Compare Van Insurance for Catering & Food Vans

  • You can save up to £671* on your van insurance
  • 97% of people who reviewed recommend Free Price Compare
  • Get van insurance quotes from over 63 insurers
GB

Don't have your registration number? No worries, just click here. click here.

Retrieve Quotes

Tip: Think about the type of goods you will be taking. Some items may need special insurance.

4000+ reviews

You could save up to £671* T&C's apply

We compare van insurance quotes from all of these suppliers and more...

  • Admiral
  • Hasting Direct
  • Budget Insurance
  • GoSkippy
  • Autonet
  • Axa Redefining Standards
  • Vans4leisure
  • Mustard

Catering vans, food trucks, ice-cream vans and mobile bars are a familiar sight across the UK. They help food traders sell street food, hot meals, coffee, desserts, drinks and snacks at markets, high streets, private events and festivals. A catering van does more than move you from place to place — it stores your equipment securely, keeps stock safe and allows you to set up quickly wherever you trade.

If the van breaks down, is stolen or becomes damaged, trading can stop immediately. That means no sales, cancelled events and lost income. Catering van insurance helps protect the van, the cooking equipment and the food business that relies on it. It can also help cover legal costs if a member of the public is injured, if food causes illness or if action is taken after an incident.

Standard private van insurance does not protect catering work. If you serve food from a vehicle, travel to trading pitches, carry stock or transport catering equipment, you must have catering van insurance or commercial van insurance. Mobile food traders compare van insurance to cover equipment, stock and food-safety risks while serving customers.

Find catering van insurance that protects your van and business

What is catering van insurance and why is it important?

Catering van insurance is made for mobile food businesses that use a van to prepare or sell food. This type of insurance is for vans that be used for work. That can include going to events, trading at markets, or serving food to people straight from the van.

It can apply to:

  • Catering vans
  • Food trucks
  • Ice-cream vans
  • Mobile bar vans
  • Catering trailers and static trailers
  • Burger vans and hot-food trailers

In the UK, you must have vehicle insurance if you drive a car or van on public roads. If you use the van to make, keep, or sell food for money, your insurance policy needs to state that the van is for business reasons. If the insurance policy does not say this, the company can refuse to pay a claim or they might even cancel the policy.

Catering vans have heat, gas, and electrical tools inside. They also carry a lot of food. This can bring risks that are not there with regular van driving. Catering van insurance helps protect your business if there are unexpected claims. These claims can happen because of the van’s equipment, how you handle food, or when you deal with the public.

What types of catering businesses need this insurance?

Catering van insurance is right for everyone who makes money by selling food or drinks from a van or trailer. This type of van insurance helps if you have a catering van or trailer where you work and need cover while you run your business.

It includes:

  • Catering vans be seen the at markets and festivals.
  • Food trucks work on fixed or sometimes changing spots.
  • Ice-cream vans show up in public places and at events.
  • Burger vans trade at sites by the road.
  • Mobile coffee vans and dessert vans.
  • Mobile bars serve drinks at events.
  • Hot-food stall-holders use catering trailers and cooking equipment.
  • Event catering is done with mobile cooking equipment.
  • Street-food sellers go to different locations.

No matter if the business is a limited company, partnership, or just a sole trader, catering van insurance can keep the van and everything that you do with it safe. It is there to protect the catering van and your work around the van.

Keep your catering van and business equipment safe in just a few minutes

What does catering van insurance cover?

The level of protection depends on the type of cover chosen. Catering businesses can select a base vehicle cover and then add extras designed for cooking and food preparation.

Base vehicle cover options

Type of Cover What It Includes Best For
Third party Covers damage to another vehicle or property Basic legal minimum
Third party, fire and theft Third party cover plus fire and theft protection Vans storing stock and equipment
Comprehensive cover Covers your vehicle and others including accidental damage Most food trucks, catering vans and mobile bars

Comprehensive van insurance is the strongest because it includes accidental damage to your own vehicle, which is important for food vans carrying expensive fitted equipment.

What does catering van insurance cover

What extra protection can catering businesses add?

Optional extras give more protection for cooking appliances, stock, staff and members of the public.

Optional Extra What It Protects
Public liability insurance Covers injury or property damage affecting members of the public
Product liability insurance Covers allergic reactions or food poisoning caused by food sold
Tools and equipment cover Protects fryers, griddles, fridges, coffee machines and cooking appliances
Stock cover Protects ingredients, packaged food and drink against theft or spoilage
Breakdown cover Support if the van fails on the way to trading locations
Legal expenses cover Legal fees following a claim or dispute
Employer’s liability insurance Covers staff if they are injured during work
Personal accident cover Pays a benefit if the driver is seriously injured
Trailer insurance Covers static trailers or towable catering trailers
Vehicle replacement cover Provides a temporary vehicle while repairs are carried out

These extras help businesses keep trading and reduce downtime when something goes wrong.

Get Quotes

Who needs public liability insurance and product liability insurance?

