If you’re thinking about starting a mobile catering business, one of the first questions you’re likely to ask is how much does a catering trailer cost?
The answer depends on what you need. The size of the trailer, the equipment required, the type of food or drink you plan to serve and how bespoke you want the finished unit to be will all affect the final price.
In this guide, we’ll look at some of the main costs involved and what you should consider when budgeting for a new catering trailer.
At Tudor Trailers, we design and build bespoke catering trailers and mobile catering units for businesses across the UK, from compact trailers for new street food businesses through to large, fully equipped mobile kitchens designed for busy events and high-volume catering.
How Much Is a New Catering Trailer?
There isn’t a single price for a catering trailer because two businesses can have completely different requirements.
A coffee business, for example, may need refrigeration, a coffee machine, water systems and plenty of preparation space. A burger or street food business could require commercial griddles, fryers, extraction, refrigeration and significantly more cooking space.
The best way to think about the cost is therefore to start with what you want to sell and how you intend to trade.
At Tudor Trailers we offer different sizes and styles of catering trailer, giving businesses the opportunity to choose a starting point and then tailor the specification around their requirements.
Our current range includes options such as The Adventure, a highly customisable food trailer suitable for a wide range of mobile catering businesses.
What Affects the Cost of a Catering Trailer?
Several things will determine how much you ultimately spend on your catering trailer.
Catering Equipment
The equipment inside the trailer can make a significant difference to the overall price.
Depending on your business, this could include:
- Griddles
- Fryers
- Bain maries
- Ovens and hobs
- Pizza ovens
- Coffee machines
- Undercounter refrigeration
- Drinks fridges
- Extraction systems
- Heated or chilled displays
Trailer Size
One of the biggest factors is size.
A small catering trailer can be ideal if you are working alone, have a relatively simple menu or want something that is easier to tow and position.
Larger catering trailers provide considerably more preparation, cooking and storage space and can accommodate more members of staff, but the initial cost will naturally be higher.
Think carefully about what you actually need rather than simply choosing the largest trailer available.
Planning your menu before designing the trailer makes it much easier to establish what equipment and size you genuinely need.
It also allows the internal layout to be designed around the way you will actually work.
Branding and External Features
Your catering trailer isn’t only your kitchen. It is also one of the most visible parts of your business.
Depending on the trailer, additional features can include menu boards, advertising headboards, customer shelves, additional serving hatches and exterior finishes.
These additions can increase the initial cost but can also help turn the trailer into a much stronger representation of your brand when you’re trading at markets, festivals and events.
Don’t Just Budget for the Trailer
When working out the cost of starting a mobile catering business, it is important not to spend your entire budget on the trailer itself.
You may also need to allow for stock, insurance, branding, pitch fees, licences, card payment equipment, marketing and other business set-up costs.
Gas and electrical safety are another important consideration.
Tudor Trailers has qualified Gas Safe and NICEIC engineers and can provide the relevant mobile catering gas and electrical certification. We also provide ongoing gas and electrical testing from our workshop in Weston-super-Mare.
Find out more about our mobile catering Gas Safe services
Can I Get Finance for a Catering Trailer from Tudor Trailers?
Tudor Trailers does not provide finance directly. However, we work with an independent finance broker who can help customers explore finance options for a new catering trailer or vehicle conversion.
Finance can help spread the cost of your new catering trailer and may allow you to choose the specification your business needs while retaining money for the other costs involved in launching or expanding your mobile catering business.
Any finance is provided independently and will be subject to the lender’s terms, eligibility and approval.
Catering Trailer Questions
What About a Horse Box or Van Conversion?
A conventional catering trailer isn’t the only option.
Depending on the look you want, the space you require and how you intend to operate, you could also consider a horse box catering conversion or a catering van conversion.
Horse boxes are particularly popular with businesses looking for something with a distinctive appearance and can work well for coffee, drinks, street food and event catering.
Explore our horse box catering conversions
Alternatively, an existing panel van, box van, chassis cab or vintage vehicle can be converted into a bespoke mobile catering unit.
Tudor Trailers has experience converting a wide variety of vehicles, including panel vans, box vans, Peugeot J7s, Renault Estafettes and Citroën H Vans.
Should I Buy the Cheapest Catering Trailer?
Price is obviously important, particularly when you’re starting a new business, but the cheapest trailer isn’t necessarily going to provide the best value.
A catering trailer is your workplace and potentially one of the biggest investments you will make in your mobile catering business.
A well-planned trailer should make it easier for you to prepare food, serve customers and operate efficiently.
Before making a decision, look at the build specification, materials, equipment, layout, certification and after-sales support rather than comparing the headline price alone.
See What Is Possible
One of the easiest ways to decide what you need is to look at catering trailers that have already been built.
Our gallery includes examples of bespoke catering trailers, street food trailers, coffee vans, horse box conversions and other mobile catering units we have produced for customers.
It can also give you ideas for layouts, equipment, serving hatches, finishes and branding before you start planning your own build.
View the Tudor Trailers catering trailer gallery below.