Greater London · England
Funeral and wake catering in South Hornchurch, Greater London
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 South Hornchurch.
- Scattering of ashes gatherings
- Gatherings after the committal
- A wake at the family home
Planning an event in South Hornchurch?
Funeral and wake catering for your wake in South Hornchurch
Wakes are rarely planned months ahead, so get in touch as soon as you can. Popular choices include cod and chips, gravy and haddock and chips, and we are often booked for wakes at a pub or venue with outside space and gatherings at home after a funeral.
In South Hornchurch, a wake might be at home, a hall or a local pub. We need somewhere the van can park legally and safely. Everything is fried fresh at your wake, never cooked in advance and left in a hot cabinet.
- Where
- South Hornchurch (RM13, RM10, RM12)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Menu
- Fish and chips, sausages, pies
- On the side
- Gravy, mushy peas, curry sauce
- Price
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 24 October 2026
Occasions we serve in South Hornchurch
It’s one less thing to organise.
Whatever the occasion in South Hornchurch, fish and chips from the hatch goes down well. We regularly serve:
- Gatherings after the committal
- A favourite meal in someone’s memory
- Scattering of ashes gatherings
- Life celebrations
If the funeral is at a church such as St John's Parish Church, a hall or home nearby keeps the journey to the wake short.
Comparing caterers
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Whether VAT is included
- How late numbers can change
- What the van needs: space, access, power
A fish and chip van or other catering?
Sandwiches are traditional at wakes. Hot food can be more welcome. Many fish and chip vans set a minimum, because the van, fuel and travel cost the same for a small group. We’ll tell you up front.
What you get with us
- No kitchen, no crockery, no washing up
- Works on wet days as well as sunny ones
- We cover South Hornchurch and the whole of Greater London
- A clear quote before booking
Common questions in South Hornchurch
What about parking in South Hornchurch?
It can be, so tell us about driveways, yards, car parks or a council suspension. We will plan around it.
Can you serve after a service at St John's Parish Church?
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 usually elsewhere. Send us the address.
What does the van need?
Level, firm ground the van can reach, close to where people will eat, with room for a queue at the hatch. Mention any narrow gates or soft ground.
Do you need power or water?
Tell us what’s available at the site when you enquire, and we’ll confirm what we need.
How many people should we cater for?
Give us your best estimate, and we’ll firm it up nearer the day.
What do you bring?
We bring the van and everything we need to cook. You provide a suitable spot and permission to park.
Is there a non-fish option?
Sausage and chips and pie and chips are on the menu. Let us know about any other dietary needs and we’ll tell you what we can offer.
Can the van park on grass?
Frequently, if the ground is firm and dry. After heavy rain, soft grass can be a problem for any vehicle, so plan a back-up spot.
Towns and villages near South Hornchurch
More for events in South Hornchurch
Planners, venues and businesses
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.
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.
How we price fish and chips for the wake
The same numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- Your choice of menu
- Parking and the way in
- Travel, tolls and road charges
- Numbers
Larger groups usually cost less per head, because the van, travel and set-up cost much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Getting an accurate quote
To speed things up, tell us:
- Roughly how many people, including children
- Where the van would park
- Anything awkward about the way in
- A picture of the space and the way in
Send us the date, the address or RM13 postcode and rough numbers, along with your serving time, and we’ll reply with a quote. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Before you choose a spot
No two venues are the same, so we ask about the spot and the way in before we confirm. In general, we need:
- Flat, firm ground for the van
- Room in front of the hatch for a queue
- Confirmation that the van can park there
As a London location, South Hornchurch is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about driveways, yards, car parks or a council parking suspension.
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and the way in, and we will say what we think.
On the menu in South Hornchurch
- Cod and chips
- Pie and chips
- Mushy peas
- Haddock and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Gravy
The process
You will know we are ready when the smell of frying drifts over. After that, it is a steady flow to the hatch. A wake in South Hornchurch in late autumn or winter may run into the dark, with sunset about 7:05pm in late September and 3:50pm in December.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Share the timings for the day
- Have a level parking spot ready
- Keep space clear for guests at the hatch
Getting a price
Every quote is worked out for your event. Start with your date, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Related guides
Wake catering near South Hornchurch
South Hornchurch is about 3 miles south of Romford, in Greater London. Whether your wake is in the middle of South Hornchurch or on the outskirts, the service works the same way: fish and chips fried to order, served hot and quoted clearly. South Hornchurch is one of 764 towns and villages in Greater London we cover. Our nearest city page is London, about 12 miles away.
Local halls and clubs near South Hornchurch can host a wake if home is too small, with the van in the car park. For anyone coming to the funeral by train, Rainham (Essex) station, about 0.9 miles south, is the nearest station.
Here we cover the RM13, RM10 and RM12 postcode area, so your wake can be anywhere in it. Local streets include Hood Road, Ford Lane and Philip Road; a wake on any of them works well with a drive or nearby car park. Nearby, we also serve wakes in Beam Park (1 mile south-west), Rainham (1 mile south-east), Hornchurch Marshes (1 mile south-west), Dagenham (1 mile north-west) and Elm Park (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also take the van to London (12 miles west), City of Westminster (15 miles west), Marylebone (14 miles west), St Pancras (13 miles west), Shoreditch (11 miles west) and Walthamstow (10 miles north-west).
A little further out are The Brewery (3.1 miles north) and Erith Museum (3.4 miles south). Within reach you’ll find Ingrebourne Marshes.
- Schools near South Hornchurch include The Brittons Academy (0.5 miles north) and The Chafford School (1.3 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Bell pub (0.8 miles south)
- Other local spots include River (1.4 miles west)
Cannot we just order from the chip shop?
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. A van fries it right there, so it is crisp.
Some hosts try a takeaway order. The problem is timing: big orders take a long time, and the food is cooling while it travels. A van solves that by cooking on site.
About the food
Curry sauce
Curry sauce divides opinion and it is on the menu.
Mushy peas
No fish and chips is complete without mushy peas for many people, and they’re on the menu.
- 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