Hampshire · England
Wedding fish and chip van in Pilley, Hampshire
Planning a fish and chip van for your wedding in Pilley? The van comes to your venue, home or workplace and fry fresh while your guests queue at the hatch.
- Pre-wedding get-togethers
- Vow renewal parties
- Evening food for day and evening guests
A chip van near Pilley
How our wedding fish and chip van works in Pilley
Evening guests may have come straight from work, and day guests ate hours ago. Fresh fish and chips suits everyone. Popular choices include curry sauce, cod and chips and sausage and chips, and typical bookings are for anniversary celebrations and laid-back receptions.
Rural weddings around Pilley have a magic of their own, and evening fish and chips adds to it. Plan a firm back-up spot if the field is wet. 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’s ready.
Looking after everyone
Allergies are taken seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Plan something for guests we can’t cater for
- Name a friend or coordinator as our contact
- Not every evening guest eats: ask us how many to plan for
- Include the band, photographer and venue staff
It’s kind to include suppliers working late when you give us numbers.
Think about cover by the hatch for wet evenings.
Takeaway run or book a van?
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.
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.
Pilley weddings: local tips
Pilley is about 2 miles north of Lymington, in Hampshire. From the centre of Pilley to the outskirts, we offer the same service: fresh frying, hot food from the hatch and a clear price. We cover all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 11 miles away.
After a ceremony at a church like Saint Nicholas Chapel, many couples move to a marquee or hall nearby, which is where the van comes in. Historic houses near Pilley include Beaulieu Palace House (4.4 miles north-east). Historic houses and estates often have rules on catering vans, so check early if that’s your venue. With the New Forest National Park within about 3 miles, there are country venues, barns and gardens nearby. Check vehicle access with the venue. With the coast within about 3 miles, fish and chips suits a seaside-style wedding. We’ll plan a sheltered spot for the queue.
For weddings in SO41, we just need to know where the van can park and roughly how many guests. From Pilley Street, Burnt House Lane and May Lane or a nearby road, we can park up and fry there. Nearby, we also serve weddings in Pilley Bailey (1 mile north-east), Warborne (1 mile south-west), Bull Hill (1 mile east), Portmore (1 mile south-east) and Boldre (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastleigh (15 miles north-east), Fareham (15 miles east), Totton (9 miles north), Chandler's Ford (15 miles north-east), Hedge End (14 miles north-east) and Romsey (15 miles north).
A little further out are St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery (1.7 miles south) and Lymington New Forest Hospital (1.1 miles south-west). Open spaces near Pilley include Boldre Foreshore.
- Local schools include Southlands School (0.6 miles south-west) and Priestlands School (2.3 miles south-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Red Lion Inn (0.7 miles west)
Nearby places to Pilley
Other occasions in Pilley
Is a fish and chip van right for your wedding?
Compared with a cold evening buffet, fish and chips is hot and fresh, and nothing sits out drying up. Most vans have a minimum charge, since getting the van there costs the same however many eat. We will tell you up front.
What you get with us
- A van that becomes part of the event
- All the chip-shop extras
- Classic food your guests already know
- Everything cooked to order at your event
Take a look at how we price and our guide to van hire costs.
Planning the van’s spot
The van has to be able to get in and park safely, and a little planning goes a long way. These are the things we check:
- Somewhere close to where people will eat
- Access wide and high enough for the van
- A level hardstanding, drive or firm lawn
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before booking.
From the hatch
- Sausage and chips
- Evening fish and chips
- Mushy peas
- Cod and chips
- Curry sauce
- Haddock and chips
Food your guests will love
Curry sauce
Curry sauce divides opinion, so we bring it along.
Sausage and chips
For anyone who does not fancy fish, there’s sausage and chips, and children love it.
What a fish and chip van costs
We’ll give you a clear quote. What affects it most:
- Travel, tolls and road charges
- Any minimum charge
- How long we serve
- Numbers
Dates make a difference: summer Saturdays and December Fridays are the busiest days of the year. It is worth asking early.
Getting an accurate quote
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Anything awkward about the way in
- A picture of where the van would go
- Roughly how many people, including children
- Where you’d like the van to go
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, address, rough numbers and when you’d like to eat. We’ll send a clear quote that says what’s included.
Pilley questions
We’re gathering after a service at Saint Nicholas Chapel: can you come?
Yes, at a nearby hall, home or venue with somewhere for the van. Food is normally served at the reception venue rather than the church. Send us the address.
Can you serve near the sea around Pilley?
Yes, of course. Wind does not affect the fryers, but plan a sheltered spot for the queue.
How quickly can you serve everyone?
A short menu and staggered groups keep things moving. Tell us your timings and we’ll advise.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We clear the van’s area after service. Let us know about bins for guests.
Can you cook in the rain?
We carry on in the rain, because the fryers are inside. Soft ground after heavy rain is the bigger issue, so have a hard-surface spot in mind.
Do you bring everything you need?
Everything is cooked in the van. Let us know what’s available at the site.
What time is best for the van?
Normally between about 8pm and 9:30pm, once the first dance is done. We’ll fit your running order.
What if we only have street parking?
Only where it is legal to park, or with a council parking suspension or road closure. Ask your council early.
Events we cater in Pilley
It’s ideal for outdoor and rustic weddings, where there is room to park the van close by.
In Pilley and nearby, the van turns up at all sorts of events. Some of the most common are:
- Weddings in a marquee or garden
- Weddings with a seaside feel
- Engagement celebrations
- Anniversary celebrations
For guests travelling by train, Lymington Town station, about 1.5 miles south, is the nearest station.
What your quote should include
- When payment is due
- How much space the van takes up
- How long service runs, and what happens if you overrun
- What happens if plans change
The process
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, set up and bring the oil up to temperature. Your guests can wander over to the hatch as soon as we open. For a summer wedding in Pilley, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, which means evening fish and chips is often served in daylight in June and July. For autumn and winter weddings, when it is dark by about 4:00pm in December, plan lighting by the van.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and roughly how many.
- A picture of the parking spot helps us check the van will fit.
- Closer to the day, we confirm the arrival time and serving time.
- The van rolls up, the hatch opens and the fryers get going for your guests.
- Last portion served, we tidy up and head off.
Getting ready for the day
- Have a level parking spot ready
- Keep space clear for guests at the hatch
- Tell us when you want to eat
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 fill in our quote form.
Read more
- 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