Have a van – will travel. And that’s what this cute blue Fat Cats kitchen on wheels does. From this little van is served all manner of delights catering weddings and events big and small. From Festival Dinner menus to Taco Feast and Cocktail menus as well as Wedding Share Plates, Adrian is committed to providing the freshest and tastiest food possible and working with you to create a feast for your wedding day. And let’s face it – there’s something about gathering around a van to get the conversations flowing and the fun started. Here we share Adrian’s thoughts on catering from a van and the fun experience that it is.

What is Fat Cats – please explain the concept to us.

We are a food van caterer offering something different – super fresh, flavoursome food and heaps of variety in our menus. These range from a taco menu to a sit-down wedding share plates menu. We love meeting people as much as we love making food, so we aim to create memorable experiences with delicious food and good company.

Where are you based?

We are based in Yarraville Melbourne but we’re on the move. We travel all over Victoria.

Image by Brown Paper Parcel Photography

What is your background in the food industry? How did you become passionate about food early on?

I started out cooking in the kitchen with my mum when I was a young fella, and I haven’t left! I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for most of my adult life.

Do you have a food philosophy or ethos?

The joy in food for us is in the process of making it for others and seeing it shared and enjoyed.

What attracted you to set up a ‘food caravan’ instead of treading the more conventional catering path?

We love the flexibility of having a kitchen on wheels! It means we can rock up to any venue/location and get cooking and serving. It provides our clients with more options, as a lot of venues don’t have a kitchen. We also think it adds an awesome vibe to a wedding to have a food van in tow.

Are you able to cater the whole wedding from post ceremony canapés to dessert?

We sure are! A lot of our guests having a few canapés from either our Fancy Cocktail or Fancier Cocktail party menu to start, mains from our Wedding Share Plates menu, and a few roaming canapé desserts from our cocktail menus.

Image by Fat Cats

What do you suggest to the bridal couple to consider when planning the menu?

Start out by thinking about whether you want a sit-down wedding or cocktail style, or an even more casual festival / party vibe. Not all of my menus are served from the food van (e.g. the wedding share plates and cocktail menus aren’t). If you want the food van / festival wedding vibe – the best menus are my Taco Feast, Fancy Lunch Spread or Festival Dinner menus. Otherwise, I’d suggest either my cocktail or share plates menus. Make sure to of course, include some vegan and vegetarian options, as well as gluten free (well that’s my job, I take care of that for you)!

How flexible are your menus – can couples mix and match from the various options you have available?

Yes definitely, as I mentioned earlier we often do that. For example, you can choose a selection of canapés from my Fancy Cocktail menu and Fancier Cocktail menu. You can have a full canapé menu – equivalent to a full-sized meal, or a selection of canapés as entrees and then go on to my share plates wedding menu.

What is your most popular dish or menu for weddings?

Wedding share plates is very popular!

What are the maximum numbers you are able to cater for?

No limit! We’ve catered a festival for the last few years (Camp Nong) which is 400 people plus, so the bigger the better! But we love small intimate weddings too J

How does so much food come out of a little van?

We also hire a commercial kitchen for prepping, and then often just do the last minute prepping and serving from the van.

Are you flexible with dietary requirements?

Very, we cater to all dietary requirements.

Image by Darin Collison Photography

Do you change your menus seasonally?

Nope, but that’s a great idea! Why didn’t we think of that 😉

Are you able to provide wait staff to serve the food?

Yes we do have a team of wait-staff who we employ for cocktail weddings.

What else are you able to provide for a wedding?

We provide all cutlery and serving-ware for our wedding share plates menu for a small hire fee. We also provide all cutlery etc for all other menus. Along with providing staff, this means we offer an all inclusive catering option taking the stress of the brides and grooms in the planning and execution process.

Image by Brown Paper Parcel Photography

Where are you able to park your van to cater weddings – how much space do you need?

We can park on all private properties, and can apply for a permit for other venues/locations if needed. Our van is the size of a typical caravan but slightly taller! See the FAQ section of our website for more info.

What do you think is special about serving food from a van – does it create a particular atmosphere at a gathering?

Yes totally! It creates a fun casual festival atmosphere. Guests love it! We love to string up some festoon lighting too (free of charge) to add to the festival wedding vibe.

What new food discoveries have you made lately?

I’m loving two awesome cookbooks at the moment: Community and Neighbourhood by Hetty McKinnon.

Does food play a large part in your family life?

Yes it does! My wife and I love to host backyard parties at ours, catered by Fat Cat Food Van and Fancy Catering of course. We do have a new baby though (6 months old), so fancy dinners and parties at ours are not as commonplace at the moment.

Image by Darin Collison Photography

What do you like to do when you’re relaxing?

Read cook books! No, but seriously.

Your favourite restaurant of the moment?

I’m a little obsessed with Up In Smoke in Footscray, it’s by the same guys as 8Bit burgers. I’m a local so I love the convenience, but I also love the style of food and the setting.

Thank you Adrian for sharing your story.  Gather round and taste the freshest produce served from a van – what fun! To find out more about Fat Cats visit the website.

Headshot by Fat Cats.