It's 11am at a wedding. Your generator won't start. Or your gas regulator fails. Or the heavens open and your gazebo is lifting off. These things happen—often at the worst possible moment. The vendors who handle disasters gracefully are the ones who prepared for them. Here's the emergency kit that's saved countless events.
The Non-Negotiables
These items should live permanently in your van. Not at home. Not in the garage. In the van, ready to go.
Power and Gas
- Spare gas regulator: If your regulator fails, you're dead in the water. A spare costs £15–25 and takes 30 seconds to swap
- Spare gas hose: With jubilee clips. Same logic—quick swap, back in business
- Extension lead (25m): Heavy-duty, outdoor-rated. You never know how far the nearest power point will be
- Spare fuses: A selection of 3A, 5A, and 13A fuses. The fix is 10p; the lost revenue from no power is hundreds
- Portable phone charger: Your phone is your payment terminal, your GPS, your contact with clients. Don't let it die
- Head torch: For those 5am setups in the dark and late-night breakdowns. Hands-free is essential
- Battery-powered fairy lights: If your main lighting fails, these keep things functional and even add atmosphere
Mechanical and Structural
- Gaffer tape: The universal fix. Seals leaks, secures cables, patches tears, holds the world together
- Cable ties (assorted): Zip ties fix more problems than any tool. Buy a bag of 100 and scatter them everywhere
- Multi-tool: A decent Leatherman-style multi-tool with pliers, knife, screwdriver, and bottle opener
- Adjustable spanner: For gas connections, wheel nuts, and anything that's come loose
- Screwdriver set: Phillips and flathead in at least two sizes
- WD-40: Frees stuck bolts, lubricates hinges, displaces water from electrics
- Bungee cords: Secure gazebo legs, hold open doors, keep things from flying away in wind
- Tarpaulin: Waterproof, multipurpose. Ground sheet, rain cover, wind break, or tablecloth of last resort
💡 Pro Tip
Store your emergency kit in a clearly labelled plastic box that lives in the same spot in your van. In a crisis, you don't want to be rummaging through drawers. Grab the box, fix the problem, move on.
Weather Protection
- Gazebo weights (water or sand): Not optional. An unsecured gazebo in wind is a safety hazard and a liability nightmare
- Ratchet straps: For securing gazebos to vehicles or anchor points in high wind
- Waterproof covers: For equipment, stock, and serving areas
- Sandbags (or cat litter): Grip for muddy fields. Getting stuck is embarrassing and expensive
- Sunscreen and a hat: You're outside all day. Heatstroke doesn't care that you have 200 burgers to serve
Cleaning and Hygiene
- Wet wipes (catering-grade): For hands, surfaces, equipment, and everything else
- Antibacterial spray: Food-safe surface cleaner
- Blue roll: At least two spare rolls. You'll always use more than you expect
- Bin bags: Heavy-duty, multiple sizes
- Spare aprons: One spill can make you look unprofessional for the rest of the event
- Hand sanitiser: Multiple bottles—one for you, one for customers
First Aid
A legal requirement and a moral one. Your first aid kit should include:
- Blue plasters (catering standard—visible if they fall into food)
- Burns gel and burn dressings (you work with hot oil, hot surfaces, and open flames)
- Antiseptic wipes
- Bandages and micropore tape
- Disposable gloves
- Painkillers (ibuprofen and paracetamol)
- Antihistamines (in case of allergic reactions)
- Eye wash
Check your first aid kit quarterly. Replace anything used or expired. A stocked kit is only useful if it's actually stocked.
Documents and Information
Keep physical copies in a waterproof folder in your van:
- Public liability insurance certificate
- Food hygiene certificate
- Gas safety certificate
- Risk assessment template (some events require one on arrival)
- Allergen information for your menu
- Emergency contacts list: breakdown recovery, gas safe engineer, electrician, your next-of-kin
💡 Pro Tip
Take photos of all your certificates and keep them on your phone as well. If an Environmental Health Officer visits and your physical copies are buried under equipment, you can show them instantly on screen.
The "Oh No" Extras
These might seem excessive until the day you need them:
- Cash float: Card machines fail. Wi-Fi drops. Having £50–100 in change means you can still trade
- Spare card reader: If you rely on card payments (and you should), a backup reader is cheap insurance
- Notebook and pen: When your phone dies and you need to take an order, a booking, or a note
- Spare keys: For your van, your trailer padlock, your equipment locks. Hidden securely somewhere in the vehicle
- Bottled water and snacks: For you. Dehydrated, hungry vendors make mistakes. Look after yourself
- A change of clothes: You will, at some point, spill something catastrophic on yourself mid-service
- Hi-vis vest: Required at some venues and events for setup and breakdown
The Complete Checklist
Print this out and stick it inside your van door. Check it before every event:
- Spare gas regulator and hose
- Extension lead (25m outdoor)
- Spare fuses (3A, 5A, 13A)
- Phone charger / power bank
- Head torch
- Gaffer tape
- Cable ties
- Multi-tool
- Adjustable spanner
- Screwdriver set
- WD-40
- Bungee cords
- Tarpaulin
- Gazebo weights
- Ratchet straps
- Sandbags / cat litter
- Wet wipes
- Blue roll (x2)
- Bin bags
- Spare aprons
- First aid kit (stocked and in-date)
- Certificates folder
- Cash float
- Spare card reader
- Bottled water and snacks
- Change of clothes
- Hi-vis vest
An emergency kit costs under £150 to assemble and fits in a single plastic box (plus the larger items stored around your van). It's the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy—and the day it saves your event, you'll wonder how you ever operated without one.
