Hampshire · England
Funeral and Wake Catering in Clayhall
Funeral and wake catering in Clayhall: fish and chips cooked fresh in the van, and served hot from the hatch at the time you choose.
- Family gatherings after a burial or cremation
- Wakes at home
- Gatherings after scattering ashes
Funeral and wake catering in Clayhall
About our funeral and wake catering in Clayhall
Your funeral director or a family friend can deal with us directly. Whether it’s gatherings at a village hall or club and remembering a loved one’s favourite food, we’ll put together a menu of cod and chips, haddock and chips and gravy and more.
In Clayhall, the hall is often where people gather. We bring the van and everything we need to cook, and we leave the pitch tidy when we go.
Wakes in Clayhall: venues and practical details
Clayhall is about 2 miles south-east of Gosport, in Hampshire. Bookings in Clayhall come in all shapes and sizes, but it always starts the same way: somewhere to park, a time to serve and fresh frying. We cover all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 15 miles away.
Relatives arriving by train should know that Portsmouth Harbour station, about 1.4 miles north-east, is the nearest station. Families holding a service at St Francis often gather afterwards at a nearby hall, where the van can park. The coast is within about 2 miles of Clayhall.
Wherever your wake is in PO12, we can bring the van to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Local streets include The Lane, Old Road and Fort Road; a wake on any of them works well with a drive or nearby car park. If your venue is just outside Clayhall, we also cover Haslar (1 mile south-east), Alverstoke (1 mile west), Portsmouth Point (1 mile north-east), Privett (1 mile north-west) and Portsea (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Havant (8 miles north-east), Fareham (6 miles north-west), Horndean (10 miles north-east), Hedge End (12 miles north-west), Waterlooville (8 miles north-east) and Purbrook (7 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Tricorn Centre (2.3 miles north-east) and Gosport War Memorial Hospital (1 mile north-west). Open spaces near Clayhall include West of the River Alver.
- Nearby schools include St Vincent College (1.2 miles north) and Bay House School (1.4 miles west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Fighting Cocks pub (under half a mile west)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Southsea (1.7 miles east)
A closer look at the menu
Sausage and chips
For anyone who does not fancy fish, there’s sausage and chips, and children love it.
Mushy peas
Mushy peas are made from dried marrowfat peas, soaked and cooked until soft. They’re the side most people expect.
Places near Clayhall
More for events in Clayhall
Step by step
Your timings come first. If the day runs behind, we hold off cooking until you’re ready, so the food is still fresh when it is served. In summer, a wake in Clayhall has light until about 9:20pm, but in December it’s dark by about 4:00pm, so plan lighting near the door.
- It starts with the date, where the wake is and roughly how many.
- We check where the van can park and send a clear price.
- We plan a flexible serving time around the service.
- We park discreetly and fry fresh as people arrive.
- Afterwards we pack up quietly and leave the spot tidy.
How to prepare
- Give us a contact for the day
- Check the way in for low branches, cables and narrow gates
- Confirm numbers and dietary needs before the day
Get a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the parking spot, access, numbers and serving time. Photos of the spot and the way in help. When you’re ready, use our quote form.
Planning help
Should I sort the food myself?
DIY food keeps costs down, but the host spends the event serving. With a fish and chip van, you get hot food without the work.
Not sure whether to order in or book a van? Think about numbers, timing and how hot you want the food. We are happy to send a quote so you can compare.
Events we cater in Clayhall
For some families, it was a favourite meal.
Whatever brings people together, fish and chips from the hatch goes down well. We are often booked for:
- Anniversary memorials
- Gatherings at a village hall or club
- Gatherings at home after a funeral
- Family gatherings after a burial or cremation
A club or hall near Clayhall gives space for everyone and parking for the van, with the van in the car park.
What your quote should include
- What the price includes, item by item
- How many hours the van serves
- Travel, tolls and road charges
- How much space the van takes up
Where the van can park in Clayhall
Before the day, we will agree where the van parks. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- A level, firm spot the van can drive onto
- Confirmation that the van can park there
- A lit spot if service runs after dark
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and the way in, and we’ll say what we think.
From the hatch
- Sausage and chips
- Pie and chips
- Cod and chips
- Mushy peas
- Haddock and chips
- Gravy
A chip van compared with other options
For a simple, comforting meal at a wake, a chip van is a gentle choice in Clayhall. Travel, tolls and charges such as ULEZ can affect the price, so it helps to give us the postcode.
Why book with us
- We cook inside the van, whatever the weather
- A menu almost everyone likes
- Events in Clayhall and across Hampshire
- Hot food handed straight over
See our prices page and the cost guide.
Diets, allergies and planning
With a bit of planning, dietary needs are easier to handle. Here are a few tips:
- Ask your funeral director to help estimate numbers
- Ensure older relatives can sit
- Arrange tea and coffee separately
- Keep the serving time flexible
We start when you give the word.
Photos or a memory book give people something to share.
For event organisers in Clayhall
For big groups, the service window matters, so we can plan how to keep the queue short. Sending people up in groups helps.
Parks, greens and streets generally need permission for a catering van. The council or landowner will tell you what they need.
FAQs for Clayhall
We are gathering after a service at St Francis: can you come?
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 about events near the coast?
Yes. The cooking is inside the van, so wind doesn’t affect it, but the queue will want shelter.
Can the van park on grass?
Usually, if it is firm and dry. Soft, wet ground can trap any vehicle, so have a hard-surface back-up.
What if we only have street parking?
Only where it’s legal to park, or with a council parking suspension or road closure. Ask your council early.
Can you serve children?
Children are very welcome. Let us know numbers, and we’ll plan for them.
Do we need to provide anything?
A suitable spot for the van and permission to park there. Tell us whether there’s power or water nearby and we’ll take it from there.
What if timings change?
We allow for it. We will work to your contact on the day.
Do you serve wakes at home?
Yes, with a suitable spot for the van.
- 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