West Sussex · England
Funeral and Wake Catering in West Marden
We bring fish and chips for the wake to West Marden and nearby, cooking to order on site and serving from the hatch.
- Wakes at home
- Small family memorials
- A favourite meal in someone’s memory
Funeral and wake catering for West Marden events
Why choose funeral and wake catering in West Marden?
There is no kitchen work for anyone.
These are some of the bookings we take around West Marden:
- Memorial events and anniversaries
- Wakes at a pub or venue with outside space
- Wakes at church halls and clubs
- Family meals after the service
If relatives are coming by rail, Rowlands Castle station, about 2.8 miles south-west, is the nearest station.
What to look for in a quote
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- VAT, if it applies
- How many hours the van serves
- The minimum number of meals or minimum spend
Funeral and wake catering in West Marden, cooked to order
The wake can be at home, at a village hall or club, or at a venue with space outside. Popular choices include gravy, haddock and chips and cod and chips, and typical bookings are for celebrations of life and gatherings after scattering ashes.
In a small place like West Marden, a wake might be at home, in a barn or at the village hall. Tell us about lanes and the ground. Food is served straight from the hatch, so every portion is hot, and the queue keeps moving.
- Area
- West Marden (PO18)
- Area hub
- West Sussex
- On the menu
- Fish and chips, sausages, pies
- On the side
- Gravy, mushy peas, curry sauce
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 24 October 2026
Looking after everyone
Most events have a few guests with dietary needs. To look after them:
- Allow a little extra
- Check the hall or venue allows a catering van
- Choose a friend to be our contact
- Build in time for delays
We park quietly before guests return from the service.
Some families add a favourite dessert or cake.
What happens on the day
Here’s how the day typically runs: the van arrives and we set up, the fryers heat up, and we serve hot from the hatch at the agreed time. A wake in West Marden in late autumn or winter may run into the dark, with sunset about 7:05pm in late September and 4:00pm in December, so a lit path to the van is a kindness to older guests.
- First, the plan: what, where and what time.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Make sure the van can get in
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Think about a gazebo by the van in case of rain
How to get a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many people, along with your serving time, and we will reply with a quote. Just use our quote form.
Related guides
Prices and what affects them
These are the factors that matter most:
- The minimum booking
- How many people are eating
- How easy the site is to reach
- Your choice of menu
Compared with a sit-down meal, a fish and chip van is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and no crockery hire. We will send you a quote.
What we need to know
To check availability and price, we need:
- The date and when you’d like to eat
- The address or venue name
- Where you’d like the van to go
- Allergies and diets you know about
Not sure of numbers yet? No problem: give us a rough idea and the date, and we will quote on that. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
West Marden: your questions answered
Can the van go to venues in the South Downs National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules for vehicles; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
Can you serve after a service at The Parish Church of St Mary?
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 typically elsewhere. Send us the address.
Can a friend deal with you?
Yes. We’re happy to deal with the funeral director or a family friend.
How much does fish and chips for the wake cost in West Marden?
It depends on numbers, the menu, how long we serve and travel. Tell us about your wake and we will send a quote.
Can coeliacs eat the battered fish?
Standard batter is made with wheat flour, so battered fish contains gluten. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance, and we will tell you honestly what we can offer.
What if we don’t know numbers?
Start with a rough number, and we’ll plan with a little extra.
Can you go on a lawn or field?
Often, 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.
Do you take everything away?
The pitch is left as we found it. It helps to have bins near the hatch.
Space, access and the venue
A good parking spot makes the whole thing easier. We need:
- A level hardstanding, drive or firm lawn
- The site’s agreement to a catering van
- A lit spot if service runs after dark
Not sure about the spot? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before you book.
What we serve
- Mushy peas
- Gravy
- Cod and chips
- Pie and chips
- Haddock and chips
- Sausage and chips
Towns and villages near West Marden
Also in West Marden
Food your guests will love
Mushy peas
No fish and chips is complete without mushy peas for many people.
Gravy
Chips and gravy is a favourite in the north and the Midlands, and it goes perfectly with a pie.
For planners, venues and organisers
For big groups, the service window matters, so we can plan service to match. Sending people up in groups helps.
Parks, greens and streets typically need permission for a catering van. The council or landowner will tell you what they need.
Wakes in West Marden: venues and practical details
West Marden is about 5 miles east of Horndean, in West Sussex. Bookings in West Marden come in all shapes and sizes, but the plan is always the same: a level spot for the van, a time to eat and food fried to order. West Marden is one of 371 places in West Sussex we cover. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 21 miles away.
If the funeral is at a church such as The Parish Church of St Mary, a hall or home nearby keeps the journey to the wake short. West Marden is within about 4 miles of the South Downs National Park; tell us about access if the wake is somewhere rural.
This part of West Sussex takes in PO18. For wakes just outside West Marden, we cover Forestside (1 mile south-west), Chalton (3 miles north-west), Blendworth (4 miles west), Buriton (5 miles north-west) and Nursted (5 miles north). Further out, we also take the van to Bognor Regis (13 miles south-east), Chichester (8 miles south-east), Selsey (14 miles south), Emsworth (5 miles south), Portfield (8 miles south-east) and Yapton (14 miles south-east).
A little further out are Havant War Memorial Hospital (5.6 miles south-west) and Clanfield Earthwork (4.1 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve and Compton Down.
- Pubs nearby include The Coach And Horses Public House (0.8 miles north)
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. By the time you’ve queued, paid and driven back, the batter has gone soft. With a van, it is fried on the spot.
If you do order from a chip shop, ring well ahead and collect as close to eating time as you can. For anything more than a handful of people, a van is normally the easier option.
- 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