Kent · England
Funeral and Wake Catering for Shepway events
We bring fish and chips for the wake across Shepway and Kent, frying fresh at your venue and serving from the hatch.
- Anniversary memorials
- Scattering of ashes gatherings
- Wakes at church halls and clubs
Book the van in Shepway
Funeral and wake catering in Shepway, cooked to order
Wakes are rarely planned months ahead, so contact us as soon as you can. On the menu are sausage and chips, cod and chips and pie and chips, and typical bookings are for celebrations of life and anniversary memorials.
Around Shepway, wakes are frequently at the village hall, a pub or home. Tell us about parking for the van. Every portion is cooked to order on the day, never cooked in advance and left in a hot cabinet, and served the moment it comes out of the fryer.
Organising for someone else?
If your event is in a public place, such as a park or a street, check what permission you need first. Ask the council or landowner early.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on parking and timings.
About the food
Gravy
Gravy brings a bit of warmth to the meal, especially in winter.
Mushy peas
Proper mushy peas start with dried marrowfat peas. They’re the side most people expect.
Occasions we serve in Shepway
For some families, it was a favourite meal.
Here are some of the occasions we serve:
- Memorial gatherings
- Gatherings after the committal
- Remembering a loved one’s favourite food
- Small family memorials
If the funeral is at a church such as St Martin's Church, a hall or home nearby keeps the journey to the wake short.
Comparing caterers
- Payment terms and deposit
- Whether there’s a minimum
- How much space the van takes up
- The service time, and the cost of running over
Is a fish and chip van right for your wake?
For warm food after a funeral, a chip van is a gentle choice. A chip van frequently compares well with a plated meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and nothing to wash up. We will send you a quote.
Why book with us
- No kitchen, no crockery, no washing up
- All the chip-shop extras
- Cod, haddock, sausages and pies
- We cover Shepway and the whole of Kent
Take a look at how we price or our guide to van hire costs.
Nearby places to Shepway
More for events in Shepway
Wakes in Shepway: venues and practical details
Shepway is about 1 mile south-east of Maidstone, in Kent. Tell us where your wake in Shepway will be, and we’ll plan the route and the parking spot. We cover 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 23 miles away.
Relatives arriving by train should know that the nearest station is Maidstone West station, about 1.7 miles north-west. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 5 miles of Shepway; tell us about access if the wake is somewhere rural.
Wakes anywhere in ME15 start with a parking spot for the van and roughly how many guests. Local streets include Derby Road, Devon Road and Surrey Road; a wake on any of them works well with a drive or nearby car park. We also bring the van to wakes in Willington (1 mile east), Park Wood (1 mile south), Otham (1 mile south-east), Maidstone (1 mile north-west) and Weavering (1 mile north-east). We also serve nearby towns such as Sittingbourne (10 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (15 miles south-west), Gravesend (14 miles north-west), Tonbridge (12 miles west), Faversham (15 miles east) and Northfleet (15 miles north-west).
A little further out are KIMS hospital (2.2 miles north) and Allington Castle (3.1 miles north-west). Open spaces near Shepway include Detling Hill.
- Schools near Shepway include New Line Learning Academy (0.7 miles south-west) and Senacre Technology College (1.1 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include The Wheatsheaf pub (0.7 miles west)
Before you choose a spot
A good parking spot makes the whole thing easier. We need:
- Access wide and high enough for the van
- Room in front of the hatch for a queue
- Permission from the venue or landowner for the van
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
On the menu in Shepway
- Gravy
- Pie and chips
- Mushy peas
- Cod and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Haddock and chips
Shepway: your questions answered
We’re gathering after a service at St Martin's Church: can you come?
Yes, at a home, hall or venue nearby where the van can park. Food is usually served at the reception venue rather than the church. Tell us where you will gather.
Do you come to venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules for vehicles; ask your venue. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
Do you have allergen information?
Let us know about allergies in advance, and we’ll tell you what’s in each item and what we can offer.
Who clears up?
We take the van and everything with it, and leave the spot tidy. It helps to have bins near the hatch.
Can the wake be at home?
Yes. Tell us about parking at the house.
Can you serve children?
Yes. Children generally love sausage and chips. Include children in your numbers.
How do we estimate numbers?
A rough estimate is enough to start. Funeral directors can advise from experience.
Can you cook in the rain?
We cook inside the van, so rain doesn’t stop us. Guests will appreciate cover near the hatch.
How the day works
Your timings come first. If things run late, we hold off cooking until you’re ready, so the food is still fresh when it is served. In summer, a wake in Shepway has light until about 9:15pm, but in December it’s dark by about 3:50pm.
- The family or funeral director sends us the date, place and numbers.
- You get an access check and a quote, without fuss.
- Timings allow for the service and travel from it.
- We park discreetly and fry fresh as people arrive.
- Afterwards we pack up quietly and leave the spot tidy.
Preparing for the day
- Let us know the serving time
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Arrange somewhere dry for the queue
Getting a price
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually need. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Related guides
Planning for dietary needs
Most events have a few guests with dietary needs. To plan for them:
- Have chairs for those who need them
- Let someone else talk to us on the day
- Check the hall or venue allows a catering van
- Ask your funeral director to help estimate numbers
When everyone has eaten, we pack up quietly.
Tea and coffee from the hall’s urn, or a friend’s tea table, goes well alongside.
How we price fish and chips for the wake
Each booking is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- Whether a minimum applies
- Service time
- Your choice of menu
- Distance and any road charges
The price depends on numbers, the menu and how long we serve, along with distance and access to the site. Every booking gets its own quote.
Details that help
These details help us quote quickly:
- Where you’d like the van to go
- The address or venue name
- How to get in: gates, lanes and ground
- The date and time of the event
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, address, numbers and serving time. To send them, fill in our quote form.
- 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