Kent · England
Film Set Catering in Rabbit's Cross
From the first smell of roasting pork to the last piece of crackling, a hog roast for the crew makes the food part of your shoot in Rabbit's Cross.
- Rural locations
- Extended shoot days
- Wrap days
Planning an event in Rabbit's Cross?
Film set catering for your shoot in Rabbit's Cross
Crew numbers can be large, and carving feeds plenty of people quickly. Add sides for a full meal. We are frequently asked to cater unit base lunches and commercials and music videos, with spit-roast lamb, hog roast rolls and rotisserie chicken.
Near Rabbit's Cross, crews may be miles from anywhere to eat, so lunch at base matters. The carving happens right in front of your crew, so the pork is hot and the crackling is crisp.
Events we cater in Rabbit's Cross
It’s hot, filling food after a long morning.
Hosts in Rabbit's Cross book us for everything from small get-togethers to big outdoor events. For example:
- Extended shoot days
- Ad shoots
- Historic house shoots
- Base catering
Rabbit's Cross is about 35 miles from central London, within easy reach for London-based crews.
Questions to ask before booking
- Which meats, sides and extras are included
- How many staff will carve and serve
- Where the roaster goes and what it needs
- The deposit, balance and cancellation terms
Space, access and the venue
The right spot for the roaster makes everything easier. Ideally:
- A contact in production
- The location manager’s agreement
- Flat ground at the unit base
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
What we serve
- New potatoes
- Salads
- Halloumi skewers (V)
- Spit-roast lamb
- Vegan option (Ve)
- Rotisserie chicken
- Hog roast rolls
- Stuffing and apple sauce
Planners, venues and businesses
Planning on behalf of a committee? A single point of contact keeps things simple, especially on the day.
For workplace bookings, ask your facilities team about outside caterers and gas cooking. We work to the site’s rules.
Looking after everyone
Rolls and stuffing normally contain gluten, and gluten-free rolls are available on request. Other tips:
- Plan separately for halal if needed
- Share the allergen list with the crew
- Ask the production office for dietary needs
- Give us vegetarian and vegan numbers
We serve quickly on the call.
Ask for gluten-free rolls.
Why a carved hog roast beats a buffet
Next to grilling to order, carving is quicker for big numbers. What you pay covers the meat, the chef and staff, and hours of roasting. Slow roasting means we are on site for much of the day, and the quote reflects that.
Why Rabbit's Cross hosts choose us
- Our staff serve and clear
- Halloumi skewers and a vegan option too
- Carved to order by a chef
- Crackling for everyone who wants it
See our pricing or what a hog roast costs.
Location catering around Rabbit's Cross
Rabbit's Cross is about 5 miles south of Maidstone, in Kent. From village halls to gardens and fields, shoots around Rabbit's Cross suit a hog roast. We cater all 922 towns and villages in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 24 miles away.
Crew coming by rail can use the station: Staplehurst station is about 1.8 miles away. Historic houses near Rabbit's Cross include Stoneacre (3.9 miles north) and Leeds Castle (4.8 miles north-east). Historic houses are popular locations, and most keep cooking well away from the house, so plan the unit base with locations. Rabbit's Cross is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, so check cooking and vehicle rules with locations.
We cater shoots across the ME17 postcode area and the streets around it. Other places close to Rabbit's Cross we cover include Cross-at-Hand (1 mile south), Devil's Den (1 mile east), Underling Green (2 miles west), Farthing Green (2 miles east) and St Ann's Green (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cater in Maidstone (5 miles north), Ashford (14 miles east), Sittingbourne (13 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (13 miles west), Tonbridge (12 miles west) and Kings Hill (8 miles north-west).
A little further out are South East Romany Museum (2.4 miles south-west) and Oakwood Hospital (5.7 miles north-west).
What happens on the day
The roaster cooks outdoors, under a gazebo on level ground, away from buildings, marquee walls and overhanging branches. We will agree the spot with you beforehand. In December, daylight in Rabbit's Cross ends around 3:50pm, so the unit base needs lighting for late service. In summer, light lasts until about 9:15pm.
- The production office sends us the location, dates, numbers and lunch time.
- We check the route and send a price.
- We agree our position at base with the location manager.
- We carve to order the moment lunch is called.
- Afterwards we clear our spot at base.
Preparing for the day
- Choose someone to meet us on arrival
- Tell us about narrow gates or side passages
- Give us final numbers a week or so before
How to get a price
We price every booking individually, based on numbers, menu, timings and distance. Ask us for a quote for your shoot: fill in our quote form.
Related guides
What a hog roast costs
Your quote depends on:
- The journey to the venue
- Whether you want china
- Time on site
- The number of people
UK price guides vary widely: roughly £10 a head for a simple roll, rising past £20 with more included. We quote every event individually, with everything listed.
Details that help
To check availability and the cooking area, we will need:
- Dietary requirements
- Where the roaster could go, ideally with a photo
- Any venue rules
- Your menu choices
Not sure how many to cater for? A rough figure is fine for a first quote, and you can confirm nearer the time. Fill in our quote form.
Nearby places to Rabbit's Cross
What else we do in Rabbit's Cross
Your questions about a hog roast for the crew in Rabbit's Cross
Do you come out to small places like Rabbit's Cross?
No, we come to small places too. Let us know about access and the cooking spot.
Do you cater at venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules for caterers; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
Do you serve the food?
No need for your own staff: our chef carves and our team serves and clears.
Do you need power or water?
Not to cook, because the roaster is gas-fired. Let us know what’s on site.
When do you start roasting?
A whole hog roasts for several hours, so we arrive well before you want to eat. We work back from your serving time.
What does the production need from you?
Every production is different.
Do you cover Rabbit's Cross?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, Rabbit's Cross and the rest of Kent included. Tell us the venue and we will quote.
What space does the roaster need?
Roughly the footprint of a gazebo or two, on level ground, away from buildings, marquee walls and overhanging trees. We will check it with you before booking.
A closer look at the menu
Halloumi and vegetable skewers (V)
Vegetarians get halloumi and vegetable skewers, a hot, filling option of their own.
Crackling
For many people, the crackling is the best bit: crisp, golden and full of flavour.
- Cooked where you are, slowly, over several hours outdoors
- Carved to order by our chef, with stuffing, apple sauce and crackling
- Options beyond pork, including lamb, chicken and vegetarian dishes
- Served when you’re ready, and we tidy the serving area afterwards