How Do I Find Building Site Catering Work?

by Kez
(Kent)

I have a snack van ready and available to visit building sites. What is the best way to find contacts?

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Apr 06, 2026
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by: MobCater

Hi Kez,

Building sites are one of the best kept secrets in mobile catering. Workers eat two or three times a day, it's all cash, and on a decent sized site you can easily turn over £500 to £700 a day. Even smaller sites with 20 or 30 workers will give you a solid daily income if you're consistent.

The best way to find contacts is to start with the big housebuilders. Companies like Barratt, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Kier, and Fairview are always running major projects across the UK. Check their websites for current developments in your area. There's also a brilliant website called theconstructionindex.co.uk that lists upcoming and active construction projects. You can search by region and find out who's building what and where.

Once you've found a site, the person you need to speak to is the site manager or the quantity surveyor. Don't just turn up unannounced at the gates, ring ahead or email the main contractor's local office and ask who handles welfare and catering on site. Explain that you've got a fully set up snack van, you're registered with the EHO, and you've got public liability insurance. Those three things are what they'll ask about first.

LinkedIn is also worth using for this. A lot of site managers and project managers are on there. Connect with them, explain what you offer, and you'd be surprised how many will come back to you when their current caterer lets them down (which happens more often than you'd think).

One thing to be aware of is that building site work is temporary. When the build finishes, you need the next site lined up. The smart approach is to build relationships with the contractors rather than the individual sites. If you do a good job for Barratt on one project, they'll often invite you to cater their next site, sometimes hundreds of miles away. That's great if you're willing to travel, less ideal if you want to stay local.

Some larger sites provide a full canteen with all the equipment already in place. You just turn up, cook, and keep all the food sales income. The site might pay you a weekly amount on top (say £90 a week when I last heard). Other sites want you to bring your own van, which sounds like your setup.

Make sure your van meets all the health and safety requirements for working on a construction site. That usually means having a current food hygiene certificate, public liability insurance, and a risk assessment. Some sites will ask for a DBS check too.

Good luck with it

David

Disclaimer: This is based on my experience in UK mobile catering. Requirements vary between construction companies and sites, so always check with the site manager before committing.

Try the free MobCater App — our startup checklist and guide walks you through every step: https://www.mobcater.co.uk/mobile-catering.html

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