Street food supplies and an outdoor contingency

Ask about the chosen menu and vehicle

Begin with the food you are considering and the vehicle proposed for it. Fables offers vintage street food vehicles and discusses different menus, so do not assume one list of supply requirements applies to every booking. Ask for the particular power, water, working-space and operating information relevant to the proposal.

Keep those requirements with the current quotation and site plan. If the menu or proposed vehicle changes, ask whether the supply information changes too. A previous event’s equipment list or an attractive photo of a setup is not confirmation that the same arrangement will work at your venue.

Collect useful information from the venue

Give the venue contact the proposed catering position and ask what supplies are available there. Record where those supplies are, any known restrictions and who can confirm the information. A general statement that a property has electricity or water does not explain the arrangement at the actual working position.

Pass the venue’s information to Fables without filling gaps with an assumed specification. Supplier-stated equipment needs and venue supply details should be discussed together. If a generator or other equipment is being considered, ask what the complete proposed arrangement and quotation include rather than choosing equipment from a headline figure.

Review the route and ground conditions

Explain how the vehicle reaches and leaves the proposed setup area. Include the entrance, route, surface, slopes and any access restrictions known to the venue. Where conditions can change, tell Fables what the venue has advised and provide photographs or a labelled plan that help explain the situation.

Ask the venue and Fables to discuss any alternative position before the event. An alternative is useful only if its access, working space, guest route and supplies have also been considered. Moving a symbol on the seating plan does not confirm that the revised catering position is suitable.

Connect shelter and guest space with the food plan

Think about where guests wait, collect food and eat if the conditions differ from your first plan. Share any existing indoor area or proposed marquee arrangement with the venue and caterer. Ask which parts of the plan need separate equipment, staffing or hire items, and confirm their availability and scope.

Do not assume a catering vehicle, marquee or another hire item includes every form of shelter, heating, lighting or supply needed for the celebration. Discuss the actual requirement with the relevant provider. Keep decisions about structures and their operation with those responsible for supplying and approving them.

Agree how a change will be communicated

Name the organiser who can coordinate a proposed change with the venue and Fables. Explain when key people are available and how the event team will receive the agreed plan. If another supplier owns a relevant piece of equipment or structure, include that provider in the discussion rather than treating its arrangement as automatic.

Keep one dated plan showing the agreed position, supply information, guest areas and access route. Mark anything still awaiting confirmation. When a change is agreed, update the timetable and supplier brief as well as the drawing so the catering team does not arrive with instructions from an earlier version.

Details to gather before enquiring

• Proposed menu and vehicle with provider-confirmed requirements
• Venue supply information for the actual catering position
• Access route, surface observations and venue restrictions
• Discussed alternative position and guest eating arrangements
• Named organiser and one dated plan for communicating agreed changes

Questions to settle with your event team

Does an outdoor event automatically need a generator?

The supply arrangement needs review for the actual venue, menu and equipment. Give Fables the venue’s information and ask what is proposed; do not assume a particular power source is required or sufficient.

Can we move the vehicle elsewhere on the day?

Discuss alternative positions and their requirements in advance with Fables and the venue. A change in position may affect access, working space, supplies and the guest route.