Catering Trailers
Catering Trailers For Sale, Built To Order
From £6,250 plus VAT
Built in Manchester, sold direct
Food Trailers For Sale UK
Every trailer leaves here with grade 304 stainless steel counters, lighting across the ceiling and the hatch, and two 32 amp circuits so the fridges never share a supply with the lights. Every size and finish is priced on this page, so you know what a build costs before you ask for a quote.
- Every trailer leaves with its Certificate of Conformity, issued by us as the approved manufacturer.
Key Features
All items are included as standard in every trailer we build.
- Double sink with hot/cold water
- Water tanks
- 12volt mini water pump with on/off control switch
- 10 LED lights on the ceiling
- 8 LED lights on the hatch
- 6 Sockets
- Fuse/connecting box
- Lighting rope
- Signal lights (brake/turn/reverse/fog)
- 2x 32amp electric circuits
- 4 Al-Ko corner legs
- Stainless steel counters
- Al-Ko axles and running gear
- Al-Ko brakes on braked models
- Free Rain Cover
The stainless steel used to build the trailers is grade 304
Built to order by a UK catering trailer manufacturer
Chris Trailers designs and builds catering trailers in Middleton, Manchester, and sells them direct. There is no dealer in the middle, so the people you talk to about the layout are the people who build it.
Every trailer leaves with a Certificate of Conformity issued by Chris Trailers as the approved manufacturer. Ask any supplier what paperwork comes with the trailer they are selling you, and who issued it.
Choose the body: pod, Airstream or container
All three are built on a road legal chassis with Al-Ko running gear and fitted out to the same standard. The choice comes down to how much counter you need, what you can tow and how you want the trailer to look on a pitch.
Catering pods
The lightest and cheapest way into a catering trailer. Pods run from 2.3m to 4.5m long and 375kg to 942kg unladen, so most of the range sits within what an ordinary car can tow. Single axle pods are unbraked as standard, and double axle pods are braked. From £6,250 plus VAT on the catering pods page.
Airstream catering trailers
The rounded shape people remember. Airstreams run from 3.5m to 7.0m and 1,220kg to 1,950kg unladen, with the counter run for two or three people working at once. Built in galvanised steel from £15,300 plus VAT or grade 304 stainless from £16,200 plus VAT. More on the Airstreams page.
Container catering trailers
Square sided and industrial, the look of a shipping container on a towable chassis. Built from 3.5m to 7.0m, each 2,200mm wide and 2,450mm high, and towed to site rather than craned into position. From £16,200 plus VAT on the container trailers page.
Catering trailers by what you serve
The body sets the size and the look. The fit-out is planned around the food or drink you sell.
- Coffee trailers: wired to run a commercial espresso machine and grinder at the same time.
- Pizza trailers: a reinforced table to carry the oven you choose, with a salad prep fridge for toppings.
- Bar trailers: counter, refrigeration and hatch laid out around the drinks you pour.
- Burger and hot dog trailers: fridge and extraction for hot food service.
- Ice cream trailers and dessert trailers: built around your freezers and serving counter.
What comes as standard
Every catering trailer leaves here with a double sink with hot and cold water, water tanks and a 12 volt pump on its own switch, which is what your council will expect to see for washing hands and utensils. Counters are grade 304 stainless throughout.
Power runs through a fused connecting box to two 32 amp circuits and six sockets, so the fridges are not sharing one circuit with the lighting and the till. Ten LED lights run across the ceiling and eight more light the hatch. Signal lights for brake, turn, reverse and fog, four Al-Ko corner legs and a rain cover complete the standard build.
Catering trailer prices
These are base build prices. They cover the trailer before fit-out and they exclude VAT. Weights are unladen, with standard equipment and no optional extras.
