Hire food warming equipment for events: hot cupboards, bain maries, chafing dishes and heated display cabinets. Keeps food at serving temperature.
Expo Hire stocks food warming and holding equipment for events where dishes need to stay at serving temperature between cooking and the plate. The range covers hot cupboards, bain maries, chafing dishes and heated display cabinets. This equipment is sometimes listed as warming or prep equipment and is a core part of any temporary catering setup.
Hot cupboards hold plated food or serving trays at temperature before and during service. A standard hot cupboard has two or three shelves and maintains temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Celsius. They suit formal dining events where courses are plated in advance and held before being brought to the table.
Bain maries hold sauces, soups, gravies and soft foods at temperature in a water bath. They are standard kit for wedding caterers, buffet operations and any catering where liquid-based dishes need consistent heat throughout service. Electric bain maries suit indoor events; gas bain maries work in outdoor catering setups without mains electricity.
Chafing dishes hold gastronorm trays over a fuel burner and keep buffet food warm at a self-service station. They do not cook food: dishes must be fully cooked before being transferred to chafing dishes. They are a practical and visible solution for wedding buffets, conference lunches and outdoor catering where electricity is limited. Chafing fuel is available from the accessories range.
Heated display cabinets keep food warm at the point of service and are common in street food setups and self-service catering where food needs to remain appetising while customers queue.
Weddings with a plated sit-down breakfast need hot cupboards to hold courses between the kitchen and the table. The lag between cooking and service on a large wedding for 100 or more guests is significant, and hot cupboards bridge that gap. Bain maries hold the sauce and soup courses at temperature through the service period.
Conferences with a hot buffet lunch need chafing dishes to present food at a self-service station. A typical conference buffet uses four to six chafing dishes covering the main dishes, soup and sauce components.
Corporate catering at away days, sporting events and external functions follows the same pattern. Warming equipment is what separates food served at the right temperature from food that arrives cold and disappoints.
Warming equipment is available individually and combines with cooking equipment in a single hire order. All electric units require a 13A or 16A mains connection. Expo Hire delivers across England and Wales. Book at least a week ahead for standard orders and two to three weeks ahead for large wedding catering setups.
There’s no need to worry about a damage deposit when placing an event hire order with Expo Hire. Instead, we run a free minor damage waiver scheme to cover minor damage or loss, so you don’t need to worry if you break the odd glass or plate. We do charge for excessive or negligent loss or damage at 10x the hire price. Please check our terms and conditions for full details.
Working out delivery costs is easy with Expo Hire; simply use our carriage calculator to find which of our branches is near to you. Tap your postcode in and it will confirm not only whether we cover that postcode or not, but also which of our 11 branches is closest to you and the cost for delivery from that branch, as well as the list of possible extra charges. Heavy furniture like sofas or equipment like large fridges will require a second person in the van and this will be added in the checkout.
Once you have filled your basket and confirmed your delivery dates and postcode in the checkout, we will show you an itemised cost for delivery so you know exactly what you’re paying for before you place your order.
Want to know when your delivery is coming? You can track your driver using our real time maps on the day of delivery and collection. Simply enter your postcode and order number into our order tracking page and find out when our driver will be with you. You can also use the link we send you by automated text.
Planning a big event in the future? At Expo Hire we can help you secure your event hire booking quickly without it costing the Earth. If your hire charge is over £500, you can now book your hire equipment with just a 25% deposit, paying the remainder up to 28 days prior to delivery. All you need to do is select the deposit option when checking out. Full details are available in our terms and conditions.
