East Sussex · England
Film Set Catering for Shortgate
Film set catering in Shortgate: pork roasted slowly for hours at your venue, carved to order and served in soft rolls with crackling.
- Location shoots
- Long days on set
- End-of-shoot wraps
Film set catering in Shortgate
How the day works
Service is quick once we start carving: the chef carves and the team serves, with the sides served alongside. Afterwards we clear the serving area and pack away. In December, daylight in Shortgate ends around 3:55pm, so the unit base needs lighting for late service. In summer, light lasts until about 9:15pm.
- Send us the location, dates and lunch time.
- We check access to base and quote.
- We set up at base and roast through the morning.
- We serve when lunch is called.
- We clear our spot.
How to prepare
- Collect dietary needs and allergies in advance
- Pick a flat, open area outside for cooking
- Give us final numbers a week or so before
How to get a price
We need a few details to quote: your date, your venue or postcode, how many people and any menu choices. Fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Film set catering in Shortgate, carved to order
Wrap parties suit a hog roast too. Typical bookings include countryside locations and period drama shoots, with hog roast rolls, spit-roast lamb and new potatoes.
Rural locations near Shortgate can be a long way from food, so lunch at base matters. Everything is cooked on the day, at your venue, low and slow, for hours, then carved fresh for your crew.
- Where
- Shortgate (BN8)
- Region
- East Sussex
- From the roaster
- Pork, crackling, stuffing and apple sauce in rolls
- Extras
- Lamb, chicken, halloumi skewers (V), vegan option (Ve)
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
Why choose film set catering in Shortgate?
It is hot, filling food after a long morning.
Our roaster has been booked for all sorts of events around Shortgate, including:
- Period drama shoots
- Ad shoots
- Rural locations
- Lunch at base
Within reach of Shortgate are historic houses such as Glyndebourne (3.5 miles south-west) and Glynde Place (4 miles south-west). If you are shooting at a historic house, the roaster will need a base agreed with the property.
What your quote should include
- Arrival time and how long the roast needs
- Where the roaster goes and what it needs
- Who carves and who serves
- Travel and any London charges
FAQs for Shortgate
Is Shortgate close to London?
About 41 miles from central London.
Can you do a hog roast at a venue in the South Downs National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about cooking and vehicles, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Do you do DIY hog roast hire?
Yes, for confident cooks. Ask and we will talk you through it.
What space does the roaster need?
A level, open area outdoors with room for the roaster, a gazebo and a carving table, away from buildings, marquee walls and overhanging trees. We will confirm the space with your quote.
When do you start roasting?
Hours rather than minutes. You’ll know our arrival time in advance.
Is mains power needed?
Cooking is gas-fired, so no mains power is needed for the roast. Power can help with lighting after dark.
Can you work to the call sheet?
That’s exactly how we work.
What about locations off the beaten track?
Send the location and access notes and we will plan the journey.
Working with your venue
Booking for a club or group? A single point of contact keeps things simple, especially on the day.
For venues and planners, we are happy to work alongside your team.
Looking after everyone
Tell us about dietary needs early and we’ll help. Tips:
- Plan separately for halal if needed
- Ask the production office for dietary needs
- Label the alternatives clearly
- Count crew needing an alternative
A cooked roast can wait; just let us know.
Add salads and potatoes for a full lunch.
Places near Shortgate
Other occasions in Shortgate
Space, access and the venue
The cooking area is the main thing to plan. A quick checklist:
- Somewhere for crew to eat if it rains
- A level spot at base for the roaster
- Approval from locations
Not sure about the cooking spot? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
From the roaster
- New potatoes
- Halloumi skewers (V)
- Rotisserie chicken
- Spit-roast lamb
- Hog roast rolls
- Salads
- Stuffing and apple sauce
- Vegan option (Ve)
What comes off the roaster
Halloumi and vegetable skewers (V)
Halloumi and vegetable skewers are the vegetarian choice: squeaky, salty cheese with colourful veg, in a roll or on a plate.
Rotisserie chicken
Rotisserie chicken is a simple, popular alternative to pork, turned until the skin is golden.
Location catering around Shortgate
Shortgate is about 4 miles south of Uckfield, in East Sussex. Planning a hog roast for the crew in Shortgate? We cover the whole area. We cater 289 places in East Sussex. We cater events right across the region, from Shortgate to Brighton (12 miles away).
For crew arriving by train, the closest railway station is Uckfield station, roughly 3.9 miles north of the centre. Shortgate is roughly 41 miles from central London, within easy reach for London-based crews. The South Downs National Park is within about 6 miles of Shortgate, so check cooking and vehicle rules with locations.
For shoots in BN8, we just need to know where the roaster can cook and roughly how many crew. Neighbouring places where we cater shoots include Halland (1 mile north-east), East Hoathly (2 miles east), Whitesmith (2 miles east), Chiddingly (3 miles east) and Framfield (4 miles north). Further out, we also cater in Eastbourne (12 miles south-east), Seaford (10 miles south), Lewes (6 miles south-west), Hailsham (7 miles south-east), Crowborough (10 miles north) and Newhaven (9 miles south).
Other landmarks nearby include Uckfield Community Hospital (3.6 miles north) and Tickerage Castle (4.1 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Cliffe Hill and Malling Down.
What affects the price in Shortgate
Here’s what affects the price:
- Access to the cooking area
- The number of people
- The date and time of year
- How long the roast and service take
Most of the cost is the meat, the staff and the time on site. Slow roasting means we’re on site for much of the day, which is built into the price.
Getting an accurate quote
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- Anything the venue has asked for
- Allergies we should know about
- What the outdoor space is like
- Rough numbers
Every shoot is quoted on its own, because numbers, menu, serving time and travel vary. Tell us about your shoot for a quote: send us your details through our quote form.
A hog roast or other catering?
A hog roast can be a special day alongside regular catering. Numbers make the biggest difference: bigger groups generally cost less per head, because the roaster, staff and travel cost much the same either way.
What you get with us
- Fresh carving at the serving station
- Lamb, chicken and vegetarian options alongside
- Our staff serve and clear
- Cooked on the day, low and slow
Take a look at our pricing and what a hog roast costs.
- Roasted slowly at your venue, outdoors and under cover
- Carved by our chef into rolls with stuffing, apple sauce and crackling
- Not just pork: spit-roast lamb, chicken and vegetarian choices
- Staff to serve at the agreed time, then clear away