A sampling campaign is one of the best ways to get people invested in your brand. But to maximise your reach, you need the right vehicle for the job. Our sampling vans are purpose-built for this very occasion – ensuring you can hit the road with confidence and let your products speak for themselves!
Read on to discover the benefits of sampling and catering van hire, along with key considerations and insights to help you get the most from your campaign.
Why should I hire a modern sampling van?
Here’s why one of these vehicles could be perfect for your campaign…
It's highly mobile
Unlike vintage vehicles, our sampling vans are easy to drive and capable of long journeys. This makes logistics a breeze, as you won’t need a loader for transport. Instead, the world is your oyster! Simply drive to your venue or park up wherever you like as part of a 'wild activation'. Being highly modern, your van will offer a reliable experience.
Tailor-made for serving
Starting life in the trades, our vans have been rebuilt into mobile kitchens and sampling vehicles. Each allows you to run a hygienic activation, with sinks and chiller fridges as standard, plus a hatch and worktops. That said, you can have more than just a typical mobile catering van setup – with plenty of room for storage and customisation.
A spacious interior
Our sampling vans offer enough space for preparing meals and beverages. There's also room for multiple staff members to work comfortably, all so guests can get the experience they deserve. And because the vehicle’s bigger than something like a VW Camper, you can fit everything you need to make an impact.
Want a smaller vehicle with a vintage vibe? See our Piaggio Apes! They’re great for indoor venues like shopping centres and railway stations.
Ideal for branding and imagery
A box-like shape with tall sides makes the mobile catering or sampling van perfect for branding. Add your logo and colours or display delicious imagery to show guests exactly what’s in store. When closed, the serving hatch completes the look to amplify your brand message while you’re out on the road.
What do I need to consider?
The following considerations will help you get the most from your activation.
Customising your van
With sampling or catering van hire, you don’t have to ‘make do’ with what’s already on board. Instead, the space can be fitted with everything from griddles, microwaves and ovens to chillers, freezers, juicers and ice cream makers. If you’re not handing out food, the inside can be customised into a fully lit, eye-catching product display.
Whatever you need, our in-house team will work to make it a reality – even if it’s a 3D roof prop! We’ll visualise the project and create a practical interior, plus all the decorative touches you need. See our vehicle design and build guide for more details.
Below: Inside the 'Strong Roots' van with multiple ovens, sinks, worktops, and wall branding.
The campaign extras
Your vehicle will be branded entirely to your specifications. But why stop there? With the right display products, you can attract an even wider audience. Branded items can include chairs, tables, parasols, banners and signs.
Event City, for example, placed themed A-boards and double-sided flags (as available on the Raccoon branding store) on each side of their mobile catering van.
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By decorating around your sampling van, you create a more attractive space that people will want to share online. Visit our content capture page to see how we can take images and reels to provide you with evergreen content!
Finding the perfect spot
With hundreds or thousands of samples to hand out, you want to hit up places that naturally attract crowds. With mobile catering van hire, you can visit as many locations as you like, and the vehicle's modest size means you'll have many venues open to you.
Power is another consideration. Lithium batteries can help make your activation sustainable, but high-wattage equipment will likely need to be plugged in on-site.
Our location planning service can manage all of these concerns on your behalf, ensuring you get the best venues, with access and power fully considered.
Which types of sampling van can I hire?
Pick from two types of vehicle or ask us to source a unique van for you.
The standard panel sampling van
This vehicle is a highly modified Citroen Relay, which has been customised especially for sampling activities. Both modern and drivable, it’s a popular choice and has been used by brands like McCain, ASDA and Tender’lish. Haagen-Dazs went the furthest, with 3D roof props and a hidden DJ booth to give guests a special surprise!
The low loader custom
The custom low loader offers a space that’s both taller and longer than the standard panel van, for even more room. The rear doors swing open for easy loading, and it’s every bit as customisable inside. This larger van has been used by brands like Emmi, Weetabix and Jägermeister, to name a few.
Interested in going electric?
We branded a fully electric van so Ben’s Original could run their event sustainably. If you’d like to do the same, we're confident we can source and customise an eco-friendly van for your activation. In fact, we won gold at the FMBE awards for our work on a sustainably run (and decorated!) vehicle.
How sampling van hire helped brands succeed
The brands below used one of our modern vans to engage with people across the UK.
Planted
This Swiss food company came to us with the idea of creating the UK’s most sustainable catering van. We turned an electric vehicle into a mobile kitchen, capable of cooking batches to keep up with demand. Most equipment ran on lithium power, solar panels were fitted to the roof, and the interior was branded to suit Planted’s green message.
Dig into the Planted catering van case study
Burger & Lobster
With a new Lobster roll and two new salads to launch, this gourmet restaurant wanted to give would-be customers a chance to try before they buy. So, they decided on a fully mobile catering van – and our panel van proved to be the perfect choice! It travelled all over London, giving lucky guests a tasting experience they wouldn’t forget.
Catch the full Burger & Lobster case study
How much does it cost to hire a sampling van?
Looking at our budget calculator, prices for sampling and catering van hire start at around £9,200 for a 7-day activation. That includes the cost of the vehicle and driver, but minus VAT and any additional campaign services you’ll need. To see how we charge for those, visit our cost and services guide.
Some of our clients like to hire sampling vans for months at a time. In such cases, we’re happy to offer ‘dry hire’ so you get the best deal.
To start, visit our budget calculator and see if a sampling van could be right for you!