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Can I Have Beer on Tap in My Catering Trailer?

by Jack
(Salford)

Forest green converted horsebox bar pulling pints for a summer crowd at a Salford village fete

Forest green converted horsebox bar pulling pints for a summer crowd at a Salford village fete

I'd like to start a small mobile bar but I'd like to install pumps so that I can sell beer on tap via either a keg or a cask. Hopefully 2 pumps. Does anyone know what kind of equipment I'd need for this, or if it's at all possible without a beer cellar. Thanks.

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by: MobCater

Jack, yes it is possible, and a pair of pumps on a mobile bar is a common sight at weddings, festivals and village fetes. You do not need a cellar, but you do need to do the job a cellar does, which is keep the beer cold, steady and clean.

Keg is by far the easier route. The keg sits under the counter or in a rack, a beer gas cylinder pushes the beer out, and it runs through a cooler before it reaches the tap. Most mobile bars use a flash cooler, an under counter or shelf unit that chills the beer as it passes through a coil, so the keg itself can sit at room temperature. Alongside the cooler you would need a coupler to match each brewery's keg fitting, a gas regulator, a font with your two taps, beer line, a drip tray and a line cleaning kit. Plenty of breweries and drinks wholesalers will lend or rent you the cooler and font if you buy their beer, so ask before you spend. Plan your power too, as a twin flash cooler usually wants its own 13 amp supply and has to be switched on and chilled down well before service.

Cask is harder. Real ale is still conditioning in the barrel, so it needs to settle for at least a day, sit level and stay at around 11 to 13°C. That is tough in a trailer that has just been towed round the M60 on a warm afternoon. Some bars manage it with cooling jackets and a hand pull, but they collect the casks early and leave them to settle on site the day before. If you are new to this I would start with two keg lines and add cask once you know your events and your customers.

Treat the beer gas cylinders with respect. They are under high pressure, so chain them upright and keep them away from heat, and remember CO2 can build up in a small enclosed space, so keep the trailer well ventilated and do not store spares inside overnight. Clean the lines at least once a week, because dirty lines are the first thing a customer tastes.

The equipment is honestly the easy part. Selling alcohol in England needs either a premises licence with a personal licence holder authorising sales, or a Temporary Event Notice for each event. Many event organisers already hold a licence and will let bars trade under it, so ask them first, it can save you a lot of paperwork.

A well run bar with a cold, clean pint will get you invited back year after year.

Best of luck

David

Disclaimer: This is general advice for UK mobile catering. Licensing rules vary between councils, so always check with your local authority before you start trading.

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