Hampshire · England
Funeral and Wake Catering for Grateley events
Hot, crisp and cooked while you wait: fish and chips for the wake in Grateley and the surrounding area.
- Wakes at home
- Small family memorials
- Wakes at venues
Funeral and wake catering for Grateley events
How our funeral and wake catering works in Grateley
Fish and chips is informal, which suits a wake where people move around and talk. Typical bookings include family gatherings after a burial or cremation and a tribute meal, with haddock and chips, pie and chips and sausage and chips.
Near Grateley, wakes are often at home or in the hall. Let us know about access. Tell us about dietary needs and allergies when you enquire, and we’ll be straight with you about what we can do.
The process
The first sign we have arrived is generally the smell. From then on, people come up as they’re ready. In winter, it’s dark in Grateley by about 4:00pm, so an afternoon wake in winter needs lighting near the van. Summer wakes have daylight well into the evening.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and roughly how many.
- Show us where the van would go, and we will confirm it works.
- A week or so before, we confirm timings and numbers.
- We park, open the hatch and start frying for family and friends.
- Last portion served, we tidy up and head off.
How to prepare
- Name one person we can call on the day
- Have a level parking spot ready
- Check the venue or landowner is happy for the van to park
How to get a price
Every booking is quoted individually, based on your numbers, timings and travel. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Planning help
Should I sort the food myself?
You could do a chip-shop run for everyone yourself, but it rarely works for a crowd. By the time you’ve queued, paid and driven back, the batter has gone soft. A van fries it right there, so it is crisp.
Ordering in from a local chip shop is an option. Large orders are slow, and the food cools in the bags. A van cooks in front of your guests instead.
What comes out of the fryer
Haddock and chips
Haddock has loyal fans: sweeter and a touch firmer than cod. Ask us about offering haddock alongside or instead of cod.
Mushy peas
Proper mushy peas start with dried marrowfat peas. They’re the classic side with fish and chips.
Prices and what affects them
The same numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- Any minimum charge
- How easy the site is to reach
- How long we serve
- Peak dates such as summer Saturdays
Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest a menu and timing to match. A short menu is often the best value.
Getting an accurate quote
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Where the event is
- The date and time of the event
- Allergies and diets you know about
- Roughly how many people, including children
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many people, along with your serving time, and you’ll get a clear price. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Grateley: halls, homes and travel
Grateley is about 6 miles south-west of Andover, in Hampshire. For wakes in Grateley, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a parking spot and fresh frying on the day. Grateley is one of 683 towns and villages in Hampshire where we bring the van. Our bookings stretch from Grateley to Southampton (about 20 miles away).
If the funeral is at a church such as Church of St Leonard, a hall or home nearby keeps the journey to the wake short.
We serve wakes across the SP11 postcode area. Local streets include High Street, Station Road and Hawthorne Close; a wake on any of them works well with a drive or nearby car park. Neighbouring places where we serve wakes include Palestine (1 mile south-west), Quarley (1 mile north), Fox (1 mile north-east), Amport (2 miles north-east) and Kentsboro (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Winchester (15 miles south-east), Andover (6 miles north-east), Romsey (14 miles south-east), Hyde (15 miles south-east), Tidworth (5 miles north-west) and Weeke (14 miles south-east).
A little further out are Andover War Memorial Hospital (5.4 miles north-east). Within reach you’ll find Winterbourne Downs RSPB reserve and Quarley Hill.
- Pubs nearby include The Plough Inn (under half a mile south-east)
Looking after everyone
Allergies are taken seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Plan for a few extra people
- Check the hall or venue allows a catering van
- Ask your funeral director to help estimate numbers
- Build in time for delays
We serve when people are ready.
Some families add a favourite dessert or cake.
Also in Grateley
Questions from Grateley
Do you come out to small places like Grateley?
Not at all. We serve villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
Which station is closest to Grateley?
The closest is Grateley station, roughly 0.9 miles away.
Do we need to provide anything?
A suitable spot for the van and permission to park there. Mention any power or water available and we will confirm the rest.
Can the van park on the street?
It depends on the road. A drive, car park or yard is normally easier; for the street, check the council’s rules.
What about guests who don’t eat fish?
Sausage and chips and pie and chips are on the menu. Tell us about other diets and we will tell you what we can offer.
What if the weather’s bad?
Rain doesn’t stop the fryers: the cooking is inside the van. It’s worth planning some cover for the queue.
How quickly can you come?
Get in touch as soon as you can. We’ll let you know quickly.
How quickly can you serve everyone?
A short menu and staggered groups keep things moving. We’ll talk it through when we quote.
Working with your venue
If you are 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.
Many venues set rules for catering vans: where a van can park, access times and the paperwork they want. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll work through them with you.
Occasions we serve in Grateley
It needs no kitchen at the hall or home.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in Grateley and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- A wake at the family home
- Village hall wakes
- Small family memorials
- Life celebrations
For anyone coming to the funeral by train, the closest railway station is Grateley station, roughly 0.9 miles south-west of the centre.
What to look for in a quote
- A clear list of what’s included
- If the price includes VAT
- How long service runs, and what happens if you overrun
- Allergen information for each item
Where the van can park in Grateley
The right spot keeps everyone safe and the service smooth. We look for:
- A route in without tight gates or low branches
- Light near the van and the queue for evening service
- A spot near your guests
Not sure about the spot? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before you book.
On the menu in Grateley
- Sausage and chips
- Mushy peas
- Cod and chips
- Haddock and chips
- Pie and chips
- Gravy
- 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