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Can I Use Caravan Ovens in a Catering Van or Do I Need Commercial Ones?

by vicky malyan
(rochester kent uk)

Pale mint green converted catering van with an open side serving hatch at a UK country wedding venue

Pale mint green converted catering van with an open side serving hatch at a UK country wedding venue

Hi, advice needed on a mobile unit, I'm going to buy a used wagon or convert a van for the purpose of selling cake & fizz at wedding/birthday/fete etc, I will only need the standard hygiene 2 sinks plastic wipe clean surfaces a fridge or 2, some mixers (cake) what I'd like to know is can I use caravan ovens as I won't need a range or hot plate or do I need to get industrial ones & if I stick
to electric on everything would it make my life easier. many thanks Vicky

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Sep 14, 2026
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by: MobCater

Hi vicky, this is a good question to ask before you buy rather than after, because the answer changes what van you actually need.

There is no rule in UK law saying every appliance in a catering unit has to be a commercial model. What your EHO judges is the outcome. Can the equipment be cleaned properly, can you hold and cook food at safe temperatures, and is it in sound repair. Plenty of small units pass inspection with domestic kit in them.

Where caravan and domestic ovens let people down is not the law, it is the workload. They are built for light occasional use, and a wedding or a fete is several hours of back to back demand. They are slow to recover heat once the door has been opened a few times, which is exactly what happens while you are serving. They also tend to have seams, trims and fixed shelf runners that trap crumbs and grease, and that is the sort of thing an EHO will pull you up on, not the badge on the front. A caravan oven in particular is usually tiny and often runs on gas, which would pull you straight back into the LPG certificates you are trying to avoid.

Here is the steer I would give you though, and it may save you a lot of money. Most cake businesses do not bake in the van at all. They bake in a kitchen registered with the council, which can be your own kitchen at home once it is registered, then use the unit for display, finishing and serving. What you have described, two sinks and fridges and mixers, is a prep kitchen on wheels, and that is the expensive and awkward way round. If the van is for selling rather than producing, you may not need an oven in it at all.

On going all electric, I think you are right, and it saves you the annual gas certificate. The catch is the load. Add up everything that could run at once, because an oven is 2 to 3kW on its own and every fridge draws a big surge each time the compressor kicks in. A standard 16A hook up gives you around 3.5kW in total, which goes very quickly. Work your figure out before you buy, then you know whether you need a bigger hook up or a generator sized to match.

Two last things. Get the electrical installation certified and your appliances tested, because event organisers do ask to see the paperwork. And the fizz is a licensing question rather than an equipment one, since selling alcohol needs the right licence or a temporary event notice for each date, so do not assume the wedding venue's own licence covers you.

Best wishes

David

Disclaimer: Food safety and electrical requirements are judged by your local council, and EHOs do vary in what they will accept, so run your plans past yours before you spend money on a unit. Electrical installation and testing is a job for a qualified electrician.

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