Greater London · England
Funeral and wake catering in Coombe, Greater London
From the first sizzle in the fryer to the last chip, fish and chips for the wake makes the food a highlight of your wake in Coombe.
- Scattering of ashes gatherings
- Pub wakes
- Wakes at church halls and clubs
A chip van near Coombe
Coombe questions
Can the van park in Addington Hills?
Only if the landowner, normally the council, allows it. Check with them first.
Can you serve after a service at Church Hall United Reformed Church Of St Paul?
Yes, at a nearby hall, home or venue with somewhere for the van. Food is generally served at the reception venue rather than the church. Tell us where you will gather.
Do you bring everything you need?
The van comes fully equipped to cook. You just need a suitable spot and permission.
What does the van need?
Not much: a hard surface or firm, dry grass, that the van can reach easily. Send us a photo if you are not sure.
How many people should we cater for?
It’s hard to know, so a rough number is fine. Your funeral director can help.
How fast is service?
That depends on numbers, menu and timing. Give us your numbers and service window, and we will plan service around it.
Can coeliacs eat the battered fish?
Standard batter is made with wheat flour, so battered fish contains gluten. Tell us about coeliac guests when you enquire, and we will be straight with you about what’s possible.
What if timings change?
Of course. We start when you are ready.
About our funeral and wake catering in Coombe
Funerals are frequently arranged at short notice, so ask as soon as you have the date. We’re frequently asked to cater gatherings after the committal and gatherings at home after a funeral, serving pie and chips, sausage and chips and mushy peas.
Wakes in Coombe are frequently at home, a church hall or a pub with a yard. In London, the van needs off-road parking or a legal space nearby, which we can help you think through. We bring the van and everything we need to cook, and we leave the pitch tidy when we go.
- Location
- Coombe (CR0, CR2, CR9)
- County
- Greater London
- Menu
- Fish and chips, sausages, pies
- Extras
- Mushy peas, curry sauce, gravy
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 24 October 2026
Nearby places to Coombe
Other occasions in Coombe
Coombe: halls, homes and travel
Coombe is about 1 mile east of Croydon, in Greater London. We serve wakes at drives, car parks, yards and venues around Coombe. Coombe is one of 764 towns and villages in Greater London where we bring the van. Our bookings stretch from Coombe to London (9 miles away).
If there is not room at home, a hall or club near Coombe may suit. Families holding a service at Church Hall United Reformed Church Of St Paul often gather afterwards at a nearby hall, where the van can park.
For wakes in CR0, CR2 and CR9, we just need to know where the van can park and roughly how many guests. Local streets include Oaks Road, Coombe Road and Coombe Lane; a wake on any of them works well with a drive or nearby car park. We also bring the van to wakes in Croydon (1 mile west), Addiscombe (1 mile north), South Croydon (1 mile south-west), Shirley Oaks (1 mile north-east) and Shirley (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also take the van to London (9 miles north), City of Westminster (11 miles north), Marylebone (11 miles north), Kensington (11 miles north-west), St Pancras (11 miles north) and Shoreditch (11 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Addiscombe (1.3 miles north) and National Psychosis Unit (2.1 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Bramley Bank and Duppas Hill.
- Schools near Coombe include Royal Russell School (less than half a mile south) and St Peter's Primary School (0.9 miles south-west)
- Pubs nearby include Coombe Lodge pub (within half a mile south-west)
Allergies and dietary needs
We take allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Mention allergies you know about
- Plan seating for older guests
- Check the hall has an urn
- 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.
About the food
Cod and chips
Cod and chips is the meal most people picture when they think of a chip shop. Cooked fresh at the hatch, it is hot, crisp and generous.
Sausage and chips
Sausage and chips is the go-to for anyone who isn’t a fish fan, especially with curry sauce.
A fish and chip van or other catering?
A pub or venue may cater a wake themselves. A van works at home or at a hall. Many fish and chip vans set a minimum, since getting the van there costs the same however many eat. Ask us what applies to your wake.
Why Coombe hosts choose us
- No kitchen needed
- Works on wet days as well as sunny ones
- The classic sides: peas, curry sauce and gravy
- Events in Coombe and across Greater London
Read our pricing or our guide to van hire costs.
How it works
Nothing gathers a crowd like the smell of fish and chips. Fish goes into the batter and straight into the fryer, with chips cooked in batches as the queue moves. Summer evenings in Coombe stay light until about 9:20pm, while winter afternoons darken by about 3:55pm, so plan lighting near the door.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and roughly how many.
- A photo of the parking spot helps us check the van will fit.
- A week or so before, we confirm timings and numbers.
- We park, open the hatch and start frying for family and friends.
- Once the last portion is out, we pack up and go.
Before we arrive
- Check the venue or landowner is happy for the van to park
- Pick a flat, firm place for the van to park
- Confirm numbers and dietary needs before the day
Ask for a quote
Still finalising the details? That’s fine: tell us the basics about your wake, and we will quote on that. Start when you are ready: use our quote form.
Read more
Prices and what affects them
Your quote will be clear. The main things that affect it are:
- Access and parking
- Cod, haddock or both
- Peak dates such as summer Saturdays
- The number of meals
Comparing vans? Look at what each quote includes: service time, menu, travel, any minimum and VAT. We set ours out clearly.
What to tell us
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but these help:
- The date and when you’d like to eat
- The address or venue name
- Rough numbers for adults and children
- Where the van would park
Thinking about fish and chips for the wake for your wake in Coombe? Send us the details and we’ll reply with a clear price. To contact us, use our quote form.
Working with your venue
Parks, greens and streets usually need permission for a catering van. The council or landowner will tell you what they need.
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers and vehicles: parking spots, arrival times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll confirm what we can provide.
Before you choose a spot
Most drives, car parks, yards and firm lawns can take the van, but a few things matter:
- Permission from the venue or landowner for the van
- Access wide and high enough for the van
- A level, firm spot the van can drive onto
As a London location, Coombe is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about off-street space or permits.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
From the hatch
- Mushy peas
- Haddock and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Pie and chips
- Gravy
- Cod and chips
DIY versus a fish and chip van
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 cooks in front of your guests instead.
Collecting fish and chips for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s hard work. Long waits and a drive home mean food arrives lukewarm and soggy. With a van, it is fried on the spot.
- 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