What Equipment Do I Need for a Catering Van?

The Four Essentials That Actually Matter

When I started, I wasn't entirely sure what I needed. I thought maybe I'd need every gadget under the sun. Actually, every successful mobile catering business comes down to four key pieces of equipment. Get these right and you're in business. Get them wrong and you'll waste money or put your customers at risk. Here are the four non-negotiables: a griddle, a bain-marie, a fridge-freezer, and a tea urn or water boiler. That's it. Everything else is optional extras that you can add later as the business grows.

I started with just a 1-burner 24-inch griddle. People thought I was mad. "How will you cook enough?" they asked. The answer is you work quickly, batch cook, and manage your service flow. That one griddle generated excellent income. You scale up to a 2-burner, 3-burner, or 4-burner griddle as demand grows and as you can afford to upgrade. Don't overcomplicate it at the start.

The Griddle: Your Money-Maker

The griddle is the single most important piece of equipment in your catering van. This is where you cook the majority of your menu. It's where the profit lives. Griddles come in 1-burner, 2-burner, 3-burner, and 4-burner models, and sometimes larger custom sizes. A typical griddle surface is around 24 inches wide. The number of burners determines your cooking capacity and how quickly you can turn out food.

When buying a griddle, new ones are expensive (£2,000+), but second-hand models are available from £500-£1,500 depending on size and condition. When you're looking at a second-hand griddle, insist on testing it before you buy. Make sure the burners light properly, the flame is even, and crucially, the flame failure device works. This is the safety device that cuts off gas if the flame goes out unexpectedly.

Why am I so specific about the flame failure device? Because I learned the hard way. The seller of my first van showed me his hand — one side was badly burned and scarred. His griddle was missing the flame failure device. When the flame went out and he tried to relight it, the gas poured out and burned him. Permanently. Always check that the flame failure device works. Test it fully before you buy second-hand equipment. This is non-negotiable for your safety and your liability insurance.

Daily maintenance is simple: scrape the plate multiple times throughout service, keep the cooking surface clean so food doesn't stick. Deep clean by heating to low, scraping waste, adding hot water (no detergent), scraping and wiping clean. For seasoning, heat to high until smoke and burn-off, cool, then apply oil. If your griddle becomes rusty, get it professionally sandblasted and seasoned — it's much cheaper than buying a replacement.

The Bain-Marie: Keeping Food Hot and Safe

The bain-marie is a heated water bath that keeps cooked food hot without drying it out. There are two types: wet bain-maries that need water and careful monitoring, and dry bain-maries that don't require water and are spillage-free. A good bain-marie keeps food at safe temperatures (above 63°C) so it's ready to serve instantly and complies with food safety regulations.

When using a bain-marie, don't store food in there for hours on end. Keep cooked food in batches and rotate through the bain-marie. During busy periods, pre-cook smaller quantities, refresh them from your prep area, and keep the food moving. This maintains freshness and quality, and it reduces the risk of the bain-marie becoming a problem during busy service.

A good bain-marie new costs £800-£1,500. Second-hand ones are usually cheaper, but check that the heating element works properly. Make sure the temperature control is accurate — you need to maintain hot food at 63°C or above, and you need to be able to verify this if the environmental health officer asks to see your records.

The Fridge-Freezer: Temperature Control That Matters

You must have a fridge-freezer for storing raw ingredients, pre-prepared food, and keeping high-risk items cold. Temperature must be maintained at 4°C or below (5°C preferred for most items). This is not optional — it's a legal requirement for food safety. Your fridge-freezer must be reliable and must be regularly monitored.

When buying a fridge-freezer for mobile catering, check three critical things. First, ensure the seal is intact and working properly. A poor seal leaks cold air, the fridge warms up, and you lose compliance. Monitor the seal visually and use a digital thermometer regularly to check actual temperatures. Second, make sure it has an alarm function. This alerts you if the temperature rises above safe levels — don't ignore these alarms. Third, verify that it has an LPG test certificate if you're buying second-hand. If there's no certificate, don't buy it — it will fail your gas safety inspection and become unusable.

Most mobile catering fridge-freezers run on three power options: LPG, 12V (from vehicle battery while towing), and 230V (mains electricity). This triple functionality is essential for mobile operations. In summer, pre-freeze ice blocks and use a mobile fan kit to help cool the trailer — heat is your enemy for temperature control.

New fridge-freezers designed for catering trailers cost £1,500-£3,000. Second-hand ones are significantly cheaper. When buying second-hand, ask the seller to demonstrate the fridge working properly and providing its test certificate.

The Tea Urn and Water Boiler: Essentials for Drinks and Hygiene

You need a tea urn or large water boiler for hot drinks (tea, coffee, hot chocolate) and for providing hot water for hand washing. This isn't just about convenience — proper hand washing requires hot water, and it's a hygiene requirement. A good tea urn delivers instant hot water on demand and is essential during busy periods when you're serving multiple customers.

Tea urns come in various sizes: 10-litre capacity is a good starting point, though you can go larger as your business grows. A good new urn costs £200-£600. Second-hand ones are often available much cheaper. Make sure the heater works properly and maintains hot water throughout the day. Some urns are LPG-powered, others are electric. Choose based on what power sources you have available in your van.

Beyond the tea urn, you'll also need a separate handwashing station with hot and cold water, soap, and disposable towels. This is a regulatory requirement and a customer confidence builder. The tea urn can provide the hot water, but you'll need a separate basin dedicated to hand washing.

