Power for Outdoor and Event Catering: Generators, Gas and Staying Safe Off-Grid

Event and mobile catering — markets, festivals, weddings, corporate sites — means running a kitchen with no fixed services. No mains power, sometimes no mains water, and a crowd expecting hot, safe food on time. Getting the power and food-safety side right is the difference between a smooth service and a stall that stops trading mid-event.

This guide covers how to power an off-grid catering setup, the gas-vs-electric choice for mobile work, keeping food safe without a fixed kitchen, and the safety rules that apply on site.

Start with the load, not the generator

The most common mistake is buying a generator first and discovering it can't run the kit. Work the other way:

1. List every electrical load you'll run at once — fridge/freezer, lights, till, coffee machine, any electric cooking.
2. Add the running watts of everything that could be on simultaneously.
3. Allow for motor/compressor starting surge — fridges and freezers draw several times their running wattage for a second or two at start-up.
4. Buy headroom. A generator run flat-out all day works harder and wears faster than one run comfortably below its maximum.

Have the supplier or an electrician confirm the sizing against your actual appliance list — an undersized generator that trips mid-service is worse than none.

Gas vs electric for mobile work

For cooking, gas is usually the practical answer off-grid (see the gas guide for the full comparison):

• Gas cooking — ranges, griddles, fryers — runs without mains power and doesn't care about your generator's capacity. This is why so many mobile setups cook on gas.
• Electric cooking loads (electric fryers, griddles, ovens) are huge and are the worst possible use of a generator. Cook on gas; save the generator for the loads that genuinely need electricity.
• Gas safety applies off-grid too — cylinders stored upright, secured, ventilated, away from heat and ignition; connections checked; flame-failure devices intact; and a qualified person for any setup beyond a simple appliance connection.

The efficient pattern for most mobile setups: gas for the cooking, a modest generator for the fridge, lights, till and any electric appliances.

Food safety without a fixed kitchen

Everything that applies in a fixed kitchen applies in a field — it just takes more planning:

• Cold chain. Fridges and cool boxes have to hold safe temperature for the whole event, with enough coolant or power for the duration plus a margin. (See the delivery temperature guide for the cold-chain logic.)
• Hot holding. Hot food must be held at safe temperature, not just cooked and left to cool.
• Water and hygiene. You need a way to wash hands and clean equipment — containers of warm water, sanitiser, and somewhere hygienic to wash up.
• Temperature logs still apply. Keep the same records you'd keep in a fixed kitchen — they're your proof the food was safe.

Site safety and compliance

• Event and local authority rules. Many events and councils require food vendors to be registered, insured and to meet food-safety and gas-safety requirements. Check the event organiser's and the local authority's requirements before the day.
• Fire safety. Keep gas cylinders and fuel away from heat and the public, have a suitable fire extinguisher and fire blanket on hand, and know where they are.
• Power safety. Generators belong outside and downwind (exhaust fumes are dangerous), on level ground, refuelled only when cool, and connected with proper outdoor-rated cables and protection.

Frequently asked questions

What size generator do I need for a food stall?

Size it for the loads you'll actually run at once, not the whole setup. Add the running watts of everything that could be on simultaneously, allow for the starting surge of any fridge or freezer, and buy headroom. Have the supplier or an electrician confirm it against your actual appliance list.

Should I cook on gas or electric at events?

Gas, for most mobile setups. It runs without mains power and doesn't drain your generator. Electric cooking loads are huge and are the worst use of a generator. Cook on gas; reserve the generator for the fridge, lights, till and any electric appliances.

How do I keep food cold at an all-day event?

Fridges or well-insulated cool boxes with enough coolant or power for the full event plus a margin, kept closed as much as possible, with the temperature checked and logged as you would in a fixed kitchen. Plan for the longest, hottest day, not the average.

Do I need permission to cater at an event?

Usually yes — event organisers and local authorities commonly require food vendors to be registered, insured and to meet food-safety and (if you use gas) gas-safety requirements. Confirm the requirements with the organiser and the local authority before the event.