Wokingham · England
Funeral Wake Catering in Reading
From the first smell of roasting pork to the last piece of crackling, a hog roast for the wake turns the food into a centrepiece of your wake in Reading.
- Gatherings at clubs and pubs
- Remembrance gatherings
- Life celebrations
Slow-roasted pork in Reading
Why a carved hog roast beats a buffet
Compared with a venue’s set menu, a hog roast at a hall is frequently simpler. Compare like for like: the menu, sides, service time, staffing, crockery and travel. The cheapest quote is not always the best value.
What you get with us
- Planned to your running order
- Self-contained: roaster, cover and serving kit
- Serving and clearing done for you
- Fresh carving at the serving station
Funeral wake catering in Reading, slow-roasted on site
Services can run over, and that’s fine: we will hold the food until people arrive. Give us a contact for the day. Typical bookings include home wakes and family meals after a funeral, with rotisserie chicken, roast pork in rolls or on plates and salads.
For a wake in Reading, a hall or club with grounds makes things easy. You’ll know what’s included before booking: the date, the serving time, the menu and the plates.
Also near Reading
What else we do in Reading
Space, access and the venue
The cooking area is the main thing to plan. A quick checklist:
- Clearance from walls and branches
- A hall or room for eating
- A level spot outdoors for the roaster
Not sure about the cooking spot? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
On the menu in Reading
- Salads
- New potatoes
- Stuffing and apple sauce
- Hog roast rolls
- Vegan option (Ve)
- Coleslaw
- Rotisserie chicken
- Halloumi skewers (V)
What we serve, dish by dish
Rotisserie chicken
Golden rotisserie chicken goes into rolls or onto plates alongside the pork.
Roast pork
Our chef carves the pork as it is needed, which keeps it hot and moist right to the last roll.
Diets, allergies and alternatives
Standard rolls and stuffing contain gluten, and gluten-free rolls are available on request. A few more tips:
- Count anyone who doesn’t eat pork
- Ask for gluten-free rolls if needed
- Halal isn’t offered, so arrange it separately
- Remember stuffing normally contains gluten, so check the allergen list
One contact for the day helps, so the family can focus on guests.
Gluten-free rolls are available on request.
Step by step
Serving is straightforward: the chef carves and the team serves, with the sides served alongside. Afterwards we clear the serving area and pack away. Summer evenings in Reading stay light until about 9:25pm, so people can spill into the garden.
- Share the date, place and numbers.
- We confirm availability and send a simple quote.
- We roast quietly during the service.
- Food is ready as guests gather.
- We clear away discreetly.
Preparing for the day
- Send final numbers in good time
- Plan somewhere sheltered for people to eat if it rains
- Let us know about tight access
Ask for a quote
Numbers not final yet? A rough figure is fine for a first quote, and you can confirm nearer the time. Fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Wake catering near Reading
Reading is about 38 miles west of London, in Wokingham. A hog roast suits wakes around Reading, whatever the venue. Reading is one of 35 towns and villages in Wokingham where we cater.
For anyone coming to the funeral by train, the closest railway station is Reading West station, roughly 0.7 miles north-west of the centre. Reading is on or near the A4 and A33, handy for relatives driving in.
Wherever your wake is in RG6, RG31, RG1 and RG30, we can roast on site for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Your wake could be at a house on Downshire Square, Market Way and Market Place or the roads around them, wherever there’s an outdoor spot for the roaster. With the A4 and A33 close by, Reading is easy for us to reach with the roaster. For wakes just outside Reading, we cover Coley Park (1 mile south-west), West Reading (1 mile north-west), Newtown (1 mile east), Lower Caversham (1 mile north-east) and Whitley (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Wokingham (6 miles south-east), Woodley (3 miles east), Crowthorne (9 miles south-east), Lower Earley (3 miles south-east), Winnersh (4 miles east) and Woosehill (6 miles south-east). Reading is among the bigger towns we cover in Wokingham, with plenty of venues for wakes.
Well-known places in the area include The Oracle (within half a mile north-east) and Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (0.8 miles east). The countryside around Reading includes Sonning Hill and Longwater.
- Local schools include Eurospeak Language School (0.5 miles north) and Kendrick School (0.6 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find Former Kennet Arms (within half a mile east)
- Local facilities include University of Reading library (1.5 miles south-east)
Planning the wake in Reading
We serve calmly and clear away discreetly.
We’re booked for all kinds of occasions in Reading and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Gatherings at clubs and pubs
- Home wakes
- Memorial events
- Remembrance days
For a service at a church like All Nations Christian Centre, choosing a wake venue nearby helps older guests.
Before booking anyone
- Plates, china and cutlery
- Where the roaster goes and what it needs
- How they handle allergens and dietary needs
- Staffing on the day
For event organisers in Reading
Event organisers often ask caterers for paperwork such as a risk assessment. Tell us what you need and we will tell you what we can send.
If you are a venue or event planner, we can fit around your other suppliers.
Reading: your questions answered
What’s the nearest station to Reading?
The closest is Reading West station, roughly 0.7 miles away.
Could you cook in Eldon Square?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, normally the council, and many parks do not allow cooking. Check with them first, and tell us what they say.
Can you serve on plates?
Both are possible: plates with sides or simple rolls.
Where can you serve a wake?
Wherever the family gathers, with an outdoor spot for cooking.
Can you cater a wake at short notice?
We do our best at short notice. Send the date and venue for a quick answer.
Do you cover Reading?
Yes, Reading is in our area. Send us the address and we will confirm availability.
Can you wait?
Give us a contact for the day and we’ll adjust.
Can you cater for vegetarians?
Add lamb, chicken, halloumi and vegetable skewers or a vegan option. We don’t offer halal meat.
Prices and what affects them
We do not use a fixed price list, because every wake is different. The main factors are:
- How easy it is to reach the spot
- Numbers
- The journey to the venue
- Plates or china
Adding lamb, chicken, extra sides or china changes the price, so each one is itemised. A simple menu keeps the cost down.
Getting an accurate quote
To check the date and the space, tell us:
- Rough numbers
- The date and when you’d like to eat
- Allergies we should know about
- Rules from the venue or landowner
It’s easy to get a price: date, place, numbers and serving time. We will reply with a clear price and what’s included. Use our quote form.
- 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
- Served when you’re ready, and we tidy the serving area afterwards