Hog Roast Machine for Mobile Catering: The 2026 UK Buyer’s Guide
Last updated: August 2026
In 30 seconds:
- A hog roast machine is a propane spit-roasting oven on wheels. It cooks a whole pig slowly while you serve from the trays on top.
- MobCater stocks four, from £2,549 to £5,375. All four run on propane at 37 mbar.
- The Tasty Trotter Pro Bundle is rated 13.5 kW across two burners and burns under 1 kg of propane an hour.
- A 60 kg pig feeds 150 to 180 people in filled rolls. Load the trays as well and you can reach 350.
- You need a propane cylinder, a 37 mbar regulator and mains or generator power for the 30 W spit motor.
Not sure which cylinder to pair with it? Our LPG cylinder sizes guide works through the sizes and how long each one lasts.
Why a spit and not an oven? The spit turns the meat through its own fat all day. That self-basting is what gives you the juice and the crackling. A static oven cannot do it.
Why propane and not another fuel? Propane vaporises reliably in British weather. Butane stops working below about 2°C, and on a 13.5 kW appliance the bottle freezes and the pressure drops away. Every machine here is set for propane at 37 mbar.
Why the wheels matter. A loaded hog roast oven is heavy. The Tasty Trotter weighs 102 kg with the spit fitted, before you add an 80 kg pig. Solid wheels and braked rear casters are the difference between a two-person lift and a one-person push.
Honest summary. The biggest mistake we see is buying the machine and forgetting the rest. New operators budget £3,000 for the oven. Then they discover they still need a propane cylinder, a regulator and hose, power for the motor, and somewhere to hold carved meat. Price the whole kit before you commit. The oven is usually about two thirds of what you actually spend.
What a hog roast machine actually does
A hog roast machine is a double-skinned stainless steel box with two propane burners in the base and a motorised spit running through the middle. The pig sits on the spit and turns slowly, roughly once a minute.
Above the spit sit stainless trays. You cook on both levels at once. Joints, jacket potatoes, roast vegetables or stuffing go in the trays while the pig turns underneath.
When the pig is done, the spit lifts onto carving arms above the trays. You carve straight down into the trays, so nothing is lost and serving is quick. That is the working difference between a hog roast oven and a barbecue.
There is no preheating. You load the meat cold, light the burners and start the clock. The Tasty Trotter manual is clear that the oven does not need warming through first.
Tasty Trotter Large Hog Roast Oven Pro Bundle
Quick specs
- Price: from £2,549 (SKU TT0001)
- Heat input: 13.5 kW total across two burners
- Propane use: 964 g/h with both burners on full; under 1 kg an hour in normal use
- Propane pressure: 37 mbar, 1.25 mm injectors
- Internal size: 136.4 x 60.2 x 62.6 cm with the lid closed
- External size: 214 x 68 x 113 cm
- Weight: 102 kg including the spit
- Maximum meat load: 80 kg, up to 1300 x 580 x 580 mm
- Spit motor: 240 V, 30 W, 1 rpm
- Build: 430 grade stainless body, 202 grade spit, double-skinned outer panels
- Supplied with: six roasting trays, fat jug, four wheels with braked rear casters
Best for. Operators who want one machine that covers whole pigs and tray cooking, at the lowest entry price of the four. It is the model we hold full manufacturer documentation for.
What it runs
- A whole pig up to 80 kg, head and feet on if you want them
- Around 16 joints of 3 to 5 kg using the optional roasting cradle
- Roughly 24 chickens, or 150 jacket potatoes, in the cradle
- Trays above the spit for vegetables, stuffing or carving
Don’t use it for
- Indoor trading. It is certified for outdoor use and well-ventilated areas only.
- Quick service. Nothing about spit roasting is fast.
- Sites with no vehicle access. At 102 kg empty it does not go up steps.
- Windy pitches. Draughts pull heat out and the manual warns against exposed positions.
Run time. A 13 kg propane cylinder covers about two events. Budget six hours or more for a whole pig, and 1 hour 45 minutes to 3 hours for joints in the cradle.
You can see the current price and delivery on the Large Hog Roast Oven Pro Bundle listing.
Hogmaster propane hog roast machine
Quick specs
- Price: from £3,399 (SKU HOG1)
- Fuel: propane
- Build: fully stainless steel, glazed lid
- Attachments available: barbecue grill top, serving-table lid support
- Heat input and dimensions: we do not publish figures for this model, see the note below
Best for. Traders who want the machine to do a second job. The barbecue attachment turns the lid into a working grill, so you can run burgers alongside the pig.