The Generator: Powering Everything

Unless you have a permanent pitch with mains electricity, you'll need a generator. A good generator for mobile catering is typically 3.5-6kVA in size. It powers your fridge-freezer, kettle, lights, fryer (if you have one), microwave, and other equipment. Getting the right size matters — undersized generators won't run all your equipment reliably.

To choose the right generator, search online for "generator wattage calculator." List all your appliances and their wattage (this is usually on the nameplate), enter them, and the calculator recommends the right size. Most catering units settle on 4-5kVA as a solid middle ground.

Storage is typically in the back of the trailer. Consider weight and handling — you'll be moving it, so it shouldn't be so heavy that it's dangerous to handle. Alternatively, use fixed mounting if your trailer setup allows. Low-noise models are preferred, especially if you're trading at events or camping sites. LPG generators are increasingly popular at events for fuel safety reasons. Yearly service with a specialist is recommended. Always lock your generator to a fixed object as a theft deterrent. Position it away from gas equipment to avoid exhaust fumes affecting food or creating safety risks.

CE Mark: Non-Negotiable for All Equipment

Every single piece of catering equipment must be CE marked. This mark indicates the equipment has been tested and meets EU health and safety standards. Without CE mark, equipment will NOT pass the LPG test and will NOT be approved by environmental health officers. I learned this the hard way. I bought a second-hand potato oven and bain-marie with no CE marks. Lost £300. The gas inspector refused to certify the equipment, and I couldn't use it.

Always check for the visible CE mark before you buy. If buying second-hand, ask the seller to confirm the CE mark is present. If it's not there, don't buy it, even if the price is great. You'll waste the money because you won't be able to use it legally.

Gas Safety and LPG Engineers: The Critical Requirement

All of your equipment that uses LPG gas must be installed, tested, and certified by a fully qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. This is law. Not all Gas Safe engineers can work on mobile catering — there's a specific qualification for commercial mobile catering. The engineer must have ALL THREE of these qualifications on their Gas Safe ID card: LPG, Commercial catering, and Commercial mobile catering. Domestic or caravan engineers do NOT qualify because the regulations are different.

Search www.gassaferegister.co.uk to find local qualified engineers. When you call them, specifically ask: "Do you have the Gas Safe qualifications for commercial mobile catering?" Ask to see their ID card and verify the photo matches, the dates are valid, and the back of the card lists "commercial mobile catering" as qualified work. This matters because councils now verify this on the Gas Safe register. If your engineer doesn't have all three qualifications, the council will refuse your gas safety certificate.

This is one of the most common problems in mobile catering. Owners hire cheaper engineers who lack the full qualifications, get a certificate issued, but the council rejects it. Then they have to hire a properly qualified engineer, have the work redone, and start again. It costs more in the long run. Get it right the first time — hire only fully qualified engineers.

New equipment requires an initial gas safety certificate. Annual safety inspections are required by law (costing typically £80-£150 per year). Keep these certificates — the environmental health officer will ask to see them.

Second-Hand Equipment: Money-Saving Strategy

You don't need new equipment to start. Second-hand is absolutely fine if you buy smartly. When assessing second-hand equipment, test everything before you buy. Ask the seller to run the griddle and show you how it works. Verify the bain-marie heats properly. Listen to the fridge-freezer to confirm it's running smoothly. Always insist on an LPG test certificate if you're buying second-hand gas equipment — if there's none, you can't use it.

Good places to find second-hand equipment: catering auctions, online marketplaces (Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, eBay), catering equipment suppliers who take trade-ins, and other caterers moving up to bigger/better equipment. Don't buy sight unseen from online listings — arrange to see and test the equipment in person.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most important piece of equipment?

The griddle. It's your primary revenue generator. Get this right and you're cooking properly. Every other piece of equipment supports food storage, temperature control, and hygiene — which matter enormously — but the griddle is where the food magic happens. If your griddle fails, you can't trade that day.

Do I need a generator?

Unless your pitch has mains electricity, yes. Generators power your fridge, lights, kettle, and other equipment. A 4-5kVA generator is standard for mobile catering. The investment (£1,500-£3,000 new, less second-hand) is essential because without power, your fridge doesn't work and you can't comply with temperature control requirements.

How much does catering van equipment cost?

New equipment costs £10,000-£20,000+ for a basic setup (griddle, bain-marie, fridge-freezer, tea urn, generator). Second-hand, you can do it for £3,000-£8,000. Budget £2,000-£5,000 if you're building gradually, starting with essentials and adding as the business grows. Annual costs (gas certification, maintenance) typically run £200-£400 per year.

Can I buy second-hand equipment?

Yes, absolutely. Many successful caterers started with second-hand equipment. The key is buying smart: test everything before committing money, verify CE marks are present, check that gas equipment has proper certificates, and be prepared to walk away from deals that don't add up. Second-hand can save you thousands without compromising on quality or safety.

What size griddle do I need?

Start with what you can afford and manage. A 1-burner griddle is surprisingly productive — I made great money with mine. If your menu is burgers and bacon, a 2-burner is more comfortable. A 3-burner gives you real capacity for volume trading. A 4-burner or larger is premium equipment for established, high-volume operations. Scale up as demand grows.

Try the free MobCater App — our startup cost calculator helps you budget exactly what equipment you need and what it'll cost: https://www.mobcater.co.uk/mobile-catering.html