Reading · England
Hog Roast Wedding Catering in Play Hatch, Reading
From the first smell of roasting pork to the last piece of crackling, a hog roast for your wedding makes the food part of your wedding in Play Hatch.
- Vow renewals and blessings
- Second-day get-togethers
- Intimate weddings
Wedding hog roast for Play Hatch
How our wedding hog roast works in Play Hatch
Wedding timings shift, and a slow roast copes well: it can be held for a while once cooked, so the food copes with a delayed running order. Whether it is vow renewals and blessings and the day after the wedding, we will put together a menu of salads, halloumi skewers and rotisserie chicken for your guests.
There is something special about a country wedding near Play Hatch, and slow-roasted pork carved for guests adds to it. Plan a firm route in, especially if it rains. Everything is cooked on the day, at your venue, low and slow, for hours.
For event organisers in Play Hatch
Marquee suppliers generally set distances for cooking equipment, so let them know about the roaster. We’ll keep the roaster well clear of the marquee.
Event organisers frequently ask caterers for paperwork such as a risk assessment. Let us know what your event requires and we will confirm what we can provide.
Allergies and dietary needs
Standard rolls and stuffing contain gluten, and gluten-free rolls are available on request. Other tips:
- Give your coordinator the final menu
- Put a dietary question on the invitation
- Remember that stuffing typically contains gluten
- Note which guests do not eat pork, so we can add lamb, chicken or vegetarian options
We will liaise with your venue coordinator, so we can sort the cooking spot and timings with them.
Ask for gluten-free rolls for any coeliac guests.
Play Hatch: your questions answered
Could you cook in Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council, and many parks do not allow cooking. Check with them first.
What’s the nearest station to Play Hatch?
The closest is Reading station, roughly 2.2 miles away.
Will guests be full?
With sides, it’s a full wedding breakfast; in the evening, rolls on their own work well.
Can you roast in the rain?
The roaster is under cover, so a shower doesn’t stop us. Your guests will want somewhere dry to eat.
Can we hire the machine and cook it ourselves?
We do, if you are happy to roast and carve yourself. Ask and we’ll talk you through it.
What’s the price?
Numbers, menu and travel decide the price. Send us the details and we will quote.
How do we prepare?
The agreed cooking area, access for our equipment and someone to meet us. We will bring the rest.
Does the roaster have to be outside?
It cooks outside, under a gazebo, on a level spot. The food can be carried in and served indoors where the venue allows.
A hog roast or other catering?
If your venue has an in-house caterer, ask whether outside caterers are allowed for evening food. There may be a fee. The price depends on numbers, the menu and how long we serve, along with distance and how easy the site is. Every booking is different, so we quote each one individually.
Why us?
- Carved to order by a chef
- Cooked on the day, low and slow
- We bring everything to cook and serve
- Our staff serve and clear
Take a look at how we price or our hog roast cost guide.
What happens on the day
Expect a calm, organised set-up. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, use the cooking spot you’ve chosen, and get on with roasting and serving. For a summer wedding in Play Hatch, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, which means an evening hog roast is normally served in daylight in high summer. For autumn and winter weddings, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm in December, plan lighting at the carving station.
- Tell us your date, venue and numbers.
- We check the venue’s rules and the date, then quote.
- We fit timings around your running order.
- The hog roasts through the afternoon; our chef carves on cue.
- We serve, tidy up and slip away.
Getting ready for the day
- Think about shelter for your guests
- Tell us about narrow gates or side passages
- Choose someone to meet us on arrival
Ask for a quote
A quote from us sets out the menu, timings, staffing and what’s included, so you can compare caterers fairly. Send us your details through our quote form.
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How we price a hog roast for your wedding
A few things make the biggest difference to the price:
- Time on site
- Season and day of the week
- The number of people
- Access to the cooking area
Distance is part of the price: travel is included in your quote, with any London charges listed. Tell us the exact address for an accurate figure.
Details that help
To get the best quote, tell us:
- The date and when you’d like to eat
- Any extras, such as lamb, chicken or china
- The address or postcode
- Where the roaster could go, ideally with a picture
If you’re comparing hog roast caterers for Play Hatch, check what each quote actually includes. We spell it out in ours. For a quote, use our quote form.
The menu, dish by dish
Crackling
Good crackling needs time and heat, and a whole hog roasted slowly gets it just right.
Stuffing and apple sauce
Apple sauce brings sweetness and sharpness are the traditional pairing. Note that stuffing typically contains gluten.
Full catering or machine hire?
A barbecue is the other obvious choice, but someone ends up cooking in batches all afternoon. A hog roast cooks in one go and is carved for everyone.
A DIY hog roast suits a relaxed party where someone enjoys cooking. For bigger or more formal events, catering takes the pressure off.
Why choose wedding hog roast in Play Hatch?
One booking can cover the wedding breakfast and the evening food, so it’s good value.
We are regularly asked to cater a wide mix of occasions near Play Hatch, such as:
- Farm weddings
- Marquee weddings
- Small, informal weddings
- Vow renewals and blessings
After a ceremony at a church like St Andrew's Church, many couples move to a marquee or hall nearby, where the hog roast is waiting.
Before booking anyone
- How many staff will carve and serve
- What the price includes, item by item
- The menu, including sides and any extras
- Whether VAT is included
Getting married in Play Hatch?
Play Hatch is about 1 mile east of Caversham, in Reading. We cover Play Hatch and its neighbours for weddings. Play Hatch is one of 34 places in Reading where we cater.
Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve can make a pretty photo stop, but check its rules for wedding groups first. For outdoor photos, Sonning Hill is close by.
We cater weddings across RG4. We can cater a wedding on streets such as Dene Close, Henley Road and Foxhill Lane or the roads around them, wherever there is an outdoor spot for the roaster. Neighbouring places where we cater weddings include Dunsden Green (1 mile north), Caversham Park Village (1 mile west), Littlestead Green (1 mile north-west), Emmer Green (1 mile west) and Sonning (1 mile south-east). We also serve nearby towns such as Norcot (4 miles west), West Reading (3 miles south-west), Tilehurst Within (5 miles west), Shinfield (5 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south) and Horncastle (5 miles south-west).
Nearby you will also find The Oracle (2.4 miles south-west) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (2.3 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Alder Moors and South Lake.
- Nearby schools include Reading Blue Coat School (1 mile south-east) and Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre (1.8 miles west)
- Nearby, you will find The Shoulder of Mutton pub (under half a mile south-west)
Towns and villages near Play Hatch
Other occasions in Play Hatch
- Roasted on site for several hours, outdoors under cover
- 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
- Staff to serve at the agreed time, then clear away