How to Set Up a Baked Potato Van: Equipment, Costs & UK Trading Guide

Setting up a baked potato van is one of the lowest-barrier entry points into mobile catering in the UK — a single commercial potato oven, a propane supply, a handful of toppings, and the right paperwork is all it takes to start trading at markets, events, and high-street pitches. This guide covers the equipment you need, realistic setup costs, and every licence and certificate required to trade legally.

A jacket potato van is widely regarded as the most profitable single-product mobile catering setup in the UK, with food costs typically under 20% of the selling price and minimal equipment compared to burger vans or fish and chip trailers. The combination of low overheads, year-round demand, and fast service makes it the standard recommendation for first-time mobile caterers looking for a proven, low-risk business model.

Why Baked Potatoes Work So Well for Mobile Catering

Jacket potatoes are one of the few street food items where the raw ingredient costs almost nothing, the cooking process is largely unattended, and customers are willing to pay £5–£8 per serving. A 25 kg sack of baking potatoes costs around £8–£12 wholesale, yielding roughly 60–80 large potatoes depending on size. With cheese, beans, and butter as your core toppings, your food cost per potato sits between £0.50 and £0.80 — meaning margins of 85–90% on a £6 jacket potato are realistic.

The other advantage is simplicity. A burger van needs flat-top griddles, extraction hoods, and multiple protein lines. A jacket potato van needs one oven, one fridge for toppings, and a serving counter. That simplicity translates directly into lower startup costs, faster setup times at events, and less to go wrong on a busy Saturday market.

Essential Equipment for a Baked Potato Van

The centrepiece of any jacket potato operation is the commercial potato oven. These are purpose-built units that bake and display potatoes simultaneously — the top section bakes fresh potatoes while the lower display section keeps cooked potatoes hot and visible to passing customers. The two established UK manufacturers are King Edward and Victorian Baking Ovens, both producing gas and electric models specifically designed for mobile and retail catering.

Commercial Potato Oven

For a mobile van or trailer, you need a gas (propane) model rather than electric — running a large electric oven from a generator is inefficient and expensive on fuel. King Edward’s Classic range and the Victorian Baking Ovens Big Ben are the two most commonly seen ovens in the UK mobile catering market. Standalone countertop gas ovens like the GKOE range bake 24–45 potatoes per hour at 4.9 kW and 0.37 kg/h gas consumption — a practical choice for fitting into an existing trailer. For a complete mobile unit, the Victorian Baking Ovens Big Ben comes trailer-mounted with 3 cooking drawers holding approximately 150 potatoes, an 80-potato warming cabinet, a 60,000 BTU/hr burner, integrated twin service sinks, hot water tank, and storage for 2 × 13 kg propane cylinders. Expect to pay £1,400–£3,000 for a standalone countertop potato oven, or significantly more for a complete trailer-mounted unit like the Big Ben.

Supporting Equipment

Beyond the oven itself, a typical baked potato van setup includes a commercial fridge or under-counter refrigeration unit for storing toppings (cheese, coleslaw, tuna mayo, butter), a bain-marie or hot holding unit if you offer hot toppings like chilli or curry, a portable hand wash station with hot and cold running water (a legal requirement for food hygiene), and a fire extinguisher rated for cooking oil and electrical fires. Most purpose-built catering trailers come with twin sinks, a water heater, and worktop space already fitted.

Propane Gas Supply

All gas potato ovens for mobile use run on propane at 37 mbar operating pressure. Propane is the standard gas for commercial mobile catering because it vaporises reliably in cold weather — butane stops working below around 2°C, making it unsuitable for outdoor trading in UK winters. A 19 kg propane cylinder is the standard supply for a trading day, connected via a proper regulator and tested pipework. Your entire gas installation — cylinder storage, pipework, regulator, and appliance connections — should be inspected and certified by a Gas Safe registered engineer before you start trading.

Startup Costs: What to Budget

The total cost of setting up a baked potato van varies significantly depending on whether you buy a ready-made catering trailer or convert an existing vehicle. Here is a realistic breakdown of first-year costs for a UK-based operation.

Item	Cost Range
Second-hand catering trailer (fitted out)	£8,000–£15,000
New catering trailer (fully equipped)	£15,000–£35,000
Commercial potato oven (standalone, if not included)	£1,400–£3,000
Fridge, bain-marie, hand wash station	£500–£1,200
Gas installation and CP44 certificate	£250–£500
Street trading licence (annual, varies by council)	£200–£800
Food hygiene Level 2 certificate	£10–£25
Public liability insurance (annual, £5m cover)	£70–£150
Food business registration	Free
Fire extinguisher and fire blanket	£30–£60

At the lower end, buying a decent second-hand trailer with an oven already fitted, you could be trading for around £10,000–£12,000 all-in. At the higher end, a brand-new custom-built trailer with a large-capacity King Edward oven could reach £30,000+. Most new starters in the UK fall somewhere in the £12,000–£18,000 range for a complete, ready-to-trade setup.

Licences and Certificates You Need

Before you serve your first jacket potato, there are several legal requirements to tick off. None of them are difficult, but missing any one of them can result in fines, enforcement action, or being turned away from events.

