Kent · England
Wedding Hog Roast in Ratling
From the hours of slow roasting to the last roll, a hog roast for your wedding makes the food part of your wedding in Ratling.
- Wedding breakfasts with sides
- The day after the wedding
- Late-night wedding food
Planning an event in Ratling?
About our wedding hog roast in Ratling
A wedding hog roast can be the wedding breakfast, the evening food or both. The hog roasts slowly at your venue through the afternoon, and our chef carves on cue. For evening food after the first dance and farm weddings, we can cook rotisserie chicken, carved roast pork and spit-roast lamb.
Rural weddings around Ratling have a magic of their own, and slow-roasted pork carved for guests adds to it. Plan a firm route in, especially if it rains. The carving happens right in front of your guests, so the pork is hot and the crackling is crisp, and nothing sits in a hot cabinet.
About the food
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.
Stuffing and apple sauce
A spoonful of apple sauce and a slice of stuffing make the roll.
Ratling weddings: local tips
Ratling is about 6 miles south-east of Canterbury, in Kent. Ratling is well within our area for weddings. We cover all 922 towns and villages across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 6 miles away.
It’s worth telling train travellers that the closest railway station is Adisham station, roughly 0.5 miles north-west of the centre. Marrying at St Peter? A reception in a garden, barn or marquee close by gives the roaster an outdoor spot. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 7 miles of Ratling, with plenty of rural wedding settings. Check the cooking spot with the venue.
This part of Kent takes in CT3, so your wedding can be anywhere in it. If your venue is just outside Ratling, we also cover Nonington (1 mile south-east), Snowdown (1 mile south), Goodnestone (1 mile north-east), Chillenden (2 miles east) and Woolage Village (2 miles south). We also serve nearby towns such as Canterbury (6 miles north-west), Margate (13 miles north-east), Dover (8 miles south-east), Folkestone (11 miles south), Ramsgate (11 miles north-east) and Broadstairs (13 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include St Martins Hospital (5.2 miles north-west).
Allergies and dietary needs
A hog roast is pork, so plan for anyone who does not eat it. Here’s how to cover everyone:
- Halal is not offered, so plan separately if needed
- Give us vegetarian and vegan numbers
- Ask for gluten-free rolls for coeliac guests
- Give your coordinator the final menu
For evening food, we carve as the dancing gets going, timed with you in advance.
For a sit-down meal, ask for china, quoted separately.
Who books wedding hog roast in Ratling?
It feels generous and relaxed, which suits informal weddings.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in Ratling and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Barn and farm weddings
- Post-wedding gatherings
- Small, informal weddings
- Weddings in a marquee
Nearby historic houses include Goodnestone Park (1 mile north-east). If your reception is at a historic house or estate, ask early about its rules on caterers and gas cooking.
Comparing caterers
- Who carves and who serves
- A clear list of what’s included
- How dietary needs are handled
- VAT, if it applies
Towns and villages near Ratling
More for events in Ratling
What happens on the day
We cook on a gas-fired roaster, so we don’t need mains power to cook, though a socket nearby is handy for lighting. In Ratling, evening wedding food frequently coincides with dusk: about 9:15pm at midsummer, 8:45pm in late May and 7:00pm in late September. Festoon lights by the carving station look lovely in the photos.
- Choose the main meal, the evening food or both.
- We send a quote with the menu and staffing.
- The venue and we agree where the roaster goes.
- We set up and roast for hours.
- We carve and serve, then clear away.
Preparing for the day
- Think about shelter for your guests
- Plan a step-free way in for the equipment
- Ask about allergies and dietary needs beforehand
How to get a price
We price every booking individually, based on numbers, menu, timings and distance. Ask us for a quote for your wedding: fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Catered or do it yourself?
Buying in a cold buffet is another option, but nothing beats hot pork and crackling carved in front of you, especially outdoors.
Full catering or machine hire? Catered means we do everything: roasting, carving, serving and clearing. With hire only, you do the cooking yourself.
What a hog roast costs
We do not use a fixed price list, because every wedding is different. What matters most:
- How long the roast and service take
- How easy it is to reach the spot
- Travel to Ratling
- Numbers
The main driver is numbers: the price per head typically falls as numbers rise, because the roaster, staff and travel cost much the same either way.
Details that help
Good details mean a good quote. Useful details:
- Rough numbers
- Any dietary needs or allergies
- Your menu choices
- The address or postcode
When you’re weighing up caterers, ask each one exactly what’s included. Ours lists it clearly. To get yours, fill in our quote form.
Before you choose a spot
We need room to cook safely and under cover. Before booking, check:
- Power for lights in the evening
- A safe distance from marquee walls, buildings and trees
- Permission for outside catering
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and the way in, and we’ll say what we think before you book.
What we serve
- Salads
- New potatoes
- Hog roast rolls
- Stuffing and apple sauce
- Roast or jacket potatoes
- Halloumi skewers (V)
- Spit-roast lamb
- Vegan option (Ve)
- Rotisserie chicken
- Crackling
Your questions about a hog roast for your wedding in Ratling
Which station is closest to Ratling?
Adisham station, about 0.5 miles north-west of the centre.
We are gathering after a service at St Peter: can you cater?
Yes, at a home, hall or venue nearby with an outdoor spot for the roaster. Food is usually served at the reception venue rather than the church. Send us the address.
Do you cover Ratling?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, including Ratling and Kent. Tell us the venue and we will quote.
Can you cook inside a hall or marquee?
The roaster always stays outside, under cover, away from buildings and marquee walls. Serving inside is often possible, with the venue’s agreement.
Can we offer lamb too?
Add lamb or rotisserie chicken as a second option.
Can you be flexible on serving time?
Within reason, we can. Give us a contact on the day and we will fit around changes.
What’s the price?
Each event is priced on its own, depending on numbers, menu, timings and travel. Tell us about your wedding for a quote.
What happens after service?
Our staff clear the serving area, and we take our equipment with us.
Planners, venues and businesses
Event organisers frequently ask caterers for paperwork such as a risk assessment. Tell us what you need and we’ll tell you what we can send.
Venues often have rules for outside caterers, from approved lists to where a gas roaster can go. Check early, and tell us what they ask for.
- Cooked where you are, slowly, over several hours outdoors
- 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 when you’re ready, and we tidy the serving area afterwards