East Sussex · England
Funeral and Wake Catering for St Helen's events
We bring fish and chips for the wake across St Helen's and East Sussex, cooking to order on site.
- Gatherings at a village hall or club
- Remembrance gatherings
- Gatherings after scattering ashes
Funeral and wake catering in St Helen's
Allergies and dietary needs
Nearly every event has some special diets. To look after them:
- Check the hall has an urn
- Ask your funeral director to help estimate numbers
- Cater for a few more than you expect
- Keep the serving time flexible
We arrive in good time and park discreetly.
A favourite cake can be a lovely touch.
About our funeral and wake catering in St Helen's
The wake can be at home, at a village hall or club, or at a venue with space outside. Whether it is wakes at venues and a wake at the family home, we can cook pie and chips, gravy and sausage and chips for your guests.
Around St Helen's, wakes are frequently at the village hall, a pub or home. Let us know where the van can go. Every portion is cooked to order on the day, never cooked in advance and left in a hot cabinet, and handed over as soon as it is ready.
- Location
- St Helen's (TN34, TN37)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Menu
- Cod, haddock, chips, sausages, pies
- On the side
- Curry sauce, mushy peas and gravy
- Quote
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 24 October 2026
How the day works
Your timings come first. If the day runs behind, we simply start frying a little later, so the food is still fresh when it is served. In summer, a wake in St Helen's has light until about 9:15pm, but in December it’s dark by about 3:55pm, so plan lighting near the door.
- It starts with the date, where the wake is and roughly how many.
- We check the spot for the van and send a quote.
- We plan a flexible serving time around the service.
- On the day we set up quietly and serve when guests are ready.
- When everyone has eaten, we clear up and go.
Preparing for the day
- Confirm the van is allowed on site
- Make sure the van can get in
- Share the timings for the day
Ask for a quote
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the van would park, roughly how many people and when you’d like to eat. You can use our quote form.
Planning help
A fish and chip van or other catering?
For a simple, comforting meal at a wake, fish and chips from a van works well in St Helen's. Cost depends on numbers, menu and service time, plus travel and access. We quote for each booking individually.
Why book our van in St Helen's
- Classic food your guests already know
- Fried fresh, not kept warm
- Works on wet days as well as sunny ones
- Hot food handed straight over
Take a look at our pricing or the cost guide.
Cannot we just order from the chip shop?
Collecting fish and chips for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s hard work. Long waits and a drive home mean food arrives lukewarm and soggy. A van fries it right there, so it is crisp.
Ordering from a local shop? Call ahead and collect at the last minute. For anything more than a handful of people, a van is generally the easier option.
Working with your venue
Venues frequently 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’ll confirm what we can provide.
For larger numbers, tell us how long you have for food, so we can plan service to match. Sending people up in groups helps.
Who books funeral and wake catering in St Helen's?
It can be a fitting tribute.
In St Helen's and nearby, the van turns up at all sorts of events. Some of the most common are:
- A tribute meal
- Village hall wakes
- A wake at the family home
- Anniversary memorials
Families holding a service at St Peter & St Paul frequently gather afterwards at a nearby hall, where the van can park.
What your quote should include
- The minimum number of meals or minimum spend
- How late numbers can change
- How much space the van takes up
- Whether travel is included
What the van needs
Most drives, car parks, yards and firm lawns can take the van, but there are a few things to check:
- Lighting nearby for evening events
- A level hardstanding, drive or firm lawn
- A route in without tight gates or low branches
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and the way in, and we will say what we think.
From the hatch
- Haddock and chips
- Sausage and chips
- Cod and chips
- Mushy peas
- Gravy
- Pie and chips
Food your guests will love
Haddock and chips
Haddock has loyal fans: sweeter and a touch firmer than cod. Ask us about offering haddock alongside or instead of cod.
Gravy
Gravy brings a bit of warmth to the meal, especially in winter.
Places near St Helen's
More for events in St Helen's
Common questions in St Helen's
Can you serve after a service at St Peter & St Paul?
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. Send us the address.
Can you serve near the sea around St Helen's?
Yes, of course. Wind doesn’t affect the fryers, but plan a sheltered spot for the queue.
Where can the van park?
Less than you might think: a drive, a car park, a yard or a firm lawn, with a clear way in. If in doubt, send a picture.
What if the weather’s bad?
The weather does not stop the van, because the cooking happens inside. Soft ground after heavy rain is the bigger issue, so have a hard-surface spot in mind.
How quickly can you serve everyone?
That depends on numbers, menu and timing. Tell us your numbers and how long you have for food, and we’ll plan service around it.
Do we need to provide equipment?
The van comes fully equipped to cook. You just need a suitable spot and permission.
How do you handle allergies?
Yes, we can tell you which allergens are in each item. Battered fish contains fish and, in standard batter, gluten. Tell us about allergies in advance.
Do you take everything away?
The pitch is left as we found it. It helps to have bins near the hatch.
Arranging a wake in St Helen's
St Helen's is about 1 mile north-east of Hastings, in East Sussex. Wakes in St Helen's are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, an agreed spot for the van and food fried fresh on the day. St Helen's is one of 289 places in East Sussex where we bring the van. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 31 miles away.
If relatives are coming by rail, Ore station, about 0.8 miles south-east, is the nearest station. St Helen's is within about 2 miles of the sea.
Wherever your wake is in TN34 and TN37, we can bring the van to you. Whether your wake is on Park Avenue, Keppel Road and Down's Road or anywhere nearby, we’ll bring the van to you. For wakes just outside St Helen's, we cover Blacklands (1 mile south), Hastings (1 mile south-west), Silverhill (1 mile south-west), Belmont (1 mile south-east) and Hollington (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (14 miles south-west), Bexhill-on-Sea (5 miles west), Hailsham (14 miles west), Polegate (15 miles west), Old Town (15 miles south-west) and Heathfield (15 miles north-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Priory Meadow Shopping Centre (1.2 miles south) and Hastings Old Town Hall Museum (1.3 miles south-east). Open spaces near St Helen's include Church Wood and Robsack Wood and Senlac Hill.
- Nearby schools include William Parker Sports College (within half a mile west) and University School (1.3 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include The Duke pub (0.9 miles west)
- 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