Oxfordshire · England
Funeral Wake Catering in Headington Hill
Funeral wake catering in Headington Hill: pork roasted slowly for hours at your venue, carved to order and served in soft rolls with crackling.
- Celebrations of life
- Home wakes
- Church and village hall wakes
Funeral wake catering in Headington Hill
Funeral wake catering in Headington Hill, carved to order
A wake might be at home, a village or church hall, a club or a pub. Wherever it is, the roaster cooks outdoors under cover, and we serve indoors where the venue allows. For hall gatherings after a service and ashes ceremonies, we’ll put together a menu of rotisserie chicken, roast pork in rolls or on plates and apple sauce.
In Headington Hill, the hall is often where people gather. Tell us about dietary needs and allergies when you enquire, and we will tell you exactly what’s in each dish.
- Area
- Headington Hill (OX3, OX4)
- Area hub
- Oxfordshire
- Menu
- Hog roast rolls, stuffing, apple sauce, crackling
- Also available
- Chicken, lamb, halloumi skewers and a vegan option
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
After a funeral in Headington Hill
Headington Hill is about 1 mile north-east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. We cover Headington Hill and its neighbours for wakes. We cater 443 places across Oxfordshire.
For family travelling by train, the nearest station is Oxford station, about 1.9 miles west.
Wakes anywhere in OX3 and OX4 start with an outdoor spot for the roaster and a serving time. Local streets include Gipsy Lane, Grays Road and Beech Road; a wake on any of them works well with outdoor space and a way in. We also bring hog roasts to wakes in Oxford (1 mile south-west), New Marston (1 mile north-west), St Clement's (1 mile south-west), Headington (1 mile north-east) and Northway (1 mile north). We also serve nearby towns such as Didcot (10 miles south), Bicester (11 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (6 miles south-west), Witney (12 miles west), Thame (11 miles east) and Wantage (14 miles south-west).
Well-known places in the area include Clarendon Shopping Centre (1.5 miles west) and Oxford Castle (1.6 miles west). Within reach you will find CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Shotover.
- Nearby schools include Headington Rye Oxford (less than half a mile north-east) and St Michael's CofE Primary School (0.5 miles west)
- Local pubs include White Horse pub (less than half a mile north-east)
- Other local spots include English Faculty Library (0.9 miles west)
Also near Headington Hill
Also in Headington Hill
How it works
The secret is time: hours of gentle heat make the pork soft and juicy while the skin turns into crackling. Then it rests briefly before our chef carves. Late-December sunset in Headington Hill is about 3:55pm, so an afternoon wake in winter needs lighting by the food. In summer, there is daylight until about 9:25pm.
- Contact us as soon as you have a date.
- We confirm the space.
- We cook on site.
- Our staff serve without fuss.
- We tidy up and go.
How to prepare
- Measure the narrowest gate or passage
- Send final numbers in good time
- Collect dietary needs and allergies in advance
Get a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many people, plus when you’d like to eat. We will check the date and send a quote. Send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Where the roaster can go in Headington Hill
It is worth planning the cooking area in advance. We look for:
- The venue’s agreement to a gas-fired roaster
- Vehicle access near the cooking area
- Space inside for guests
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and the way in, and we will say what we think before booking.
On the menu in Headington Hill
- Hog roast rolls
- New potatoes
- Halloumi skewers (V)
- Coleslaw
- Rotisserie chicken
- Salads
- Vegan option (Ve)
- Stuffing and apple sauce
Allergies and dietary needs
With a bit of planning, dietary needs are easier to handle. A few tips:
- Older guests may prefer food on plates
- Find out who would prefer chicken or a vegetarian option
- Plan separately if anyone needs halal food
- Check with family about dietary needs
One contact for the day helps, so the family can focus on guests.
Rotisserie chicken is a good alternative for those who do not eat pork.
Planning the wake in Headington Hill
Alternatives are available.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in Headington Hill and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Scattering-of-ashes gatherings
- Church and village hall wakes
- Celebrations of life
- Family get-togethers after a service
If the funeral is at a church such as All Saints' Church or Holy Trinity Church, a hall or home nearby keeps the journey to the wake short.
What to look for in a quote
- A clear list of what’s included
- How dietary needs are handled
- Where the roaster goes and what it needs
- When payments are due and what happens if plans change
What comes off the roaster
Vegan burger or sausage (Ve)
Vegan guests can have a vegan burger or sausage, so everyone has something hot.
Rolls and gluten-free rolls
Soft rolls hold the pork, stuffing and apple sauce together, easy to eat standing up. Ask for gluten-free rolls if you need them.
Questions from Headington Hill
We’re gathering after a service at All Saints' Church: can you cater?
Yes, at a nearby hall, home or venue with room to cook outside. Food is typically served at the reception venue rather than the church. Send us the address.
How far is Headington Hill from London?
About 52 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Can you work around our timings?
We will be as flexible as we can. Keep us posted on the day and we’ll fit around changes.
Can you do something else?
Yes, add chicken or a vegetarian option for those who need them.
What happens after service?
Our staff clear the serving area, and we take our equipment with us.
Is it a sit-down meal?
Both are possible: plates with sides or simple rolls.
What happens in bad weather?
We cook under a gazebo, so rain is not a problem for the roast. A marquee, hall or barn for eating makes all the difference.
What do we need to organise?
Very little: an outdoor cooking spot and someone to meet us.
For event organisers in Headington Hill
Many venues set rules for outside caterers, including where gas cooking is allowed. Ask early, and pass on anything they need from us.
Some venues add a fee for outside caterers, so it’s worth asking first. We’ll liaise with them on access and set-up.
What affects the price in Headington Hill
The biggest factors are:
- Whether you want china
- Which meats and sides you choose
- Travel to Headington Hill
- Time on site
Compare like for like: the menu, sides, service time, staffing, crockery and travel. The cheapest quote is not always the best value.
What we need to know
When you get in touch, it helps to include:
- Any dietary needs or allergies
- The date and time of the event
- Roughly how many people
- The venue or postcode
We need a few details to quote: your date, your venue or postcode, how many people and any menu choices. Use our quote form.
A hog roast compared with other options
Compared with a cold buffet, roast pork on a plate with potatoes is more filling. For larger numbers, a hog roast is usually good value, since one roast goes a long way. Extras, china and longer service add to it.
What you get with us
- All the equipment comes with us
- Served at the time you choose
- Choices for people who do not eat pork
- Roasted on site, slowly, for hours
Take a look at our prices page or what a hog roast costs.
- Slow-roasted on site for hours, outdoors at your event
- Carved to order by our chef, with stuffing, apple sauce and crackling
- Lamb, chicken and vegetarian options alongside the pork
- Served when you’re ready, and we tidy the serving area afterwards