Kent · England
Funeral and wake catering in Arpinge, Kent
Looking for fish and chips for the wake in Arpinge? The van comes to your venue, home or workplace and fry everything fresh on the spot.
- Village hall wakes
- Life celebrations
- Family meals after the service
Funeral and wake catering for Arpinge events
About our funeral and wake catering in Arpinge
Food is fried to order, so it’s hot when people arrive. Typical bookings include scattering of ashes gatherings and wakes at venues, with mushy peas, cod and chips and sausage and chips.
Near Arpinge, wakes are frequently at home or in the hall. Tell us about lanes and the ground. We cook inside the van, right where your guests are, and the food reaches them hot and crisp.
Who books funeral and wake catering in Arpinge?
It works for everyone, from children to older relatives.
A fish and chip van suits almost any gathering. People in Arpinge book the van for events such as:
- Family gatherings after a burial or cremation
- Small family memorials
- A wake at the family home
- Memorial gatherings
For a service at a church like St Oswald's Church, choosing a wake venue nearby helps older guests.
What to look for in a quote
- How allergens are handled
- How long service runs, and what happens if you overrun
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- When final numbers are due
Cannot we just order from the chip shop?
Some hosts try a takeaway order. 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.
If you do order from a chip shop, ring well ahead and collect as close to eating time as you can. For anything more than a handful of people, a van is normally the easier option.
The menu, dish by dish
Mushy peas
Proper mushy peas start with dried marrowfat peas. They’re the classic side with fish and chips.
Haddock and chips
Some people swear by haddock: sweeter and a touch firmer than cod. Tell us if you’d like to offer it.
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we position the van, set up the hatch and get the fryers up to temperature. Then everything is fried to order, timed around your wake. In autumn and winter, it is dark early in Arpinge; ensure older guests have a well-lit route to the van.
- Start with three things: the date, the place and a rough headcount.
- 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 family and friends.
- Last portion served, we tidy up and head off.
Before we arrive
- Have a level parking spot ready
- Plan a bit of cover near the hatch if rain is likely
- Make sure the van can get in
Get a quote
We only need a few details to quote: 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.
Related guides
Arpinge: your questions answered
Which station is closest to Arpinge?
Folkestone West station, about 1.7 miles south-east of the centre.
We are gathering after a service at St Oswald's Church: can you come?
Yes, at a home, hall or venue nearby where the van can park. Churches rarely have space for a catering van, so the food is generally elsewhere. Tell us where you will gather.
Do you need power or water?
Tell us what’s available at the site in your enquiry, and we’ll confirm what we need.
How quickly can you serve everyone?
It depends on numbers, the menu and how people arrive. Tell us your numbers and how long you have for food, and we’ll plan service around it.
Can the van come to Arpinge?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Arpinge and the rest of Kent. To check your date, send us your details through our quote form.
Can someone else arrange it?
Yes. We’re happy to deal with the funeral director or a family friend.
What if the weather’s bad?
The weather does not stop the van, because the fryers are inside. Soft ground after heavy rain is the bigger issue, so have a hard-surface spot in mind.
Is the fish gluten-free?
Standard batter is made with wheat flour, so battered fish contains gluten. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance, and we will be straight with you about what’s possible.
Arpinge: halls, homes and travel
Arpinge is about 1 mile south-west of Hawkinge, in Kent. For wakes in Arpinge, we can park on a drive, a car park, a yard or firm, dry grass. We cover 922 places across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 12 miles away.
For family travelling by train, the closest railway station is Folkestone West station, roughly 1.7 miles south-east of the centre. Arpinge is within about 4 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape; tell us about access if the wake is somewhere rural. Arpinge is within about 3 miles of the sea.
Wakes anywhere in CT18 start with a parking spot for the van and a serving time. Other places close to Arpinge we cover include Hawkinge (1 mile north-east), Densole (2 miles north-east), Old Hawkinge (2 miles east), Swingfield Minnis (3 miles north-east) and Elham (3 miles north). Further out, we also take the van to Ashford (12 miles west), Canterbury (12 miles north), Dover (8 miles east), Deal (14 miles north-east), Hythe (3 miles south-west) and Tower Hamlets (7 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include Royal Victoria Hospital (2.2 miles south-east) and Folkestone Castle (1.4 miles south-east). Open spaces near Arpinge include Cheriton Hill.
- Schools near Arpinge include Turner Free School (1.3 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Cat & Custard Pot pub (0.7 miles north)
Planners, venues and businesses
For big groups, the service window matters, so we can plan service to match. Staggering groups helps a lot.
If your event is in a public place, such as a park or a street, check what permission you need first. Ask the council or landowner early.
Looking after everyone
We take allergies seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Use the funeral director’s experience on numbers
- Choose a friend to be our contact
- Mention allergies you know about
- Allow for the service running over
Allow time for travel from the service, crematorium or burial ground when choosing a serving time.
Photos or a memory book give people something to share.
Also near Arpinge
Also in Arpinge
Is a fish and chip van right for your wake?
For a simple, comforting meal at a wake, a chip van is a gentle choice. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will suggest a menu and timing to match. A short menu is often the best value.
Why book with us
- All the chip-shop extras
- Cod, haddock, sausages and pies
- Fried fresh, not kept warm
- Hot food handed straight over
See our pricing or the cost guide.
Space, access and the venue
If a spot is not suitable, we’ll tell you. The main points are:
- Access wide and high enough for the van
- Somewhere close to where people will eat
- Permission from the venue or landowner for the van
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
On the menu in Arpinge
- Gravy
- Mushy peas
- Cod and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Haddock and chips
- Pie and chips
- 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