Festival Food Jobs: How to Get Hired by Traders
Working a food truck at a festival is sweaty, loud, and hectic. It is also one of the best ways to experience a festival while earning money. Here is how to get in.
What festival food work is
Festival catering breaks into two worlds. There are the food traders: the pizza vans, burger trucks, pad thai stalls, and coffee carts that feed the public. Then there is production catering: the backstage kitchens feeding crew, artists, and production staff.
Both are hard work. Both pay reasonably well. The trader side is more chaotic and more fun. You are in a tiny kitchen, usually a converted van or trailer, cooking the same thing hundreds of times a day. The pace during peak hours is relentless. Then the queue dies down and you are suddenly standing there wondering what to do with your hands.
I worked food trucks at Glastonbury and Secret Garden Party. The shifts were long and the heat from the fryers was unreal, but the crew was tight, we ate well, and we still caught plenty of music. On balance, it was worth every burnt finger.
Roles and pay
The roles within festival food work:
💰 Pay breakdown
Trader stall crew: £100–£150/day or£11–£14/hour. Most traders pay a flat day rate. Meals on shift are almost always included. Tips vary: a stall with a tip jar in a busy spot can add £20–£40 a day split among the team.
Production catering: £120–£180/day. Companies like Eat to the Beat and Peach run backstage kitchens. More structured than trader work. Meals included. Accommodation sometimes provided.
Coffee / barista stalls: £100–£130/day. Early starts (6am is normal) but earlier finishes than food stalls. Tips are good because everyone is grateful for coffee at a festival.
Kitchen porter: £100–£120/day. Washing up, cleaning, carrying stock. The least glamorous role but always in demand, easiest to get with no experience.
Finding traders
Food traders do not usually advertise on job boards. They hire through personal networks, social media, and word of mouth. Breaking in means putting yourself in front of them.
🔍 Where to look
Instagram: Follow food traders you see at markets and events. Many post stories asking for festival staff. Send a DM with your dates and food hygiene cert.
Street food markets: Go to weekend food markets (Kerb, Street Feast, local ones). Chat to the people running stalls. Ask if they do festivals and if they need help. This is how most people get their first gig.
Facebook groups: "Festival Trader Jobs UK" and "Street Food Jobs" are active groups where traders post when they need staff.
PeakWave: Create your profile with your availability and food hygiene cert. Festival caterers searching for staff can find you directly.
A typical day
Every trader runs differently, but a typical day on a food stall at a major festival goes something like this:
⏰ Day on a food stall
9–10am: Arrive at the stall. Prep starts. Chopping, portioning, setting up the service area, firing up equipment.
11am–12pm: First customers trickle in. Pace builds gradually.
12pm–3pm: Lunch rush. Queue does not stop. This is when it gets intense. You cook, plate, serve, repeat. No time to think.
3–5pm: Brief lull. Restock, prep for the evening, eat something yourself.
5–10pm: Evening rush. Bigger than lunch at most festivals. People eat before the headliner. Same pace as lunchtime but you are already tired.
10pm–12am: Late-night trade winds down. Clean down the stall. Eat. You are done. The rest of the night is yours.
What you need
📋 Requirements
Food Hygiene Level 2: Expected by virtually all traders. Online course, 2–3 hours, £15–£25. Do it before you start applying.
Ability to work fast: Festival food is high volume, repetitive, and time-pressured. If you freeze when things get busy, it will show quickly.
Physical stamina: You are on your feet for 10+ hours in a hot, cramped space. It is tiring work. Come well rested and hydrated.
UK right to work: Required. EU nationals need valid visa or settled status.
Professional kitchen experience: Not required for most trader roles. Helpful but not essential. Home cooking experience and basic food safety awareness is enough to start.
Tips from experience
💡 Things I wish I had known
Bring spare clothes. You will smell of whatever your stall cooks within an hour. Having a clean t-shirt to change into after your shift makes a huge difference.
Wear shoes with grip. Kitchen floors in food vans get slippery fast. Trainers are not the right call. Proper kitchen clogs or non-slip work shoes.
Bring your own knife roll if you cook. Traders appreciate crew who come prepared with their own kit.
If the trader you work for is good, tell them you want to do more festivals. One good weekend with the right person and your summer is booked. Festival food is a small world. Traders talk.
Drink water constantly. The heat from fryers and ovens in a small space is brutal. Dehydration hits fast.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a food hygiene certificate to work on a festival food stall?
How do I find festival food traders who are hiring?
What is the pay like for festival catering work?
Is festival food work suitable for a first-timer?
What is backstage catering vs front-of-house trader work?
Get behind the counter.
Create your profile and let festival caterers find you. Free, always.