Hampshire · England
Fish and Chip Van Hire for Soake events
A menu everybody knows: fish and chips, sausages and pies, plus mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy on the side. Book a fish and chip van in Soake.
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Work Christmas parties
- Village fêtes and school fairs
Planning an event in Soake?
Soake: your questions answered
Do you come out to small places like Soake?
Not at all. We serve villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and the ground.
How far is Soake from London?
About 59 miles from central London.
Is it a full meal?
Yes. Fish and chips with mushy peas is a full meal.
Does a chip van work for big events?
It can be. Tell us your numbers and how long you have for food, and we will tell you honestly how service will work.
How long are you on site?
We get there in good time to set up. Timings are agreed in advance so food is ready when you want it.
Is everything cooked fresh?
Yes. We fry to order in the van at your venue, then handed over hot from the hatch.
Where can the van park?
Not much: a drive, a car park, a yard or a firm lawn, that the van can reach easily. Send us a picture if you’re not sure.
What about guests who do not eat fish?
We serve sausages and pies as well as fish. Tell us about other diets and we’ll be honest about what’s possible.
Fish and chip van hire for your event in Soake
Queuing at the hatch is half the experience. People chat, the smell drifts across, and the food arrives hot. We’re frequently asked to cater Fêtes, fairs and school events and staff thank-you lunches, with mushy peas, sausage and chips and pie and chips.
Somewhere like Soake, a yard or firm field often works. Mention gates and soft ground when you contact us. You’ll know what’s included before you book: the date, the service time and the menu, with no surprises on the day.
Prices and what affects them
The same numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Whether a minimum applies
- How far we travel
- Parking and the way in
- Your choice of menu
Many fish and chip vans set a minimum, because the van, fuel and travel cost the same for a small group. Ask us what applies to your event.
Details that help
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- Access details such as gates and narrow lanes
- Dietary needs, with numbers
- The venue or postcode
- A picture of the parking spot
Still finalising the details? No problem: tell us the basics about your event, and we’ll quote on that. To start, use our quote form.
Planning for dietary needs
A little planning helps everyone eat safely. A few tips:
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Add an allergy question to your invitations
- Fewer choices mean faster service
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
Fish and chips is at its best fresh from the fryer, so we cook as people come up to the hatch.
Let everyone know when the food is ready.
Occasions we serve in Soake
On a grey day, hot fish and chips wins, and the cooking carries on inside the van whatever the weather.
The van suits big events and small ones. Typical bookings include:
- Summer garden parties
- Care home visits
- Company team days
- Milestone birthday parties
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Denmead Junior School, a chip van is a crowd-pleaser.
Comparing caterers
- Whether VAT is included
- The deadline for final numbers
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- How allergens are handled
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.
Places near Soake
What else we do in Soake
Space, access and the venue
A fish and chip van is a vehicle, so the spot matters, so a few things need checking. These are the things we check:
- Room in front of the hatch for a queue
- A lit spot if service runs after dark
- Permission from the venue or landowner for the van
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and the way in, and we will say what we think before you book.
Popular choices
- Gravy
- Mushy peas
- Chips
- Haddock and chips
- Curry sauce
- Cod and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Pie and chips
Why fried-to-order beats a buffet
If you want something everyone will enjoy, a fish and chip van is a safe and popular choice. Compared with a sit-down meal, a fish and chip van is often good value, as there’s no kitchen to hire and nothing to wash up. We will send you a quote.
Why Soake hosts choose us
- Quick service from the hatch
- All the chip-shop extras
- We cook inside the van, whatever the weather
- No kitchen needed
See our prices page and the cost guide.
How the day works
There’s very little for you to do on the day: show us the spot, tell us when to start, and enjoy your event. The frying and serving are down to us. In Soake, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting by the van.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and serving time.
- You get a check on the date and the spot, and a quote.
- We arrive early, set up and get the fryers hot.
- Everything is fried fresh and handed over from the hatch.
- Afterwards, we clear up and head off.
How to prepare
- Keep space clear for guests at the hatch
- Share the timings for the day
- Check the venue or landowner is happy for the van to park
Ask for a quote
Each quote is put together for your event. Give us your date first, and we will check availability straight away.
Planning help
What comes out of the fryer
Pie and chips
A pie and chips is proper comfort food, and it is a favourite in colder months.
Gravy
A pot of gravy turns chips into comfort food, especially in winter.
Planning a chip van in Soake
Soake is about 1 mile north-west of Waterlooville, in Hampshire. For events in Soake, we can park on a drive, a car park, a yard or firm, dry grass. Soake is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we bring the van. Our bookings stretch from Soake to Southampton (about 15 miles away).
If you are gathering after a service at a church like The Mead End, a nearby hall car park or drive suits the van. For guests coming by train, Bedhampton station, about 3.7 miles south-east, is the nearest station.
Wherever your event is in PO7, we can bring the van to you. Local streets include Soake Road and Hambledon Road; an event on any of them works well with a drive or nearby car park. Neighbouring places where we serve events include Furzeley Corner (1 mile south-west), Hart Plain (1 mile east), Cowplain (1 mile east), Waterlooville (1 mile south-east) and Purbrook Heath (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Gosport (8 miles south-west), Havant (4 miles south-east), Eastleigh (14 miles west), Fareham (7 miles south-west), Hedge End (11 miles west) and Petersfield (9 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Clanfield Earthwork (4.7 miles north-east) and Queen Alexandra Hospital (3.2 miles south). The countryside around Soake includes Southmoor Nature Reserve and Portsdown Hill.
- Local schools include The Cowplain School (1.1 miles east)
- Local pubs include The Mead End pub (0.5 miles north-west)
- 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