Guide
Street Food at a Wedding: Costs, Vans and What to Check
Street food vans at weddings usually charge £10 to £20 a head or a minimum spend. What to ask about service speed, pitch, power, gas and venue rules.
How much does a street food van cost for a wedding?
Street food traders at weddings usually charge £10 to £20 a head for a main dish, or a flat fee or minimum spend that covers a set number of guests. Pizza, burgers, tacos, curry, fish and chips and wood-fired flatbreads are common. For evening food, which is where vans are most often booked, per-head prices tend to sit at the lower end because portions are smaller.
The per-head price is usually for a single dish from the van's menu; sides, desserts and a second van are extra.
How many guests can one van serve?
This is the key question, and the answer varies with the food. A pizza oven turns out pizzas one or two at a time; a curry served from pots moves faster. Ask the trader how many portions an hour they serve at an event of your size, and how they handle a queue of 100 people who all want feeding at 8pm. For a wedding breakfast from vans, two or more traders are often needed to keep waits reasonable.
What does the van need on the day?
A level, firm pitch it can drive or tow onto, which is harder than it sounds on a wet field.
Power: its own generator, or a supply from the venue.
Gas: many vans cook on bottled LPG, and venues often ask to see a current gas safety certificate for the appliances.
Access times: set-up can take an hour or more before service.
Distance from the marquee or the neighbours: generators and extraction are not silent.
What does the venue need to agree to?
Venues vary. Some welcome vans; some allow them only in the evening; some charge a fee for outside caterers; some refuse. Many will ask the trader for public liability insurance (commonly £5 million), a food hygiene rating, a gas safety certificate and a risk assessment. Check the venue's rules before you book the trader, and put the two in touch.
What should you check before booking a trader?
Their food hygiene rating (every van is registered with a council and inspected), where the van is based and what they charge for travel, the minimum spend, how many portions an hour they serve, whether they bring plates and napkins, how they deal with rain, and what happens if the van breaks down. Ask for allergen information for the menu, since a queue at a hatch is not the place for guests to find out.
Common questions
Is street food cheaper than traditional wedding catering?
Often, because a van needs fewer staff than a plated meal. The saving shrinks if you need several vans to serve everyone quickly.
Do food vans need a licence to trade at a wedding?
A private wedding on private land does not normally need street trading consent. The van must be registered as a food business with its home council, which is also what gives it a hygiene rating.
What happens if it rains?
The van serves from its hatch as usual; the queue is the problem. Ask the trader whether they bring a gazebo, and plan a covered route from the marquee.
Can I have a van for the wedding breakfast?
Yes, though it needs planning for service speed. Two or more traders, staggered service or table-by-table calling are common ways to keep it moving.