West Sussex · England
Hog Roast for a Wake in Handcross, West Sussex
Planning a hog roast for the wake in Handcross? The roaster comes to your venue, home or workplace and cooks under cover and carve when you’re ready to eat.
- Wakes at home
- One-year memorials
- Celebrations of life
Planning an event in Handcross?
What a hog roast costs
The price comes down to:
- Menu choices and extras
- Whether you want china
- Access to the cooking area
- Time on site
What you pay covers the meat, the chef and staff, and hours of roasting. Slow roasting means we’re on site for much of the day, which is built into the price.
What we need to know
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- Any extras, such as lamb, chicken or china
- Any dietary needs or allergies
- Any venue rules
- The address or postcode
We price every booking individually, based on numbers, menu, timings and distance. Ask us for a quote for your wake: use our quote form.
About our funeral wake catering in Handcross
We cater wakes in Handcross and the surrounding area, wherever the family gathers. Whether it’s scattering-of-ashes gatherings and home wakes, we’ll put together a menu of new potatoes, halloumi skewers and apple sauce for your guests.
In rural Handcross, home or the hall is usual. The carving happens right in front of your guests, so every roll gets hot pork and a piece of crackling, and nothing sits in a hot cabinet.
- Area
- Handcross (RH17)
- Area hub
- West Sussex
- From the roaster
- Pork, crackling, stuffing and apple sauce in rolls
- Extras
- Spit-roast lamb, rotisserie chicken, vegetarian and vegan options
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
The menu, dish by dish
Vegan burger or sausage (Ve)
A plant-based burger or sausage covers vegans, in a roll, with salad on the side.
Roast pork
Hours of slow roasting make the pork soft and full of flavour, and our chef carves it to order.
Handcross: your questions answered
Which station is closest to Handcross?
Balcombe station, about 2.8 miles east of the centre.
We’re gathering after a service at All Saints: can you cater?
Yes, at a nearby hall, home or venue with room to cook outside. Food is usually served at the reception venue rather than the church. Tell us where you will gather.
What if people arrive late?
We wait: a cooked roast can be held for a while.
Where does the hog roast go?
Roughly the footprint of a gazebo or two, on level ground, well clear of walls, tents and branches. We’ll confirm the space with your quote.
When do you start roasting?
Several hours, depending on the size and the weather, which is why we arrive hours ahead. We work back from your serving time.
Do you serve rolls or plates?
Both are possible: rolls for a simple meal, plates with salads and potatoes for a fuller one.
What if it rains?
Rain doesn’t stop the cooking. A marquee, hall or barn for eating makes all the difference.
Where can you serve a wake?
Wherever the family gathers, with an outdoor spot for cooking.
Planning for dietary needs
We give full allergen information for every dish. To help:
- Tell us about vegetarians and vegans
- Ask for gluten-free rolls if needed
- Keep the alternatives labelled
- Find out who would prefer chicken or a vegetarian option
We arrive in good time and roast quietly, out of the way of arriving guests.
Let us know if there’s something the person especially liked.
Places near Handcross
Other occasions in Handcross
Wakes in Handcross: venues and practical details
Handcross is about 4 miles south of Crawley, in West Sussex. We bring a hog roast for the wake to wakes anywhere in Handcross, as long as there’s an outdoor spot to cook. Handcross is one of 371 towns and villages in West Sussex where we cater. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 16 miles away.
If the funeral is at a church such as All Saints, a hall or home nearby keeps the journey to the wake short.
Here we cover the RH17 postcode area, and we can cater your wake anywhere in it. We can cater a wake on streets such as High Street, London Road and Windmill Platt, wherever there’s an outdoor spot for the roaster. If your venue is just outside Handcross, we also cover Slaugham (1 mile south), Plummers Plain (2 miles south-west), Colgate (3 miles north-west), Broadfield (3 miles north) and Lower Beeding (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Crawley (4 miles north), Horsham (5 miles west), Haywards Heath (6 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (7 miles south-east), East Grinstead (10 miles north-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (15 miles south).
Other landmarks nearby include Crawley Hospital (4.3 miles north). Within reach you’ll find Tilgate Lake and Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow.
- Local schools include Handcross Park School (0.5 miles north)
- Nearby, you will find The Royal Oak Public House (within half a mile south-west)
For planners, venues and organisers
Event organisers frequently ask caterers for paperwork such as a risk assessment. Let us know what your event requires and we will tell you what we can send.
Some venues add a fee for outside caterers, so check before booking. We’ll liaise with them on access and set-up.
The process
Rain doesn’t stop the roast, because we cook under cover. It’s worth planning a sheltered place for people to eat, too. Autumn and winter afternoons in Handcross get dark early: about 7:05pm in late September and 3:55pm in December, so we plan lighting for later gatherings.
- Contact us as soon as you have a date.
- We check the cooking spot with the venue.
- We set up and roast on the day.
- We serve quietly.
- We tidy up and go.
How to prepare
- Ensure we can wheel the roaster to the spot
- Measure the narrowest gate or passage
- Have a level outdoor spot ready
Get a quote
The quickest way to get a price is to tell us the date, where the wake is and roughly how many. A photo of the cooking area helps. Fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Planning the cooking spot
The right spot for the roaster makes everything easier. Ideally:
- A short route for the equipment
- Flat ground outside the hall or house
- Approval from the landlord or committee
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before booking.
What we serve
- Rotisserie chicken
- Halloumi skewers (V)
- Coleslaw
- New potatoes
- Salads
- Vegan option (Ve)
- Hog roast rolls
- Stuffing and apple sauce
Why a carved hog roast beats a buffet
If the venue has its own caterer, ask whether outside caterers are allowed. Travel matters for the price: we include travel in the quote, with any London charges listed. Give us the address for an accurate figure.
What you get with us
- A choice of salads and potatoes
- Self-contained: roaster, cover and serving kit
- An itemised quote
- Cooked on the day, low and slow
See our prices page or the cost guide.
Occasions we serve in Handcross
Nobody in the family has to cook or serve.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in Handcross and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Family get-togethers after a service
- Remembrance gatherings
- Ashes ceremonies
- Celebrations of life
If relatives are coming by rail, the closest railway station is Balcombe station, roughly 2.8 miles east of the centre.
Comparing caterers
- How long the roast takes and when they’ll arrive
- VAT, if it applies
- How they handle allergens and dietary needs
- What the cooking area needs: space, cover and access
- Roasted slowly at your venue, outdoors and under cover
- Carved to order by our chef, with stuffing, apple sauce and crackling
- Not just pork: spit-roast lamb, chicken and vegetarian choices
- Our team serves at your chosen time and clears up afterwards