Reading · England
Funeral Wake Catering for Sonning
Planning a hog roast for the wake in Sonning? The roaster comes to your venue, home or workplace and cooks under cover and our staff serve at the time you choose.
- Ashes ceremonies
- Celebration-of-life gatherings
- One-year memorials
Funeral wake catering in Sonning
Funeral wake catering near Sonning
We cater wakes in Sonning and the surrounding area, at homes, halls and venues. Typical bookings include scattering-of-ashes gatherings and gatherings after a cremation, with apple sauce, halloumi skewers and salads.
In a small place like Sonning, a wake might be at home, in a barn or at the village hall. Let us know about access. Everything is cooked on the day, at your venue, slowly, over several hours, then carved fresh for your guests.
Sonning: your questions answered
Can you do a hog roast in Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council, and many parks don’t allow cooking. Check with them first.
Do you come out to small places like Sonning?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and the cooking spot.
What do we need to organise?
Only the place, numbers and a contact. We’ll handle the rest.
Can you cater in Sonning?
Yes, Sonning is in our area. Tell us the venue or postcode and we will confirm availability.
Do you serve the food?
Our chef carves and our staff serve, then clear the serving area afterwards.
What if it rains?
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.
Can the hog roast be cooked indoors?
It cooks outside, under a gazebo, on a level spot. The food can be carried in and served indoors where the venue allows.
Do you clear up?
We clear the serving area and pack away, and leave the area tidy.
Why choose funeral wake catering in Sonning?
We serve calmly and clear away discreetly.
In Sonning and nearby, we cater for all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Memorial gatherings
- Family get-togethers after a service
- Wakes at a local club
- Remembrance days
Sonning is on or near the B478 and B4446, handy for relatives driving in.
What to look for in a quote
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- The deposit, balance and cancellation terms
- Whether VAT is included
- Staffing on the day
Also near Sonning
More for events in Sonning
For planners, venues and organisers
Event organisers often ask caterers for paperwork such as a risk assessment. Tell us what you need and we’ll confirm what we can provide.
Planning on behalf of a committee? One clear contact makes everything easier, especially on the day.
Space, access and the venue
The roaster needs the right spot, because it cooks outside for several hours, so a few things are worth checking:
- Parking close by for our vehicle
- Flat ground outside the hall or house
- A hall or room for eating
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
Popular choices
- New potatoes
- Rotisserie chicken
- Coleslaw
- Hog roast rolls
- Halloumi skewers (V)
- Vegan option (Ve)
- Salads
- Stuffing and apple sauce
Diets, allergies and alternatives
A hog roast is pork, so plan for anyone who does not eat it. Here’s how to cover everyone:
- Ask us to label the vegetarian food
- Count anyone who doesn’t eat pork
- Tell us about vegetarians and vegans
- Stuffing usually contains gluten, so check the allergen list
One contact for the day helps, so the family can focus on guests.
If there was a favourite dish from our menu, tell us.
How we price a hog roast for the wake
There is no fixed price list, because every wake is different. What matters most:
- The number of people
- Travel to Sonning
- Whether you want china
- Site access
A hog roast is frequently good value for a crowd, since one roast goes a long way. Extras, china and longer service add to it.
Details that help
When you enquire, it helps to include:
- The date and time of the event
- Which meats and sides you’d like
- Anything the venue has asked for
- Roughly how many people
Every wake is quoted on its own, because numbers, menu, serving time and travel vary. Ask us for a quote for your wake: use our quote form.
The process
People love watching the carving: the hog is carved in front of your guests, and the crackling is shared out so everyone gets some. Summer evenings in Sonning stay light until about 9:25pm, so a garden gathering works well.
- It starts with the date, venue and when people are expected.
- We check the date and the cooking spot, then send a simple quote.
- The roast cooks while the service is under way.
- We serve when everyone arrives, calmly and without fuss.
- We tidy up and leave without fuss.
Getting ready for the day
- Plan somewhere sheltered for people to eat if it rains
- Make sure we can wheel the roaster to the spot
- Measure the narrowest gate or passage
How to get a price
Not sure how many to cater for? A rough figure is fine for a first quote, and you can confirm nearer the time. Use our quote form.
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About the food
Salads, potatoes and coleslaw
Sides include salads, coleslaw, new potatoes and roast or jacket potatoes, to suit your event.
Roast pork
The hog roasts slowly for hours, so the meat is tender and juicy, and our chef carves it to order.
A hog roast or other catering?
Next to sandwiches, a hog roast is a warm meal, especially in colder months. Cost depends on numbers, menu choices and service time, along with distance and how easy the site is. There’s no one-size price, which is why each one gets its own quote.
What you get with us
- Rolls with stuffing, apple sauce and crackling
- Our staff serve and clear
- Carved by our chef in front of your guests
- Served at the time you choose
Take a look at our pricing and our hog roast cost guide.
Wakes in Sonning: venues and practical details
Sonning is about 1 mile north-west of Woodley, in Reading. Our roaster is a regular sight at wakes around Sonning, from gardens to fields. Sonning is one of 34 places in Reading where we cater.
Families holding a service at St Andrew's Church frequently gather afterwards at a nearby hall, where the roast can be ready. For anyone coming to the funeral by train, the closest railway station is Twyford station, roughly 1.9 miles east of the centre.
Here we cover the RG4 postcode area. Local streets include High Street, Parkway Drive and Pound Lane; a wake on any of them works well with outdoor space and a way in. With the B478 and B4446 close by, Sonning is simple for us to get to for your wake. For wakes just outside Sonning, we cover Play Hatch (1 mile north-west), Dunsden Green (2 miles north-west), Newtown (2 miles south-west), Caversham Park Village (2 miles north-west) and Littlestead Green (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cater in Caversham (3 miles west), Norcot (5 miles west), West Reading (4 miles west), Tilehurst Within (5 miles west), Shinfield (5 miles south-west) and Arborfield Garrison (6 miles south).
Well-known places in the area include Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (2.5 miles south-west) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (2.6 miles south-west). Open spaces near Sonning include Sonning Hill and South Lake.
- Schools near Sonning include Reading Blue Coat School (less than half a mile west) and Waingels College (0.8 miles east)
- Local pubs include Bull Inn (less than half a mile north-west)
- Slow-roasted on site for hours, outdoors at your event
- Our chef carves the pork, with stuffing, apple sauce and crackling on the side
- Vegetarian and vegan choices, plus lamb or chicken if you like
- Served by our staff at the time you choose, then cleared away