How to Find a Mobile Catering Pitch

My Pitch Journey: From Lorry Parks to Football Clubs

When I started, I had no idea where to pitch. I just knew I had a van and wanted to sell food. My first pitch was outside a lorry park on an industrial estate — I paid about £25 per week to the owner, and I did okay for a couple of months. Then the canteen opposite got tired of losing customers to me and I got chased off. Looking back, that security guard did me such a big favour. I moved down the road to a retail park with Wickes, Homebase, and car dealers nearby. That location was far better, especially on weekends. Then someone saw me at the retail park and invited me to cater at a football club on Saturdays and Sundays. That led to a building site gig with workers eating breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the day. Each location was better than the last, and it all started because I was visible and professional.

The lesson? There's no single perfect pitch waiting to be discovered. Instead, there are multiple good pitches out there, and you find them by doing the legwork, asking questions, and being willing to move when something better comes along. This guide shows you exactly how to do it.

Where to Look: The Real Places That Work

Get a notepad and a pencil. Seriously. This is how you start. Drive around your local area with a specific goal: find places where people gather, work, eat, or shop. Look at industrial estates — they're full of workers who need breakfast and lunch and have limited time to go to shops. Check retail parks with big-name stores like Wickes, B&Q, and Homebase. Workers and shoppers are always hungry. Drive past football clubs, cricket grounds, and sports facilities. Event grounds, music venues, and outdoor spaces are goldmines, especially on weekends. Building sites are absolute cash cows if you can get access — workers eat 2-3 times daily and they're a captive audience.

Petrol stations are obvious but often have existing catering already. Look at lay-bys on busy roads — check what traffic passes. Hospital car parks, university campuses, office parks, shopping centres, car boot sales, car washes — anywhere people congregate for any reason. Wickes and Homebase car parks are particularly good because the customer base is broad: DIY enthusiasts, tradespeople, families, pensioners. They're there for hours sometimes, so they want a break and a bite to eat.

The key is looking beyond what you see on Google Maps. Google won't show you a busy retail park that would be perfect for a catering van. You have to actually go and observe. Sit in a location for 30 minutes during typical trading hours. Watch the foot traffic. Count roughly how many people pass through. Are they working? Shopping? On a break? What's the age range? Are they the kind of customers who'd buy a bacon roll and a coffee? This observation is the best market research you can do.

Types of Pitches and What They Cost

Pitches come in several varieties, and the costs vary wildly. Here's what you need to know about each.

Permanent pitches are locations where you have a semi-permanent arrangement — you turn up at the same spot most days of the week, perhaps owned or leased for a fixed fee. I paid £25 per week for my first pitch, which was about £100 per month. That was cheap because it was an industrial estate in a quieter area. In busy city centres or premium retail parks, permanent pitches can cost £150-£300 per week, sometimes more. The trade-off is you know the income is consistent and you can build a customer base.

Casual pitches are where you turn up day-by-day or week-by-week. You might pay £40-£100 per day, or £50-£150 per week depending on location. The advantage is flexibility — you can try different spots to see where you do best. The disadvantage is no guaranteed income or customer loyalty.

Building site catering pays differently. You're typically paid per day worked: £40-£70 on small sites, £500-£700+ on large busy building sites. The site provides the pitch (often free), sometimes provides electricity or LPG, and the workers are captive customers eating multiple times daily. This is high-intensity work but the money can be excellent.

Retail partnerships with supermarkets or retail parks are often free or low-cost to start. The retailer wants the foot traffic you bring. You might pay a small weekly fee (£20-£50) or even nothing if you agree to share a small percentage of takings. I've seen caterers get premium locations with no pitch fee at all — the retail partner just wanted the foot traffic and the atmosphere for customers.

Private land pitches — farms, estates, businesses — vary enormously. Some landowners are happy to let you trade for free or a nominal fee if it keeps trespassers out or brings customers. Others charge commercial rates. It's all negotiable. The key is finding out who owns the land and asking permission rather than assuming you can't.

How to Approach Landowners and Get Permission

Once you've identified a good location, you need to find out who owns or manages the land. For retail parks and shopping centres, ask the centre manager. For lorry parks, speak to the owner or yard manager. For sports facilities, contact the club office. For building sites, get the site manager's contact from the site office. For industrial estates, contact the managing agent.

