), Chatham (3 miles south-east), Rainham (5 miles south-east), Park Wood (5 miles south-east), Lordswood (4 miles south-east) and Twydall (4 miles east). Being one of Medway’s larger places, Rochester has plenty of venues, halls and workplaces.
Other landmarks nearby include Huguenot Museum (less than half a mile east) and French Hospital (less than half a mile south-east). The countryside around Rochester includes Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
- Local schools include Fort Pitt Grammar School (1 mile south-east) and Temple School (1.2 miles north)
- Pubs nearby include Royal Crown Hotel (within half a mile east)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include City of Rochester-upon-Medway (under half a mile north) and Former Ordnance Store At Chatham Gun Wharf (1.2 miles east)
Takeaway run or book a van?
Ordering from a local shop? Call ahead and collect at the last minute. For anything more than a handful of people, a van is usually the easier option.
Not sure whether to order in or book a van? Consider your numbers and how fresh you want it. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Diets, allergies and planning
Tell us about dietary needs and allergies early, and we’ll tell you honestly what we can offer. To get it right:
- Let us know numbers for vegetarians and vegans
- Confirm allergies by email
- Put bins and napkins by the van
- Keep the menu short to keep the queue moving
After service, we pack up.
Plan cover near the hatch if rain is possible.
What the van needs
No two venues are the same, so we ask about the spot and the way in when you contact us. Generally, we look for:
- Access wide and high enough for the van
- Confirmation that the van can park there
- Space for people to queue at the hatch
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
What we serve
- Mushy peas
- Cod and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Pie and chips
- Curry sauce
- Gravy
- Haddock and chips
- Chips
Perfect for your event in Rochester
A van is food and an occasion in one. The van becomes a focal point, and the food is hot and plentiful.
We’re booked for all kinds of occasions in Rochester and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Wakes and gatherings after a funeral
- Community events and fairs
- Summer garden parties
- Company team days
For anyone arriving by rail, there’s a station right in Rochester: Rochester station.
Comparing caterers
- VAT, if it applies
- When payment is due
- What the van needs: space, access, power
- How long service runs, and what happens if you overrun
- 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