East Sussex · England
Funeral and wake catering in Coleman's Hatch, East Sussex
We bring fish and chips for the wake across Coleman's Hatch and East Sussex, frying fresh at your venue and serving from the hatch.
- Village hall wakes
- Gatherings at home after a funeral
- Scattering of ashes gatherings
Book the van in Coleman's Hatch
Coleman's Hatch questions
Is Coleman's Hatch too small for a chip van?
No, we come to small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
How far is Coleman's Hatch from London?
About 29 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Do you bring everything you need?
We bring the van and everything we need to cook. You provide a suitable spot and permission to park.
When do you arrive?
We get there in good time to set up. We will agree arrival and serving times with you so food is ready when you want it.
Can you park on the road outside?
It depends on the road. A drive, car park or yard is typically easier; if it has to be the street, check with the council.
Do you come to Coleman's Hatch?
Yes. We take the van across London and the South East, including Coleman's Hatch and the rest of East Sussex. To check your date, fill in our quote form.
Do you serve wakes at home?
Yes, if there’s somewhere level and firm to park the van close to the house.
How much is fish and chip van hire?
It depends on numbers, the menu, how long we serve and travel. Tell us about your wake and we’ll send a quote.
How our funeral and wake catering works in Coleman's Hatch
We understand that timings on the day can move, so we stay flexible. For anniversary memorials and gatherings at home after a funeral, we’ll put together a menu of sausage and chips, pie and chips and mushy peas and more.
Near Coleman's Hatch, wakes are often at home or in the hall. Let us know about access. Let us know about allergies and dietary needs in advance, and we will be straight with you about what we can do before booking.
- Where
- Coleman's Hatch (TN7)
- County
- East Sussex
- Menu
- Fish and chips, sausages, pies
- On the side
- Mushy peas, curry sauce, gravy
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 24 October 2026
Nearby places to Coleman's Hatch
More for events in Coleman's Hatch
For event organisers in Coleman's Hatch
If your event is in a public place, such as a park or a street, check what permission you need first. The council or landowner will tell you what they need.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on parking and timings.
The process
Nothing is cooked before it is needed. Each portion is battered and fried as it’s ordered, so it is as fresh as from any chip shop. Late-December sunset in Coleman's Hatch is about 3:55pm, so for an afternoon wake, light near the van and the door helps. Summer wakes have daylight well into the evening.
- Start with three things: the date, the place and a rough headcount.
- Show us where the van would go, and we’ll confirm it works.
- Closer to the day, we confirm the arrival time and serving time.
- The van rolls up, the hatch opens and the fryers get going for family and friends.
- Once the last portion is out, we pack up and go.
Preparing for the day
- Leave room in front of the hatch for a queue
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Clear the route for the van
Getting a price
Still finalising the details? No problem: tell us the basics about your wake, and we will quote on that. To start, use our quote form.
Read more
Diets, allergies and planning
With a bit of planning, dietary needs are easier to handle. Here are a few tips:
- Tell us about any close family with allergies
- Ask your funeral director to help estimate numbers
- Ask a friend to run a tea table
- Check the hall or venue allows a catering van
Allow time for travel from the service, crematorium or burial ground when choosing a serving time.
Some families add a favourite dessert or cake.
Food your guests will love
Haddock and chips
Haddock has a slightly sweeter flavour and a firmer flake. In the north and in Scotland, haddock is the classic.
Cod and chips
Cod is the classic: mild, white and flaky, and it’s the favourite in much of the south. It’s battered and fried to order, so it’s crisp when it reaches you.
Why choose a fish and chip van in Coleman's Hatch?
Making food yourself for a wake is a lot to take on. A van takes that off your hands. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will suggest how to make it work. Keeping the menu short is generally the best value.
Why Coleman's Hatch hosts choose us
- Hot food handed straight over
- Mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy on the side
- Works on wet days as well as sunny ones
- A menu almost everyone likes
Arranging a wake in Coleman's Hatch
Coleman's Hatch is about 4 miles south-east of East Grinstead, in East Sussex. We park up at drives, car parks, yards and venues around Coleman's Hatch and the surrounding area. Coleman's Hatch is one of 289 places in East Sussex where we bring the van. Our nearest city page is Brighton, about 20 miles away.
If the funeral is at a church such as Holy Trinity Church, a hall or home nearby keeps the journey to the wake short. Coleman's Hatch is within about 2 miles of the High Weald National Landscape, and rural venues there may have narrow lanes, so tell us about access.
Anywhere in TN7, we can bring the van to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. We can serve a wake on streets such as Shepherds Hill and Parrock Lane or the roads around them, as long as there is somewhere for the van. If your venue is just outside Coleman's Hatch, we also cover Upper Hartfield (1 mile north-east), Forest Row (1 mile west), Wych Cross (2 miles south-west), Chelwood Gate (3 miles south-west) and Duddleswell (3 miles south). Further out, we also take the van to Lewes (15 miles south), Crowborough (5 miles south-east), Uckfield (8 miles south), South Malling (15 miles south), Heathfield (12 miles south-east) and Southover (15 miles south).
Well-known places in the area include Queen Victoria Hospital (4.4 miles north-west) and Bolebroke Castle (2.9 miles north-east). The countryside around Coleman's Hatch includes Brickfield Meadow.
- Local pubs include The Hatch Inn (less than half a mile south-east)
Should I sort the food myself?
Collecting fish and chips for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is hard work. By the time you’ve queued, paid and driven back, the batter has gone soft. With a van, it’s fried on the spot.
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 nobody has to miss the wake.
What affects the price in Coleman's Hatch
The price comes down to a few factors:
- The menu and how many choices
- How far we travel
- The length of service
- How easy the site is to reach
Compared with a sit-down meal, a fish and chip van is frequently good value, because it needs no kitchen and no crockery hire. We will send you a quote.
What to tell us
To speed things up, tell us:
- Expected numbers
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The address or venue name
- How to get in: gates, lanes and ground
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, address, rough numbers and when you’d like to eat. We will send a clear quote that says what’s included.
Space, access and the venue
We’ll be honest if a spot will not work, and suggest an alternative. What matters most:
- Space for people to queue at the hatch
- A spot near your guests
- A level hardstanding, drive or firm lawn
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
Popular choices
- Sausage and chips
- Cod and chips
- Mushy peas
- Gravy
- Pie and chips
- Haddock 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