Most caterers and food-van operators pick both.

Public liability insurance is useful if:

  • A customer trips near the van
  • Someone burns themselves on hot equipment
  • Cooking oil or gas causes property damage at a pitch

Product liability insurance is useful if:

  • A customer gets food poisoning
  • Someone suffers an allergic reaction
  • Contamination leads to illness or legal action

Food businesses work directly with members of the public. These liability protections help cover compensation costs and legal fees if food or equipment leads to an incident.

What information do insurers need when providing quotes?

Insurance providers ask questions to understand the vehicle and how the business operates.

What information do insurers need when providing quotes

They usually request:

  • Type of vehicle or trailer (e.g., food truck, burger van, ice-cream van)
  • Van registration number and market value
  • Cooking fuel used (e.g., LPG, diesel generator, electric)
  • Type of food sold
  • Heating and cooking appliances fitted
  • Stock value normally carried
  • Where the vehicle is parked overnight
  • Number of named drivers
  • Claims history and years of insurance
  • Level of cover required
  • Trading locations and travel distance
  • Status of business (sole trader or limited company)

Insurers may ask for more detail if there is open-flame cooking, deep-fat frying or high-capacity cooking equipment.

How much does catering van insurance cost in the UK?

Prices vary depending on the equipment, the type of food sold, the business model and driving history. Ice-cream vans and hot-food vans with LPG and fryers usually cost more due to increased risk.

Typical annual costs for 2024–2025 are shown below:

Type of Catering Work Typical Annual Cost
Mobile coffee vans £850 – £1,350
Dessert vans £900 – £1,450
Ice-cream vans £950 – £1,550
Burger vans and hot-food trucks £1,050 – £1,750
Catering trailers at markets £900 – £1,500
Mobile bar vans £1,000 – £1,650
Multi-vehicle food businesses £1,600 – £3,200 per vehicle

Costs increase when the van carries expensive equipment, works late evenings or trades at multiple busy public locations.

Get Quotes

How can catering businesses reduce van insurance costs?

These steps help keep premiums affordable while keeping the right cover:

  • Park the vehicle in a secure yard overnight
  • Use alarms, trackers and deadlocks
  • Remove high-value stock from the van when possible
  • Add only necessary named drivers
  • Pay annually instead of monthly instalments
  • Choose a voluntary excess you can afford
  • Maintain a strong claims history
  • Compare catering van insurance at renewal time

Many food-van operators reduce insurance costs by comparing insurers instead of accepting the first price offered.

Check today’s cheapest catering van insurance quotes

Does catering van insurance cover cooking equipment?

Not automatically. Vehicle insurance protects the van, not the cooking equipment.

Equipment cover may include:

  • Griddles and fryers
  • Refrigerators and freezers
  • Coffee machines and blenders
  • Teppanyaki and wok burners
  • LPG units and water boilers
  • Milk-shake or slush machines

Some insurers cover fixed cooking equipment while others cover portable equipment. The policy documentation will show the conditions clearly.

Does catering van insurance cover cooking equipment

Can mobile food businesses use more than one vehicle?

Yes. Catering companies can insure more than one vehicle under a single fleet policy. Fleet cover gives one renewal date and shared vehicle access for staff.

It suits businesses that:

  • Attend festivals and events with multiple vehicles
  • Add new food vans during busier months
  • Swap equipment between vans
  • Hire seasonal drivers for events

Fleet cover can be more cost-effective than separate policies depending on the claims record of the business.

Keep your catering fleet protected with flexible multi-van insurance

Get Quotes

Can catering vans be covered for both business use and personal use?

Yes. Some people use the same van for business and normal daily life. Insurers can cover both uses on the same policy. If personal use is not listed clearly in the policy documents, the insurer could refuse a claim.

FAQs About Catering Van Insurance

Yes. If the van is used to get food ready or to sell food, it must have business van insurance or commercial van insurance.

Product liability insurance covers you. It keeps your business safe if the food you serve makes someone feel sick. It also helps if a person has an allergic reaction. Using liability insurance like this can help protect your company.

Some companies that offer insurance will cover fryers, but you may need to get safety checks done first. The wording about covering equipment should clearly show what is included.

Yes. Public liability cover helps if someone from the public gets hurt or their things get broken while you are trading.

Yes. You can get trailer insurance for trailers that stay in one place. Catering trailer insurance is also offered for food units that you can tow.

Yes. You can add named drivers. The cost will change based on their age and how they drive.

Yes. Many insurers let businesses get price quotes online. They use a short quotation form for this.

Yes. You may be able to get discounts if you have secure overnight parking, alarms, and trackers. Paying for a full year at once or having a good no-claims record can also help you save.

Many UK insurers offer cover for mobile catering businesses. You will often get the best deal if you look at several insurers, not just one. This way, you can find better value and make sure the cover fits what you need.

Van Insurance Provider

Van Insurance Comparison

Page last updated on: 08/12/2025

Page reviewed by: Tim Bailey

4000+ reviews