Catering pods
| Size | Unladen weight | Base build price |
|---|---|---|
| 2.3m x 1.65m | 375kg | £6,250 |
| 2.3m x 2.0m | 405kg | £7,300 |
| 2.8m x 1.65m | 455kg | £7,300 |
| 2.8m x 2.0m | 485kg | £8,200 |
| 3.0m x 1.65m | 505kg | £7,600 |
| 3.0m x 2.0m | 704kg | £10,200 |
| 3.4m x 1.65m | 575kg | £8,200 |
| 3.4m x 2.0m | 782kg | £10,800 |
| 4.0m x 2.0m | 888kg | £11,300 |
| 4.5m x 2.0m | 942kg | £11,890 |
Airstreams
| Length | Unladen weight | Galvanised | Stainless |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5m | 1,220kg | £15,300 | £16,200 |
| 3.8m | 1,270kg | £15,700 | £16,700 |
| 4.0m | 1,320kg | £16,100 | £17,200 |
| 4.5m | 1,420kg | £16,900 | £18,200 |
| 5.0m | 1,520kg | £17,500 | £19,200 |
| 5.5m | 1,620kg | £18,500 | £20,200 |
| 6.0m | 1,700kg | £19,500 | £21,200 |
| 6.5m | 1,800kg | £20,500 | £22,200 |
| 7.0m | 1,950kg | £22,000 | £23,200 |
Container trailers run from £16,200 plus VAT at 3.5m to £23,200 plus VAT at 7.0m. The full ladder is on the container trailers page. Trailers already built and ready to collect are priced complete, including VAT, and listed on the stock list.
New or secondhand catering trailer?
A secondhand trailer costs less up front, and for some people that settles it. What you give up is the layout, which was planned around somebody else’s menu, and certainty about the paperwork and how the trailer has been looked after.
A new trailer is laid out around what you sell, and it comes with its Certificate of Conformity from the manufacturer that built it. If you want something sooner than a build allows, finished trailers on the stock list sit in between: new, and ready to collect.
Catering trailers ready to buy
As well as building to order, we usually have finished pods and Airstreams ready to collect. Current units, with sizes and prices, are on the stock list.
Catering trailer questions
How much does a catering trailer cost in the UK?
A new catering trailer built to order starts at £6,250 plus VAT for a 2.3m catering pod and runs to £23,200 plus VAT for a 7.0m stainless Airstream or container trailer. That is the base build, the trailer before fit-out. Fridges, extraction and other equipment are priced on top, depending on what you sell. Trailers already built and ready to collect are priced complete and listed on the stock list.
What comes as standard in a catering trailer?
Every trailer is built with a double sink with hot and cold water, water tanks and a 12 volt pump, grade 304 stainless counters, two 32 amp circuits with six sockets on a fused connecting box, LED lighting across the ceiling and the hatch, signal lights, four Al-Ko corner legs and a rain cover.
Should I choose a pod, an Airstream or a container trailer?
Choose a pod if weight and price matter most, since most pods can be towed by an ordinary car. Choose an Airstream or a container trailer if you need a longer counter, more equipment or two or three people working inside. Between those two, the difference is mainly the look: rounded, or square and industrial.
Can I tow a catering trailer on a normal car licence?
Usually yes. A category B car licence issued from 1 January 1997 allows you to tow a trailer up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass, and every trailer we build sits well inside that. A catering pod is 375kg to 942kg unladen and even a 7.0m Airstream is 1,950kg. The practical limit is your own vehicle’s towing capacity rather than your licence. Confirm the plated weight of the specific unit with us before committing to a size.
What paperwork comes with a new catering trailer?
Every trailer leaves with a Certificate of Conformity, issued by Chris Trailers as the approved manufacturer, confirming it is built to the approved type for use on the road. It also allows the trailer to be traded legally across Europe.
How do I start a mobile catering business?
The trailer is the straightforward part. Before you trade you have to register as a food business with your local council, which is free and has to be done at least 28 days before you open. You will also need public liability insurance and somewhere to trade, whether that is a fixed pitch or event bookings. The council inspects and rates the trailer, so a build with proper hot and cold water, stainless surfaces and a sealed serving hatch makes that inspection a good deal easier.
Why Choose Us
Built To Your Layout
Counters, fridges, extraction and the hatch are placed around what you sell and how many people work inside.
Published Prices
Every size and finish is priced on this page, so you know what a build costs before you ask for a quote.
Certificate of Conformity
Each trailer is supplied with a Certificate of Conformity, confirming it is built to the approved type for use on the road.
CHRIS TRAILERS STOCKLIST UPDATED
Get in touch with our experts to discuss your food trailer requirements
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