Kent · England
Funeral and wake catering in River, Kent
From the smell of the fryers to the last chip in the paper, fish and chips for the wake turns food into part of your wake in River.
- Wakes at venues
- A favourite meal in someone’s memory
- Memorial gatherings
Fresh fish and chips in River
Funeral and wake catering for your wake in River
Someone else can make the booking for you. We serve mushy peas, haddock and chips and sausage and chips, and we’re regularly asked to cater a wake at the family home and anniversary memorials.
For a wake in a place like River, the village hall is often the heart of it. We keep the menu short: fewer choices means fresher food and shorter queues.
FAQs for River
Can you serve after a service at Church of St Peter?
Yes, at a home, hall or venue nearby where the van can park. Food is typically served at the reception venue rather than the church. Tell us where you will gather.
Can the van go to venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles and ground, so check with yours. We will work to whatever the site needs.
Do you fry it on site?
Yes. We cook inside the van, so food is cooked there and then, rather than made in advance.
Can you cater for allergies?
Yes, we can tell you which allergens are in each item. Fish and gluten are the main ones in battered fish. Tell us about allergies in advance.
Can the van come to River?
Yes, we do. River is one of the places we cover. Tell us your date and we’ll check availability.
Can you go on a lawn or field?
That depends on the weather and the ground. Let us know what the ground is like, and send a picture if you can.
Where can the van park?
Level, firm ground the van can reach, close to where people will eat, with room for a queue at the hatch. Mention any narrow gates or soft ground.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Children are very welcome. Let us know numbers, and we will include them in the plan.
Also in River
What the van needs
If a spot isn’t suitable, we’ll tell you. What matters most:
- Confirmation that the van can park there
- A level, firm spot the van can drive onto
- A spot near your guests
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and the way in, and we will say what we think before booking.
Popular choices
- Sausage and chips
- Gravy
- Cod and chips
- Mushy peas
- Haddock and chips
- Pie and chips
Organising for someone else?
For big groups, the service window matters, so we can plan service to match. Staggering groups helps a lot.
Venues frequently have their own rules about outside caterers and vehicles: where a van can park, access times and the paperwork they want. Tell us what your venue needs and we’ll work through them with you.
Diets, allergies and planning
A little planning helps everyone eat safely. A few tips:
- Ensure older relatives can sit
- Let someone else talk to us on the day
- Cater for a few more than you expect
- Ask a friend to run a tea table
Remember the journey from the service.
A tea table run by a friend is a comfort.
Takeaway run or book a van?
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.
Doing the food yourself saves money, but the host ends up running around. With a fish and chip van, you get hot food without the work.
Prices and what affects them
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Distance and any road charges
- Access and parking
- Numbers
- Peak dates such as summer Saturdays
Comparing vans? Look at what each quote includes: service time, menu, travel, any minimum and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Getting an accurate quote
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- The venue or postcode
- Your date and serving time
- A picture of where the van would go
- Where the van would park
Still finalising the details? That’s fine: tell us the basics about your wake, and we will firm it up nearer the time. Start when you’re ready: fill in our quote form.
Perfect for your wake in River
There is little waste, because food is cooked to order.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- A tribute meal
- Small family memorials
- Pub wakes
- Celebrations of life
Families holding a service at Church of St Peter frequently gather afterwards at a nearby hall, where the van can park.
Before you book anyone
- What happens if the event is cancelled or moved
- What the price includes, item by item
- Payment terms and deposit
- The service time, and the cost of running over
Food your guests will love
Cod and chips
Cod and chips is the meal most people picture when they think of a chip shop. Fried to order in the van, it is hot, crisp and generous.
Haddock and chips
Haddock has a slightly sweeter flavour and a firmer flake. It is the traditional favourite in Scotland and much of the north.
How it works
Nothing is cooked before it’s needed. Each portion is battered and fried as it’s ordered, which is why it tastes like it does at the seaside. In summer, a wake in River has light until about 9:15pm, but in December it is dark by about 3:50pm, so plan lighting near the door.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and roughly how many.
- A picture 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.
How to prepare
- Get permission for the van from the venue
- Arrange somewhere dry for the queue
- Tell us when you want to eat
Getting a price
Thinking about fish and chips for the wake for your wake in River? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll come back with a quote. To contact us, use our quote form.
Related guides
Arranging a wake in River
River is about 1 mile north-west of Dover, in Kent. For a wake in River, we can park on a drive, a car park, a yard or firm, dry grass. River is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent where we bring the van. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 13 miles away.
For family travelling by train, the nearest station is Kearsney station, about 0.5 miles north-west. River is within about 8 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, and rural venues there may have narrow lanes, so tell us about access. River is within about 3 miles of the sea, and for many families fish and chips brings back memories of the seaside.
Wakes anywhere in CT17 and CT16 start with a parking spot for the van. Whether your wake is on Lower Road, Minnis Lane and London Road or a nearby road, we’ll bring the van to you. For wakes just outside River, we cover Kearsney (1 mile north-west), Temple Ewell (1 mile north-west), Dover (1 mile south-east), Whitfield (1 mile north-east) and Maxton (2 miles south). We also serve nearby towns such as Canterbury (13 miles north-west), Folkestone (6 miles south-west), Ramsgate (15 miles north-east), Deal (7 miles north-east), Hythe (10 miles south-west) and Walmer (7 miles north-east).
Nearby you will also find Crabble Corn Mill (within half a mile south-east) and Dover Castle (2.2 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Dover Western Heights.
- Local schools include Dover Christ Church Academy (1.2 miles south-east) and St Edmund's Catholic School (1.4 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include Royal Oak Cottage The Royal Oak Public House (under half a mile south)
- 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