Is There Any Restriction on What Fuel I Can Use in a Catering Van?

by Giuseppe

Propane gas bottles connected to a mobile catering van with safety regulator

Propane gas bottles connected to a mobile catering van with safety regulator

Dear All,
I would love some help from you with regards my question. I have a pizza trailer with a wood fired oven. Couple of months ago I have injured my back with slip disk and cannot do any push and pull anymore which is quite upsetting as I have to re-think about my business and passion. For this reason I was thinking to convert a small pick up van. the van I like are all petrol and I was wondering if there is any law or restriction on using wood fired pizza oven on a petrol van. I have seen around already a lot of those conversion but I know some people just do things without questioning and then have trouble.
I hope you can help.
thank you very much
G

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by: MobCater

Good question, and the short answer is yes, there are rules around this. For cooking in a mobile catering van or trailer in the UK, propane is the standard fuel and it's what almost every mobile caterer uses. It's reliable, it burns hot enough for commercial cooking, and it works well in colder weather, which matters when you're trading outdoors in January.

You'll sometimes hear people mention butane, but propane is the one you want. Butane doesn't perform well in low temperatures and can struggle to vaporise properly when it's cold outside. Propane keeps working in freezing conditions, which is why it's the industry standard for mobile catering.

The important thing to understand is that any gas installation in your catering vehicle must comply with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and the UKLPG Code of Practice 24, which covers LPG in commercial catering specifically. That means your pipework, regulators, hoses, and connections all need to be installed and inspected by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You can't just hook up a bottle and start cooking. The engineer will check everything is safe, properly ventilated, and up to standard, and they'll give you a gas safety certificate. Your EHO will want to see that certificate before you start trading.

Some caterers also use electricity for certain equipment like fridges, freezers, tea urns, and lighting. That's usually powered by a generator, which runs on petrol or diesel. If you're using a generator, make sure it's the right size for your setup. Too small and it won't run everything, too big and you're wasting fuel and money.

One more thing worth knowing. If you're trading at certain events or indoor markets, the venue may have their own rules about fuel types. Some venues don't allow gas at all and require you to cook on electric only. Always check with the event organiser before you turn up with a full propane setup and find out you can't use it.

Best of luck

David

Disclaimer: Gas installation and maintenance must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Never attempt gas work yourself. Check gassaferegister.co.uk for qualified engineers in your area.

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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