Festival food stall ideas for UK traders

Food that suits a festival crowd

Festival crowds include families, groups of friends and people with dietary needs, so a mix of meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes widens your audience. Keep the menu short even so, and label each dish clearly so the queue can choose before they reach the counter.

• Handheld food such as wraps, burgers, hot dogs and flatbreads.
• Boxes and bowls that can be eaten with one hand.
• Breakfast items, for campsites and early arrivals.
• Sweet treats such as waffles, doughnuts and ice cream.
• Vegetarian and vegan options, which many festival organisers like to see.

Plan for peaks

Festival trade comes in waves. Lunch, early evening and the end of a headline act can bring long queues at once. A short menu, pre-prepared components and a clear order and collection point will help you serve people quickly. Staff the stall for the busiest hour, not the average one.

Weather

Wet, windy and hot weather all change what sells. A sturdy canopy, weights on every leg and a plan for strong gusts matter at open sites. See gazebo weights and wind safety and selling in bad weather.

Organiser rules and paperwork

Festival organisers usually ask traders for a set of documents before confirming a pitch. Expect requests for food business registration, insurance, risk assessments and gas or electrical safety evidence, and ask early whether any extra checks apply. Our guide to trading at festivals and events explains how organisers choose traders.

Power, water and waste

Festival signal can drop when crowds arrive, so keep a back-up way to take payment. Read what to do when the signal drops before the first event.

Festival sites may offer limited power and water. Ask what the organiser provides, whether you need your own generator or gas supply, and where waste goes. Many festivals also set rules on packaging and on how you dispose of used cooking oil.

Menu and pricing for a crowd

Festival customers often buy a meal and a drink in one go. Combination deals can speed up ordering, and clear prices reduce questions at the counter. Use pricing that covers your pitch fee, stock, staff and fuel, and check the arithmetic against pricing for different event types.

Staffing and shifts

Festival organisers usually expect public liability insurance, and many ask for a risk assessment for each food stall. Our guides to public liability insurance and risk assessments for event stalls explain what to prepare.

Long festival days tire a small team. Plan shifts so that every person has breaks, and bring enough hands for the peaks. Brief everyone on food safety, allergen information and what to do in an accident. A first aid kit and the contact for the organiser's safety team should be easy to reach.