Reading · England
Funeral and Wake Catering in Sonning Common
Funeral and wake catering in Sonning Common: cod, haddock and chips fried to order, then handed over hot from the hatch.
- Village hall wakes
- A favourite meal in someone’s memory
- Wakes at venues
Funeral and wake catering in Sonning Common
Funeral and wake catering in Sonning Common, cooked to order
Sometimes fish and chips was the favourite meal of the person being remembered, which makes it a fitting tribute. On the menu are gravy, sausage and chips and mushy peas, and we are regularly asked to cater life celebrations and memorial events and anniversaries.
In Sonning Common, the hall or the family home is a natural choice. Let us know where the van can go. 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.
Diets, allergies and planning
Tell us about dietary needs and allergies early, and we will tell you honestly what we can offer. To make it work smoothly:
- Plan for a few extra people
- Keep the serving time flexible
- Funeral directors can help with numbers
- Make sure older relatives can sit
When everyone has eaten, we pack up quietly.
Somewhere quiet to sit helps some guests.
Nearby places to Sonning Common
What else we do in Sonning Common
Should I sort the food myself?
Doing the food yourself saves money, but the host ends up running around. Booking the van means hot food and no stress.
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 usually simpler.
How it works
You will know we’re ready when the smell of frying drifts over, about the time the first guests wander across. From then on, people come up as they’re ready. In summer, a wake in Sonning Common has light until about 9:25pm, while winter afternoons darken by about 3:55pm, so plan lighting near the door.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and roughly how many.
- Show us where the van would go, and we will confirm it works.
- A week or so before, we confirm timings and numbers.
- The van rolls up, the hatch opens and the fryers get going for family and friends.
- Once the last portion is out, we pack up and go.
Getting ready for the day
- Name one person we can call on the day
- Keep space clear for guests at the hatch
- Think about a gazebo by the van in case of rain
How to get a price
Thinking about fish and chips for the wake for your wake in Sonning Common? Tell us what you have in mind and we will reply with a clear price. To contact us, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Organising for someone else?
For big groups, the service window matters, so we can plan service to match. Sending people up in groups helps.
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers and vehicles: where a van can park, access times and the paperwork they want. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will confirm what we can provide.
Sonning Common: halls, homes and travel
Sonning Common is about 3 miles north of Caversham, in Reading. Give us the address of your wake in Sonning Common, and we will plan access and set-up. Sonning Common is one of 34 towns and villages in Reading where we bring the van.
If relatives are coming by rail, the closest railway station is Henley-On-Thames station, roughly 3.7 miles east of the centre.
This part of Reading takes in RG4 and RG9, so your wake can be anywhere in it. That could mean a wake at a home on Wood Lane, Green Lane and Woodbury Close, as long as there’s somewhere for the van. Other places close to Sonning Common we cover include Peppard Hill (1 mile north-west), Rotherfield Peppard (1 mile north), Kidmore End (1 mile south-west), Kingwood Common (1 mile north-west) and Shepherd's Green (2 miles north). Further out, we also take the van to Caversham (3 miles south), Norcot (4 miles south-west), West Reading (4 miles south), Tilehurst Within (5 miles south-west), Shinfield (8 miles south) and Arborfield Garrison (10 miles south). Being one of Reading’s larger places, Sonning Common has plenty of venues, halls and workplaces.
Well-known places in the area include Frazer Nash Archives (3.8 miles east) and Battle Hospital (4.1 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Sonning Hill and Warburg Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Sonning Common include Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge (0.5 miles south-west) and The Warwick School (0.5 miles south-west)
- Local pubs include Hare & Hounds pub (under half a mile north)
A closer look at the menu
Cod and chips
For many people, cod and chips is the definitive version. Cooked fresh at the hatch, it goes out hot and crisp.
Haddock and chips
Haddock has loyal fans: sweeter and a touch firmer than cod. Ask us about offering haddock alongside or instead of cod.
What affects the price in Sonning Common
Fish and chip van pricing is simple once we know the basics:
- The day of the week
- The number of meals
- Distance and any road charges
- Parking and the way in
Cost depends on numbers, menu and service time, along with distance and access to the site. Every booking gets its own quote.
What to tell us
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- Anything awkward about the way in
- A photo of the space and the way in
- The date and when you’d like to eat
- Roughly how many people, including children
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many people, plus when you’d like to eat, and you’ll get a clear price. To get started, use our quote form.
Events we cater in Sonning Common
It works for everyone, from children to older relatives.
A fish and chip van suits almost any gathering. In Sonning Common, people book us for events such as:
- Gatherings after scattering ashes
- Wakes at home
- A tribute meal
- Celebrations of life
If the funeral is at a church such as The Church of Christ the King, a hall or home nearby keeps the journey to the wake short.
What to look for in a quote
- How much space the van takes up
- The deposit and payment dates
- What they can offer for dietary needs
- Whether travel is included
Sonning Common questions
Which station is closest to Sonning Common?
The closest is Henley-On-Thames station, roughly 3.7 miles away.
We’re gathering after a service at The Church of Christ the King: 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 normally elsewhere. Tell us where you will gather.
Is grass a problem?
That depends on the weather and the ground. Let us know what the ground is like, and send a photo if you can.
Do we need to provide anything?
A suitable spot for the van and permission to park there. Tell us whether there’s power or water nearby and we will confirm the rest.
How do we estimate numbers?
A rough estimate is enough to start. Funeral directors can advise from experience.
When do you arrive?
That depends on your numbers and timings. We agree arrival, serving and finishing times with you before the day.
What can guests choose from?
Chip-shop favourites: cod or haddock and chips, sausages and pies, plus mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy. See the menu.
How fast is service?
A short menu and staggered groups keep things moving. We’ll talk it through when we quote.
A fish and chip van or other catering?
A pub or venue may cater a wake themselves. A van works where they do not, or at home. Most vans have a minimum charge, since getting the van there costs the same however many eat. We will tell you up front.
Why us?
- A quote that spells everything out
- The classic sides: peas, curry sauce and gravy
- No kitchen, no crockery, no washing up
- Fried fresh, not kept warm
Take a look at how we price and our guide to van hire costs.
- 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