Food Business Registration

You should register as a food business with your local council at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free and done online through your local authority’s environmental health department. You register with the council where your van is stored overnight, not where you plan to trade. Once registered, expect an environmental health inspection visit within the first few months.

Street Trading Licence

If you plan to trade on public streets, pavements, or designated pitches, you typically need a street trading licence from the relevant local council. Costs vary significantly — from around £200 in some areas to £800+ in busy city centre locations. Some councils operate a consent system rather than a full licence. Private land (such as farmers’ markets or event sites) usually doesn’t require a street trading licence, but the event organiser may have their own requirements.

Food Hygiene Level 2

At least one person on your van should hold a Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate. This is a short online course (2–4 hours) covering safe food handling, temperature control, and allergen awareness. Courses cost between £10 and £25 from accredited providers. While not always a strict legal requirement for every operator, most councils and event organisers expect it, and it directly affects your food hygiene rating.

Gas Safety Certificate (CP44)

Any mobile catering unit running on propane should have a valid CP44 gas safety certificate. This is an annual inspection carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer who checks your gas pipework, connections, ventilation, and appliance safety. Most event organisers, market managers, and councils will ask to see a current CP44 before allowing you to trade. For a detailed breakdown of what the inspection covers and how to find a qualified engineer, see our CP44 gas safety certification guide.

Public Liability Insurance

Public liability insurance covers you if a member of the public is injured or their property is damaged as a result of your business activities. Most councils require proof of insurance (typically £5 million minimum cover) as a condition of granting a street trading licence. Annual premiums for a single-unit mobile catering operation typically run between £70 and £150 depending on the insurer and your level of cover.

Choosing Your Pitch: Where to Trade

The success of a baked potato van depends heavily on location. High-footfall spots with cold, hungry people are ideal — think Saturday farmers’ markets, town centre pitches in winter, Christmas markets, car boot sales, sporting events, and industrial estate lunch runs. Many successful operators work a circuit of 3–5 regular weekly pitches supplemented by weekend events and seasonal bookings. Start by contacting your local council about available street trading pitches, joining local market trader associations, and checking event catering tender sites for upcoming opportunities.

Popular Toppings and Menu Ideas

Keep your menu tight. The most profitable baked potato vans focus on 6–8 core toppings rather than trying to offer everything. The standard UK jacket potato menu typically includes butter and grated cheddar, baked beans and cheese, tuna mayonnaise, coleslaw, chilli con carne, and coronation chicken. Pricing usually follows a simple structure: a plain buttered jacket potato at £4–£5, one topping at £5.50–£6.50, and two toppings at £6.50–£8. At busy events, you can charge a premium — £7–£9 is common at Christmas markets and sports grounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to start a baked potato van business in the UK?

A complete baked potato van setup typically costs between £10,000 and £18,000 in the UK, including a second-hand catering trailer, commercial potato oven, refrigeration, gas installation, and all licences. Buying new or specifying a larger oven can push the total above £25,000, while a basic second-hand setup can come in under £10,000.

Do I need a gas safety certificate for a baked potato van?

Yes — any mobile catering unit using propane should have a valid CP44 gas safety certificate, issued annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Most event organisers, market managers, and local councils expect to see a current CP44 before allowing you to trade, and it is a standard part of operating a compliant mobile catering setup.

What size potato oven do I need for a mobile van?

For most market and event work, a 50-potato capacity oven is a practical starting point — large enough to keep up with steady demand without taking up too much space in a standard catering trailer. Busier operators at high-footfall events often upgrade to 100–120 potato models. Compact 25-potato ovens suit smaller setups or secondary locations.

How much profit can you make from a jacket potato van?

Jacket potatoes offer some of the highest margins in street food, with food costs typically under 20% of the selling price. A single van selling 80–100 potatoes at a busy Saturday market at an average of £6 each would gross £480–£600 in a day. After deducting pitch fees, gas, and topping costs, a realistic net profit for a busy trading day is £300–£450.

Can I run a baked potato van as a part-time business?

A jacket potato van is well suited to part-time trading because the equipment requires minimal maintenance between uses and potatoes have a long shelf life without refrigeration. Many operators trade weekends only — typically Saturday markets and Sunday car boots — earning £600–£1,200 per weekend during peak season while keeping weekday commitments.

What gas do baked potato ovens use?

Commercial potato ovens for mobile catering run on propane (LPG) at 37 mbar operating pressure, supplied from standard 19 kg or 47 kg cylinders. Propane is the correct choice for outdoor trading because it vaporises reliably down to around −42°C, whereas butane stops working below approximately 2°C and is only suitable for domestic or patio use.

Do I need to register as a food business to sell jacket potatoes?

You should register as a food business with your local council at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free and straightforward — you apply online through the environmental health department of the council where your van is stored overnight. Once registered, you will receive an environmental health inspection and a food hygiene rating.

Getting Started

A baked potato van is one of the simplest, most profitable ways to get into mobile catering in the UK. The startup costs are lower than almost any other food van concept, the margins are excellent, and the demand is year-round. Start by sorting your food business registration and Level 2 hygiene certificate, find a good second-hand trailer with an oven fitted, get your gas installation inspected and CP44 certified, and book your first market pitch. For a full checklist of the equipment every mobile caterer needs, see our mobile catering equipment guide.