Hampshire · England
Funeral and Wake Catering for Rooksdown events
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 Rooksdown.
- Small family memorials
- Village hall wakes
- Gatherings after the committal
Planning an event in Rooksdown?
For planners, venues and organisers
For larger numbers, tell us how long you have for food, so we can plan service to match. Sending people up in groups helps.
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 can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Funeral and wake catering in Rooksdown, fried fresh
Wakes are rarely planned months ahead, so contact us as soon as you can. Whether it is wakes at a pub or venue with outside space and gatherings at a village hall or club, we can cook gravy, sausage and chips and cod and chips and more.
In Rooksdown, the hall is often where people gather, and its car park suits the van. We bring the van and everything we need to cook, and we leave the pitch tidy when we go.
After a funeral in Rooksdown
Rooksdown is about 1 mile north-west of Basingstoke, in Hampshire. People in Rooksdown book us for all sorts of reasons, but the plan is always the same: a level spot for the van, a time to eat and food fried to order. We serve all 683 towns and villages in Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. We serve events right across the region, from Rooksdown to Reading (about 13 miles away).
Relatives arriving by train should know that the closest railway station is Basingstoke station, roughly 1.7 miles south-east of the centre.
Wakes anywhere in RG24, RG23 and RG26 start with a parking spot for the van and a serving time. Whether your wake is on Mill Road, The Square and Hasket Road or a nearby road, we can park up and fry there. Neighbouring places where we serve wakes include Winklebury (1 mile south), Sherborne St John (1 mile north-east), Basingstoke (1 mile south-east), Worting (2 miles south-west) and Buckskin (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Farnborough (15 miles east), Fleet (12 miles east), Alton (11 miles south-east), Yateley (13 miles east), Tadley (5 miles north) and Hook (7 miles east).
A little further out are Willis Museum (1.9 miles south-east) and Park Prewett Hospital (under half a mile south). Green spaces nearby include Farleigh Hill and Daneshill Park Woods.
- Local schools include Winklebury Infant School (0.8 miles south)
Rooksdown questions
We are gathering after a service at The Good Shepherd: 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 typically elsewhere. Send us the address.
Is Rooksdown close to London?
Roughly 47 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
Do you bring everything you need?
The van comes fully equipped to cook. You provide a suitable spot and permission to park.
What can guests choose from?
The classics: cod or haddock and chips, sausages and pies, with mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy. Our menu has the details.
Is grass a problem?
Often, if the ground is firm and dry. Soft, wet ground can trap any vehicle, so plan a back-up spot.
Can coeliacs eat the battered fish?
No, not as standard: batter is normally made with wheat flour. Let us know and we will tell you what we can do before you book.
What areas do you cover?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Rooksdown.
How quickly can you serve everyone?
A short menu and staggered groups keep things moving. We will talk it through when we quote.
Events we cater in Rooksdown
It takes one job off a very long list at a difficult time.
Almost any gathering works with a fish and chip van. People in Rooksdown book the van for events such as:
- Wakes at home
- Remembrance gatherings
- A tribute meal
- Gatherings after the committal
Families holding a service at The Good Shepherd frequently gather afterwards at a nearby hall, where the van can park.
Before booking anyone
- What they can offer for dietary needs
- If the price includes VAT
- How many hours the van serves
- When payment is due
How it works
On the day, we park up on the agreed spot, set up and heat the fryers. Once we’re hot, we cook to order, so we time it to your schedule. Late-December sunset in Rooksdown is about 4:00pm, so for an afternoon wake, light near the van and the door helps. Summer wakes have daylight well into the evening.
- Send us your date, numbers and address.
- We check the route in and send a price.
- We arrive early to park and heat the fryers.
- Everything is fried to order as the queue moves.
- We serve hot from the hatch and pack up when we are done.
Before we arrive
- Think about a gazebo by the van in case of rain
- Let us know the serving time
- Pick a flat, firm place for the van to park
Get a quote
Every booking is quoted individually, based on your numbers, timings and travel. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Space, access and the venue
Most drives, car parks, yards and firm lawns can take the van, but a few things matter:
- A spot near your guests
- Lighting nearby for evening events
- Confirmation that the van can park there
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and the way in, and we’ll say what we think before booking.
On the menu in Rooksdown
- Pie and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Cod and chips
- Mushy peas
- Haddock and chips
- Gravy
Is a fish and chip van right for your wake?
Many wakes have sandwiches and cake. Hot food can be more welcome. Comparing vans? Look at what each quote includes: service time, menu, travel, any minimum and VAT. We set ours out clearly.
What you get with us
- Quick service from the hatch
- Fried fresh, not kept warm
- No surprises in your quote
- All the chip-shop extras
See how we price and the cost guide.
Takeaway run or book a van?
DIY food keeps costs down, but the host spends the event serving. Booking the van means hot food and no stress.
You could do a chip-shop run for everyone yourself, but it rarely works for a crowd. Long waits and a drive home mean food arrives lukewarm and soggy. With a van, it’s fried on the spot.
How we price fish and chips for the wake
Two events with the same numbers can cost different amounts, because of:
- The minimum booking
- Cod, haddock or both
- Parking and the way in
- The day of the week
The cost per head usually falls as numbers rise, since the van and set-up are much the same for any size. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
What to tell us
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- Your date and serving time
- Rough numbers for adults and children
- The venue or postcode
- Where the van would park
Every quote is worked out for your event. Give us your date first, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
The menu, dish by dish
Gravy
Gravy brings a bit of warmth to the meal.
Cod and chips
For many people, cod and chips is the definitive version. Cooked fresh at the hatch, it’s hot, crisp and generous.
Also near Rooksdown
Also in Rooksdown
- 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