What it does
- Whole pig on the spit, as standard
- Barbecue cooking on the attachment while the pig turns
- Doubles as a serving table once the lid support is fitted
- Glazed lid so you can watch without opening up
Don’t use it for
- Jobs where you need published kW figures up front, until you have the data sheet from us
- Indoor events, same as every propane roasting oven
Trade-off. You pay about £850 more than the Tasty Trotter bundle and gain the attachments and the glazed lid. If you will never use the barbecue top, that money is better spent on cylinders and a bain marie.
Hogmaster Titan
Quick specs
- Price: from £3,869 (SKU HOG1-1)
- Fuel: propane
- Build: fully stainless steel, uprated on the standard Hogmaster
- Heat input and dimensions: not published here, see the note below
Best for. Operators trading most weekends who want a heavier machine than the entry Hogmaster without going to the top of the range.
What it does. The same spit-and-tray job as the standard Hogmaster, with a stronger specification for regular commercial use.
Don’t use it for. Occasional trading. If you do six events a year, the extra £470 over the standard Hogmaster will not pay for itself.
Trade-off. It sits awkwardly between the two Hogmasters on price. Most buyers are better off deciding between the £3,399 machine and the £5,375 machine, then working back.
Hogmaster Platinum
Quick specs
- Price: from £5,375 (SKU HOG3)
- Fuel: propane
- Build: fully stainless steel, top of the Hogmaster range
- Heat input and dimensions: not published here, see the note below
Best for. Full-time hog roast caterers doing weddings and corporate work, where the machine is on show and has to look the part.
What it does. Whole pigs, tray cooking and carving, built for machines that work most weekends of the season rather than a handful of dates.
Don’t use it for. A first machine, unless you already have bookings on the books. It is more than twice the price of the Tasty Trotter bundle.
Trade-off. You are paying for build and finish, not for extra pig capacity. Check the Hogmaster Platinum listing and be honest about how many events a year you will really do.
Why we don’t publish kW figures for every model
We hold the full manufacturer documentation for the Tasty Trotter oven. Every figure above for that machine comes straight from its manual and rating plate.
We do not hold the same paperwork for the three Hogmaster machines. Rather than copy numbers from somewhere else and hope, we leave them out.
Ask us and we will send you the data sheet for the model you are looking at before you order. That is a better answer than a figure we cannot stand behind.
Which one should you buy?
| Model | Price from | Buy it if |
|---|---|---|
| Tasty Trotter Pro Bundle | £2,549 | You want the lowest entry price and full published specs |
| Hogmaster | £3,399 | You want a barbecue attachment and a glazed lid |
| Hogmaster Titan | £3,869 | You trade most weekends and want more machine than the entry model |
| Hogmaster Platinum | £5,375 | You do weddings and corporate work and the machine is on show |
All four were in stock when this guide was last checked. Prices start from the figures shown and vary with options.
Propane setup and what it costs to run
Every machine here runs on propane at 37 mbar through a regulator and a flexible hose. The hose is supplied with the Tasty Trotter. The regulator is not.
The manual accepts cylinders from 5 kg upwards but recommends at least 13 kg. On a 13.5 kW appliance a small bottle chills down and the pressure sags, so 13 kg is the sensible floor.
The numbers that matter
- 964 g of propane an hour with both burners on full
- Under 1 kg an hour once you settle into a long, low cook
- One 13 kg cylinder covers roughly two events
- Always carry a spare cylinder, because running out mid-pig has no recovery
Work your own cost from your cylinder price. If a 13 kg refill costs you £35 and it covers two events, your propane is around £17.50 per event. That is small against a booking, which is why fuel is rarely the thing that decides this purchase.
The spit motor needs 240 V but only draws 30 W. Almost any inverter or portable generator will run it. If you are pricing power for a whole pitch rather than just the motor, our LPG generator buying guide covers the sizing.
Cooking times and how many people you will feed
| What you are cooking | Approximate time | People fed |
|---|---|---|
| Whole pig, 60 kg | 6 hours or more, long and low | 150 to 180 in filled rolls |
| Whole pig plus loaded trays | 6 hours or more | Up to 350 with 100 kg of meat |
| Loin joint in the cradle | Around 1 hour 45 minutes | Varies by joint size |
| Shoulder or leg joint in the cradle | Around 3 hours | Varies by joint size |
Times assume a warm oven and meat brought up to room temperature first. Cold meat straight from the chiller takes longer. The manual suggests two to five hours out of refrigeration before you start.
Do not trust the lid gauge on its own. The manual is blunt about this: the gauge sits where heat reaches it slowly, so it lags behind what is happening to the meat. Use a probe.
Reheated meat must reach 65°C before you serve it. Carve in columns from one end rather than working down one side. Anything left over is then untouched, and can be chilled properly for another date.
The crackling question
Dry skin makes crackling. That is the whole secret and it is harder than it sounds in damp British weather.
