West Berkshire · England
Funeral and wake catering in Sheepdrove, West Berkshire
From the smell of the fryers to the last chip in the paper, fish and chips for the wake makes the food a highlight of your wake in Sheepdrove.
- A favourite meal in someone’s memory
- Wakes at a pub or venue with outside space
- Wakes at church halls and clubs
A chip van near Sheepdrove
Planning for dietary needs
Most events have a few guests with dietary needs. To look after them:
- Tell us about any close family with allergies
- Make sure older relatives can sit
- Allow for the service running over
- Check the hall or venue allows a catering van
We start when you give the word.
Have napkins and bins ready.
Funeral and wake catering in Sheepdrove, fried fresh
Some families choose it because it was a loved one’s favourite. Typical bookings include a wake at the family home and a favourite meal in someone’s memory, with gravy, haddock and chips and sausage and chips.
Near Sheepdrove, wakes are often at home or in the hall. Let us know about access. We cook inside the van, right where your guests are, so the batter is still crisp when it is handed over.
- Location
- Sheepdrove (RG17)
- Region
- West Berkshire
- On the menu
- Cod and haddock, chips, sausages and pies
- Extras
- Mushy peas, curry sauce, gravy
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 24 October 2026
Why fried-to-order beats a buffet
Compared with a buffet, a van gives everyone a hot meal, and there’s less waste when numbers are uncertain. Travel, tolls and charges such as ULEZ can affect the price, so tell us exactly where your wake is.
Why book with us
- A clear quote before you book
- A menu almost everyone likes
- The classic sides: peas, curry sauce and gravy
- Rain does not stop the fryers
How we price fish and chips for the wake
These are the factors that matter most:
- The minimum booking
- Access and parking
- The length of service
- Numbers
Compared with a sit-down meal, a fish and chip van is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and no crockery hire. Ask us for a quote.
What to tell us
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- Where the event is
- Expected numbers
- Dietary needs, with numbers
- Access details such as gates and narrow lanes
We only need a few details to quote: date, address, numbers and serving time. To send them, fill in our quote form.
Sheepdrove questions
Is Sheepdrove too small for a chip van?
No, we come to small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and the ground.
Can the van go to venues in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles and ground, so check with yours. We will follow the site rules.
Can you cook in the rain?
The weather does not stop the van, because the cooking happens inside. Very soft ground can be a problem, so plan a back-up spot on a hard surface.
Is the food cooked at the event?
Yes. The fryers are in the van, so food is cooked there and then, not cooked earlier and kept warm.
How many people should we cater for?
It’s hard to know, so a rough number is fine. Your funeral director can help.
How long will the queue be?
That depends on numbers, menu and timing. Tell us your numbers and how long you have for food, and we’ll plan to keep the queue moving.
Can you be flexible on the day?
Of course. We serve when people are ready.
When do you arrive?
That depends on your numbers and timings. We agree arrival, serving and finishing times with you before the day.
Space, access and the venue
A good parking spot makes the whole thing easier. We look for:
- The site’s agreement to a catering van
- A clear area by the serving hatch
- Somewhere close to where people will eat
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and the way in, and we’ll say what we think.
On the menu in Sheepdrove
- Haddock and chips
- Pie and chips
- Gravy
- Mushy peas
- Sausage and chips
- Cod and chips
Towns and villages near Sheepdrove
Other occasions in Sheepdrove
Should I sort the food myself?
If you do order from a chip shop, ring well ahead and collect as close to eating time as you can. For a crowd, a van is normally simpler.
Collecting fish and chips for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is hard work. Long waits and a drive home mean food arrives lukewarm and soggy. With a van, it is fried on the spot.
The menu, dish by dish
Haddock and chips
Haddock is a little sweeter than cod, with a finer, firmer flake. It is the traditional favourite in Scotland and much of the north.
Mushy peas
Proper mushy peas start with dried marrowfat peas. They’re the side most people expect.
What happens on the day
Serving is straightforward: food goes from the fryer to the hatch. Afterwards we pack up. Summer evenings in Sheepdrove stay light until about 9:25pm, while winter afternoons darken by about 4:00pm.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and roughly how many.
- 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.
- 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
- Think about a gazebo by the van in case of rain
- Send us final numbers and any allergies in good time
- Name one person we can call on the day
Get a quote
Send us the date, the address or RG17 postcode and rough numbers, along with your serving time, and we’ll reply with a quote. Just use our quote form.
Planning help
Sheepdrove: halls, homes and travel
Sheepdrove is about 6 miles south-west of Wantage, in West Berkshire. Around Sheepdrove, we park wherever there is level, firm ground, close to your guests. Sheepdrove is one of 155 places in West Berkshire where we bring the van. Our nearest city page is Oxford, about 20 miles away.
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape is within about 2 miles of Sheepdrove; tell us about access if the wake is somewhere rural.
For wakes in RG17, we just need to know where the van can park. Close by, we cover wakes in Lambourn (1 mile south-west), Upper Lambourn (2 miles west), Sparsholt (5 miles north), Westcot (5 miles north) and Kingston Lisle (5 miles north). Further out, we also take the van to Newbury (12 miles south-east), Thatcham (14 miles south-east), Speenhamland (11 miles south-east), Hungerford (7 miles south), Shaw (11 miles south-east) and Wash Common (12 miles south-east).
Open spaces near Sheepdrove include Rams Hill and Seven Barrows.
Who books funeral and wake catering in Sheepdrove?
There is little waste, because food is cooked to order.
Big or small, the van works the same way. Common bookings include:
- A tribute meal
- Memorial gatherings
- Family gatherings after a burial or cremation
- Small family memorials
Families holding a service at Church of St Michael and All Angels often gather afterwards at a nearby hall, where the van can park.
What your quote should include
- When payment is due
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- How much space the van takes up
- How long service runs, and what happens if you overrun
- 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