Oxfordshire · England
Funeral and wake catering in Shirburn, Oxfordshire
We bring fish and chips for the wake across Shirburn and Oxfordshire, cooking to order on site and serving from the hatch.
- Remembering a loved one’s favourite food
- Memorial events and anniversaries
- Memorial gatherings
Book the van in Shirburn
Should I sort the food myself?
A DIY buffet works for small groups. For larger numbers, or when you want hot food, a van takes the pressure off, and you get to enjoy the day.
Ordering in from a local chip shop is an option. The problem is timing: big orders take a long time, and the food is cooling while it travels. A van cooks in front of your guests instead.
Funeral and wake catering in Shirburn, fried fresh
A wake needs warm, simple food. Fish and chips is familiar and comforting. Typical bookings include wakes at home and memorial gatherings, serving gravy, mushy peas and cod and chips.
For a wake near Shirburn, a farmhouse or village hall often works well, with the van in the yard or car park. Everything is fried fresh at your wake, never cooked in advance and left in a hot cabinet, and handed over as soon as it’s ready.
- Location
- Shirburn (OX49)
- Area hub
- Oxfordshire
- Menu
- Cod and haddock, chips, sausages and pies
- Extras
- Gravy, mushy peas, curry sauce
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 24 October 2026
Common questions in Shirburn
We are gathering after a service at All Saints Church: can you come?
Yes, at a home, hall or venue nearby where the van can park. Churches rarely have space for a catering van, so the food is generally elsewhere. Send us the address.
Can the van go to venues in the Chilterns National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules for vehicles; ask your venue. We’ll follow the site rules.
Is there something for children?
Yes. Sausage and chips is a favourite with children. Include children in your numbers.
What can guests choose from?
Proper fish and chips, with sausages and pies for anyone who does not want fish. Mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy go on the side.
Can you cook in the rain?
We cook inside the van, so rain does not stop us. Guests will appreciate cover near the hatch.
How much is fish and chip van hire?
We quote for each booking, so the price fits what you need. Tell us your date and rough numbers and we’ll reply with a price.
Do you have allergen information?
Tell us about allergies when you book, and we’ll give you the allergen information and what we can offer.
Do you do anything other than fish?
Sausage and chips and pie and chips are on the menu. Let us know about any other dietary needs and we’ll be honest about what’s possible.
Allergies and dietary needs
A little planning makes sure everyone is looked after. Here’s how:
- Let someone else talk to us on the day
- Arrange tea and coffee separately
- Plan seating for older guests
- Let us know of any allergies
Seats for older guests near the hall or house help.
A tea table run by a friend is a comfort.
Is a fish and chip van right for your wake?
Many wakes have sandwiches and cake. Hot food can be more welcome, especially in winter. A chip van frequently compares well with a plated meal, as there’s no kitchen to hire and nothing to wash up. Ask us for a quote.
Why Shirburn hosts choose us
- Bookings across Oxfordshire, including Shirburn
- Quick service from the hatch
- The classic sides: peas, curry sauce and gravy
- No kitchen needed
Take a look at our prices page and our guide to van hire costs.
Events we cater in Shirburn
It is one less thing to organise at a difficult time.
Almost any gathering works with a fish and chip van. In Shirburn, people book us for occasions like:
- Celebrations of life
- Wakes at church halls and clubs
- Family meals after the service
- Wakes at venues
Families holding a service at All Saints Church or St Mary's Church often gather afterwards at a nearby hall, where the van can park.
What to look for in a quote
- How allergens are handled
- When final numbers are due
- What happens if the event is cancelled or moved
- Any travel, parking or access charges
About the food
Pie and chips
For a heartier option, there’s pie and chips, perfect with gravy.
Curry sauce
Some people will not eat chips without curry sauce, so we bring it along.
Prices and what affects them
These are the factors that matter most:
- Peak dates such as summer Saturdays
- The menu and how many choices
- Distance and any road charges
- How long we serve
Many fish and chip vans set a minimum, since getting the van there costs the same however many eat. We will tell you up front.
What we need to know
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- Where the event is
- Where the van would park
- Expected numbers
- The date and time of the event
Send us the date, the address or OX49 postcode and rough numbers, along with your serving time, and we will reply with a quote. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Working with your venue
For big groups, the service window matters, so we can plan service to match. Sending people up in groups helps.
Many venues set rules for catering vans: parking spots, arrival times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll confirm what we can provide.
After a funeral in Shirburn
Shirburn is about 6 miles south of Thame, in Oxfordshire. Around Shirburn, we park wherever there is level, firm ground, close to your guests. We cover 443 places across Oxfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Oxford, about 12 miles away.
The Chilterns National Landscape is within about 2 miles of Shirburn; tell us about access if the wake is somewhere rural.
We take the van to wakes all over the OX49 postcode area and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Watlington Road, Castle Road and Blenheim Road, and the van can serve a wake on any of them with a suitable parking spot. For wakes just outside Shirburn, we cover Lewknor (1 mile north-east), South Weston (2 miles north), Christmas Common (2 miles south-east), Postcombe (2 miles north) and Howe Hill (3 miles south). Further out, we also take the van to Oxford (12 miles north-west), Didcot (11 miles west), Abingdon-on-Thames (13 miles west), Thame (6 miles north), Henley-on-Thames (9 miles south-east) and Benson (5 miles south-west).
Open spaces near Shirburn include Aston Rowant NNR and Bald Hill.
- Nearby schools include Watlington Primary School (1 mile south-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Chequers pub (0.9 miles south-west)
How it works
Because we cook inside the van, rain does not stop us. It’s worth thinking about cover for the queue, though. Late-December sunset in Shirburn is about 3:55pm, so an afternoon wake in winter needs lighting near the van. In summer, there is daylight until about 9:25pm.
- Tell us what you’re planning and when you’d like to eat.
- We come back with availability and a clear price.
- We agree exactly where the van parks.
- Batter, fish and chips all go into the fryer as people come up.
- We leave the spot as we found it.
Getting ready for the day
- Check the way in for low branches, cables and narrow gates
- Choose a level, firm spot for the van
- Give us your final numbers and allergies
Getting a price
It’s easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and serving time. We will come back with a clear quote.
Related guides
Towns and villages near Shirburn
More for events in Shirburn
- 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