What Size Cooker Can You Fit in a Catering Trailer?

by rosalyn
(tyne & wear)

Commercial gas cooker in a UK catering trailer

Commercial gas cooker in a UK catering trailer

what size cooker can you put in a trailer

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May 28, 2026
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by: MobCater

It depends on the size of the trailer, but more importantly on how you plan to use it. The cooker is only one piece of the puzzle, and once you start fitting a griddle, a fryer, a bain marie, prep space and a sink in alongside it, the room you have left for a range can shrink fast.

For a standard 10ft by 5ft or 12ft by 6ft trailer, most caterers end up with a 4 burner commercial cooker. They are around 600mm wide, give you four hobs plus an oven underneath, and leave you enough wall space for a separate griddle. Brands I see most often on UK pitches are Lincat, Falcon and Parry. If you go to a 6 burner you are looking at around 900mm of wall, which is doable in a 14ft or 16ft trailer but starts to feel tight in anything smaller.

What matters as much as the width is the heat clearance. Under the UKLPG Code of Practice 24, gas cookers in mobile units need proper clearance from any flammable surface, usually around 50mm from the wall, plus a stainless splashback behind. Your Gas Safe engineer will look at the layout before they certify the install, so it is worth sketching it out and showing them before you buy anything heavy.

Total kW load is the other thing to think about. A 4 burner with oven sits at roughly 20 to 22kW. A 6 burner is closer to 30kW, and once you add a fryer and griddle to that, you are using a serious amount of gas. That affects the cylinder size you need, the ventilation you have to fit and the regulator setup. None of that is DIY, it all has to be designed and signed off by a Gas Safe registered engineer with LPG mobile catering qualifications.

A small tip from experience. Most new caterers think they need a big range from day one. I started with a single burner griddle and built up from there. A 4 burner cooker with a 2 or 3 burner griddle next to it will cover a full breakfast and lunch service for most pitches. You can always upgrade later when you know exactly what your menu needs.

Equipment like this is on mobcater.com if you want to compare models and prices, and the free app has a startup checklist that walks you through equipment planning so you do not end up over buying.

Good luck with it

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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