When you approach them, be professional and clear. Explain what you want to do: "I'm starting a mobile catering business and I'm looking for a pitch to trade from. I'm fully insured, have all the necessary food hygiene certifications, and I've got a well-maintained van. I'm interested in trading from your location on [days/times]. What's the process?" Most landowners will either say yes, no, or have a standard process. Some might ask for proof of insurance or a food hygiene certificate. Some might want a daily cash payment. Some might ask for a percentage of takings. It's all negotiable, but transparency from the start builds trust.

Don't pitch at 2 PM on a Tuesday. Call ahead and arrange a time to speak to the manager or owner. Bring a simple one-page leaflet with a photo of your van, your contact details, and what you're selling. Professional touches matter — they show you're serious. If they say no, ask if they know anyone else in the area who might say yes. Building site managers often know other site managers, for example.

Always spend 2-4 weeks observing a location before committing significant money. Park in the area during typical trading hours and watch. How busy is it really? Who are the customers? Is there competing food service already? Are there seasonal variations? I once saw a pitch that looked perfect on a sunny day but turned out to have dreadful traffic on rainy days. Observation saves you from making expensive mistakes.

Due Diligence: Don't Get Caught Out

Before you sign anything or hand over money, do your homework. Ask the landowner or current pitch holder tough questions: How many customers do you typically get? What's the average spend? What's the busiest time? What's the quietest time? Can you provide evidence of these numbers? If someone is selling a pitch and claims to make £500 per week, ask to see some proof. Bank statements, till records, something concrete. People often exaggerate — sometimes wildly.

Check with your local council to see if the pitch has official trading consent or if there are any restrictions. Some pitches have been refused or are subject to appeals. Some locations have conditions: for example, a pitch might be approved for weekends only, or prohibited for certain types of food. Always check. Some councils have public registers of trading consents — look it up.

Be wary of pitches that seem too good to be true. If someone's claiming £2,000 per week from a random car boot sale, and the numbers don't add up, they probably don't. I once heard of someone trying to sell a pitch for £5,000-£10,000 claiming incredible earnings. When I checked, the seller was actually being thrown off the pitch. The figures were made up. Do your checks. If it looks too good, it probably is.

Building a Pitch Progression Strategy

You don't need the perfect pitch to start. You need a pitch that works well enough to learn the business and build confidence. Once you've got a bit of experience and reputation, bigger opportunities come your way. My progression (lorry park → retail park → football club → building site) was natural and organic. Each location taught me something and led to the next.

Start somewhere accessible, even if it's not premium. Pay attention to what works: which products sell best, which times are busiest, what your actual numbers are. Build a positive reputation for quality, cleanliness, and good service. When opportunity knocks (and it will if you're professional and visible), be ready to move up. The security guard who chased me off my first pitch led me to somewhere better. That's often how it works.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a catering pitch cost?

It varies from free (if a landowner wants the trade-off) to £300+ per week for premium locations. Most pitches cost £25-£100 per week. Building site catering pays by the day: £40-£700+ depending on site size. Always negotiate — the asking price isn't always the final price, especially if you're committing to long-term trade.

Can I set up anywhere?

Not without permission. You need either landowner approval (for private land) or a street trading licence from the council (for public land). Trading without permission can result in being moved on or prosecuted. Always get permission first, in writing if possible.

How do I find who owns the land?

For retail parks and shopping centres, ask the centre management office. For councils and public spaces, contact the council. For farms and private land, look at the property on the Land Registry (search online), or ask locals who might know. For building sites, speak to the site office or the company notice board. LinkedIn can be useful for finding site managers or business owners.

What's the difference between a permanent and casual pitch?

Permanent pitches mean you trade the same location regularly (most days of the week), usually for a fixed weekly or monthly fee. You build a customer base but have a guaranteed cost. Casual pitches are day-by-day or week-by-week — more flexible but less consistent income. Most people start with a casual pitch to test the location, then negotiate a permanent arrangement if it works well.

Can I set up on my own drive or in my garden?

Technically you can set up on your own property, but if you're selling food regularly you'll still need EHO registration and possibly a home-based business licence. If your road is busy and you're trading from your frontage, the council may require a street trading licence even though it's your property. Always check with your local council first. It saves hassle later.

Try the free MobCater App — our 12-step guide walks you through the entire startup journey, including how to find and evaluate your first pitch: https://www.mobcater.co.uk/mobile-catering.html