Kent · England
Funeral and wake catering in Wilmington, Kent
Fried to order and served hot: fish and chips for the wake in Wilmington and across Kent.
- A tribute meal
- Scattering of ashes gatherings
- Celebrations of life
Funeral and wake catering in Wilmington
About our funeral and wake catering in Wilmington
We work quietly and simply. We arrive at the agreed time, park discreetly and serve when you’re ready. Popular choices include sausage and chips, gravy and cod and chips, and we are regularly asked to cater gatherings at home after a funeral and celebrations of life.
For a wake near Wilmington, a farmhouse or village hall often works well. We keep the menu short: a few classics done properly keeps the food fresh and the queue moving.
Events we cater in Wilmington
It suits all ages.
These are some of the bookings we take:
- Memorial gatherings
- Family gatherings after a burial or cremation
- A tribute meal
- A wake at the family home
Families holding a service at St Barnabas often gather afterwards at a nearby hall, where the van can park.
Before you book anyone
- How late numbers can change
- How many hours the van serves
- VAT, if it applies
- The cancellation terms
Places near Wilmington
More for events in Wilmington
What happens on the day
The smell of the fryers does the inviting. Fish goes into the batter and straight into the fryer, with chips cooked in batches as the queue moves. In summer, a wake in Wilmington has light until about 9:20pm, while winter afternoons darken by about 3:50pm, so plan lighting near the door.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and roughly how many.
- Show us where the van would go, and we will confirm it works.
- Closer to the day, we confirm the arrival time and serving time.
- We park, open the hatch and start frying for family and friends.
- Once the last portion is out, we pack up and go.
Before we arrive
- Make sure the van can get in
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Ask for a quote
We quote for each event separately, based on your numbers, timings and travel. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Allergies and dietary needs
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Confirm the van can park at the hall
- Let someone else talk to us on the day
- Ask your funeral director to help estimate numbers
- Mention allergies you know about
We park quietly.
Somewhere quiet to sit helps some guests.
How we price fish and chips for the wake
Each booking is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- Access and parking
- The day of the week
- How far we travel
- How many people are eating
The price depends on numbers, the menu and how long we serve, along with distance and access to the site. We quote for each booking individually.
Details that help
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Rough numbers for adults and children
- Your date and serving time
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Anything awkward about the way in
We only need a few details to quote: date, address, numbers and serving time. To send them, fill in our quote form.
FAQs for Wilmington
Can the van go to venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules for vehicles; ask your venue. We’ll follow the site rules.
Can you serve after a service at St Barnabas?
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.
Can coeliacs eat the battered fish?
Standard batter is made with wheat flour, so battered fish contains gluten. Tell us about coeliac guests when you enquire, and we’ll tell you honestly what we can offer.
Do you need power or water?
Tell us what’s available at the site when you enquire, and we’ll confirm what we need.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack up and leave the pitch tidy when service is finished. Tell us where bins can go for people’s paper and trays.
What if we do not know numbers?
It’s hard to know, so a rough number is fine. Funeral directors can advise from experience.
Can the van come to Wilmington?
Yes. We take the van across London and the South East, and Wilmington is within our area. For a quote, use our quote form.
What food do you serve?
Chip-shop favourites: cod, haddock, chips, sausages and pies, plus mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy. See the menu.
What comes out of the fryer
Haddock and chips
Haddock is a little sweeter than cod, with a finer, firmer flake. In the north and in Scotland, haddock is the classic.
Sausage and chips
For anyone who doesn’t fancy fish, there’s sausage and chips, and it’s a favourite with children.
Takeaway run or book a van?
Ordering from a local shop? Call ahead and collect at the last minute. For a crowd, a van is generally simpler.
Doing the food yourself saves money, but the host ends up running around. Booking the van means hot food and no stress.
Space, access and the venue
We’ll agree the van’s spot with you before the day. It needs to tick a few simple boxes:
- A spot near your guests
- Light near the van and the queue for evening service
- Room in front of the hatch for a queue
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and the way in, and we will say what we think.
From the hatch
- Cod and chips
- Gravy
- Mushy peas
- Sausage and chips
- Haddock and chips
- Pie and chips
Organising for someone else?
Parks, greens and streets normally need permission for a catering van. The council or landowner will tell you what they need.
For larger numbers, tell us how long you have for food, so we can plan how to keep the queue short. Staggering groups helps a lot.
Arranging a wake in Wilmington
Wilmington is about 2 miles south-west of Dartford, in Kent. Anywhere in DA2, we can fry fresh for your guests. Wilmington is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. You can also see our page for London, about 13 miles away.
With the A2 nearby, it is easy for family travelling by car to reach Wilmington. For family travelling by train, Crayford station, about 1.3 miles north, is the nearest station. Wilmington is within about 7 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, and rural venues there may have narrow lanes, so tell us about access.
We take the van to wakes all over the DA2, DA5 and DA1 postcode area. That could mean a wake at a home on Common Lane, Parsons Lane and Oakfield Lane or the roads around them, as long as there’s somewhere for the van. Being close to the A2, Wilmington is easy for us to reach with the van. Close by, we cover wakes in Bowmans (1 mile north), Joyden's Wood (1 mile west), Puddledock (1 mile south-west), Coldblow (1 mile north-west) and Crayford (1 mile north). We also serve nearby towns such as Sevenoaks (10 miles south), Gravesend (8 miles east), Northfleet (7 miles east), Kings Hill (14 miles south-east), Swanscombe (5 miles east) and Windmill Hill (8 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include Dartford Library (1.6 miles north-east) and Broadway Shopping Centre (2.5 miles north-west). The countryside around Wilmington includes Wansunt Pit.
- Schools near Wilmington include Wilmington Primary School (within half a mile south-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Plough pub (0.9 miles east)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Colyers (2.8 miles north)
- 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