Equipping your travelling commercial kitchen such as a food trailer takes a great deal of planning. It must be efficient, safe, adhere to food standards and above all, ensure that the owner, chef and kitchen workers can complete their tasks effectively and efficiently.

If you get it right, you’ll save precious time and money, increase your profit margins and foster your business growth. Get it wrong, and your business could struggle to reach its full potential.

We’ve gathered a checklist of everything you need to get started. It includes everything from processing machinery such as burger machines, dicing machines and grinders to packing machines like tray sealers and everything in between.

We hope you find it useful!

Food prep equipment

Every cafe, restaurant or food truck owner knows that food prep is vital to the successful running of their business. With such limited space available, many choose to pick a gazebo, rent a second kitchen or even complete what’s needed at home.

But this doesn’t need to be the case with careful planning. You can make the most of your available budget and space, simplify your life and generate more profit too. Depending on the type of food you plan to serve, your list of essentials could include:

●      Chopping boards

●      Knives

●      Knife rack

●      Stainless steel worktable

●      Thermometers

●      Blenders or food processors

●      Salad spinners

●      Shredders and graters

●      French fry cutters

Cooking equipment

When investing in your travelling kitchen, you can expect your cooking equipment to demand a huge part of your budget.

But there are clever tricks that can simplify the process. For example, you could save money by buying used or refurbished equipment and make the most of your available kitchen space by combining full-size and compact versions of what you need.

Start by considering your priorities then aim to spend more on the core of your business whilst saving on the extras.

Your list of cooking equipment is likely to include:

●      Grills

●      Deep fryers

●      Microwave

●      Toaster

●      Cooking range

●      Extraction system

Warming and holding equipment

Before your customers make a purchase, you can showcase your selection by using display cabinets and warming/holding equipment. This doesn’t only encourage your customers to spend their money but also helps keep your food safe before selling, avoid illness and adhere to UK food standards.

Depending on the food on your menu, consider adding the following to your list of essentials:

●      Soup kettles and warmers

●      Warming trays or warming shelves

●      Chafers

●      Fry dump station

●      Countertop food warmer

●      Display cabinets

Serving supplies

When serving your customers, you need to ensure you have a good supply of the essentials. By investing in high-quality serving supplies, you will raise your standards of customer service and show how professional you are.

Your essentials could include:

●      Serving utensils

●      Condiment dispensers

●      Sugar or spice shakers

●      Takeaway packaging

●      Napkins and dispensers

●      Disposable gloves

●      Face masks

●      Food order forms

●      Packing equipment such as tray sealers

Refrigeration equipment

Keep everything fresh and ready to be served by investing in a range of refrigeration equipment to suit your needs. Even if your space is limited, you can find a range of worktop and under-counter freezers and fridges that could include; 

●      Blast chillers

●      Dripping cabinets

●      Freezers

●      Prep refrigeration

●      Salad chillers

●      General refrigerators

Cleaning equipment

Finally, when all your catering work is complete, you’ll need to clean your premises from top to bottom. This doesn’t just help ensure that you’ll stick to food regulations but also helps avoid illness and creates a healthy work environment for your staff. When your customers can see that you maintain a high standard of cleanliness, you’ll be more likely to attract and retain repeat customers- key to growing your street food business.

Consider the following when you are buying cleaning supplies:

●      Sink and hand sink

●      Sanitizing chemicals

●      Sponges, cloths and other similar cleaning materials

●      Anti-fatigue or wet floor mats

●      Bin bags and bin

●      Broom

●      Dustpan and brush

●      Mop and bucket

Conclusion

When equipping your food truck or travelling kitchen, make your budget count by considering carefully what you need. Focus on those priorities, think about food prep, cooking, warming and holding, refrigeration and cleaning equipment, ensure you have enough serving supplies and you’ll be ready to hit your local food scene with a bang.