Rub salt into the skin to draw moisture out. If you score, keep the lines short, around 5 cm, and never let them cross. Crossed lines create islands of skin that fall off during the cook.
Most operators settle on long and low for over six hours. Then both burners go to full for the last 30 minutes to foam the crackling. Our guide to mastering the hog roaster goes further into technique.
How to run your first hog roast event
- Order the pig, two weeks out. Ask your butcher for a 50 to 60 kg pig and have them spit it for you. Avoid suckling pigs, they are expensive and too lean to cook well.
- Site the oven. Level, stable ground outdoors. Keep 1 metre clear of anything combustible at the sides and rear, with nothing overhead and no direct draught.
- Connect the propane and leak-test. Mix one part washing-up liquid to three parts water, brush it over the hose and every joint with the cylinder open, and watch for bubbles. Fix any leak before you go further, and call a Gas Safe registered engineer if you cannot.
- Load and light. Open the lid and take the four trays out first. Never light with the lid down or the trays in. Secure the pig to the spit as close to the top of the rib cage as you can, then light the burners.
- Cook low, then crackle. Run long and low for six hours or more, checking the burners and the spit rotation regularly. Turn both burners to full for the final 30 minutes.
- Carve and hold. Lift the spit onto the carving arms above the trays and carve down into them. Save every bit of fat and juice from the drain jug, it goes back over the carved meat.
If you are serving over several hours rather than at one sitting, a hot holding unit earns its place. Our LPG bain marie guide covers the options.
Safety, servicing and paperwork
- Outdoor use or very well ventilated areas only. Using one of these in an enclosed space is prohibited, not just discouraged.
- Keep 1 metre clear at the sides and rear, with the vents unobstructed.
- Never leave it unattended. Check the burners are lit and the spit is turning.
- Have it serviced annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a gas safety certificate issued from one year after purchase.
- Do not alter any part sealed by the manufacturer. Repairs are engineer work.
- Close the cylinder valve after every use.
Your local authority and your public liability insurer will both want to see the gas safety certificate. Getting caught without one at an event is an expensive way to learn. The wider licensing picture is covered in our guide to starting a mobile catering business.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Buying the oven and nothing else. Cylinder, regulator, hose, power for the motor and a holding unit all still have to be bought.
- Turning up with one cylinder. One 13 kg bottle does about two events, but you cannot tell how much is left mid-cook.
- Trusting the lid gauge. It lags. Probe the meat.
- Scoring in a criss-cross. Crossed score lines make the crackling fall off in islands.
- Underestimating the weight. 102 kg empty on the Tasty Trotter, plus up to 80 kg of pig. Check vehicle access before you accept a booking.
Working out what else the van needs? Our mobile catering equipment checklist runs through the full kit list.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to cook a whole pig in a hog roast machine?
Budget six hours or more for a 60 kg pig cooked long and low. Finish with 30 minutes on both burners at full to crisp the crackling. Bring the meat up to room temperature first. That takes two to five hours out of the chiller, and skipping it makes the cook run longer.
How many people will a 60 kg pig feed?
A 60 kg pig feeds 150 to 180 people in filled rolls. Load the trays above the spit with extra joints and the total meat can pass 100 kg. That is enough for around 350 people in one sitting.
How much propane does a hog roast machine use?
The Tasty Trotter oven is rated at 964 g an hour with both burners on full. In normal cooking it uses under 1 kg an hour. One 13 kg propane cylinder covers roughly two events. Always carry a spare.
Can I use butane instead of propane in a hog roast machine?
No. Use propane at 37 mbar. On an appliance drawing this much fuel, a butane cylinder chills down and the pressure drops. The oven then loses heat exactly when you need it. Butane also stops vaporising below about 2°C, which rules it out for British outdoor trading.
Do I need a generator to run a hog roast machine?
You need a power source for the spit motor, but it is a small one. The Tasty Trotter motor is 240 V and 30 W. A modest inverter or any portable generator will run it. The heat is all propane, so nothing else on the machine needs electricity.
Can I cook anything other than pork in a hog roast machine?
Yes. The spit takes lamb. The optional roasting cradle holds around 24 chickens, 150 jacket potatoes, or roughly 16 joints of 3 to 5 kg. The trays above the spit will take roast vegetables or stuffing at the same time.
How much space do I need to run a hog roast machine safely?
Allow 1 metre clear of combustible material at the sides and rear. You also need nothing overhead, and level stable ground outdoors. The oven itself is 214 x 68 x 113 cm. It is built narrow enough to go through a standard doorway.
Do I need a gas safety certificate for a hog roast machine?
Yes. Have the appliance serviced every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The certificate is issued from one year after purchase. Local authorities and event organisers routinely ask to see it. Your public liability insurance may depend on it too.