Shipping Container Catering Units for Barking’s Summer Streets

Name: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Industry: Local Government & Hospitality
Location: Short Blue Place, Barking, London

Project Overview

We created six compact catering units for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham as part of the Mayor of London’s Summer Streets programme.

Installed at Short Blue Place in Barking town centre, the units were commissioned to form a semi-permanent street food market showcasing the borough’s diverse food and culture.

Each unit was created by cutting down a 10ft x 8ft shipping container to a more compact 6ft length before adding the access, serving, electrical and kitchenette facilities required for use as a food stall.

The Brief

Barking and Dagenham Council was selected as one of four large al fresco projects supported by the Mayor of London’s Summer Streets fund.

The council planned to transform Short Blue Place into a more vibrant food destination, with six semi-permanent stalls alongside a programme of cultural events and performances.

Universal Containers was asked to produce catering units that would:

• Fit within the available town-centre space.
• Provide a practical area for preparing and serving food.
• Give each operator separate staff and service access.
• Include power for lighting and catering equipment.
• Provide a clean, finished interior.
• Remain secure when the market was closed.
• Have a custom-painted finish suitable for the project.

The Challenge

The units needed to provide the facilities required for a working food stall within a very compact footprint.

Standard 10ft containers would have occupied more of the available public space than necessary, so their dimensions needed to be reduced without compromising the internal layout.

Each unit also required several different forms of access. Traders needed a serving opening for customers, a separate personnel door for everyday entry and cargo doors that could be opened when setting up, restocking or moving larger equipment.

As the stalls would be positioned in a prominent town-centre location, they also needed to look like purpose-built catering units rather than standard shipping containers.

Our Solution

Universal Containers started with 10ft x 8ft shipping containers and shortened each one to 6ft, creating six compact units suited to the available space at Short Blue Place.

Each catering unit was fitted with:

• Original-style cargo doors.
• One steel personnel door.
• A gas-strut-assisted serving hatch.
• A lined internal finish.
• A fitted kitchenette.
• Electrical fittings for lighting and equipment.
• A custom-painted exterior.

The serving hatch can be raised during trading hours to create an open point for taking orders and serving customers. When closed, it helps secure the unit and its contents outside operating hours.

A separate steel personnel door gives traders direct access without requiring the main cargo doors to be opened. The cargo doors provide a wider opening when equipment, supplies or larger items need to be moved into or out of the unit.

Inside, the lining creates a cleaner and more finished working environment, while the kitchenette and electrical installation provide the basic facilities needed for the units to operate as catering stalls.

The custom-painted exteriors give the six units a consistent appearance and help them form a recognisable part of the wider Summer Streets project.

The Result

The completed conversions provide Barking and Dagenham Council with six secure and fully equipped catering units for its new street food market at Short Blue Place.

Their compact size allows several independent traders to operate within the available town-centre space, while the serving hatches create a direct and welcoming connection with customers.

Why Use Shipping Containers for Catering Units?

Shipping containers can be adapted into secure catering units for street food markets, public spaces, event venues and hospitality businesses.

Their dimensions can be altered to fit the space available, while serving hatches, personnel doors, kitchenettes, electrical systems, internal lining and custom finishes can all be added around the intended use.

Most of the conversion can be completed away from the final location before the finished units are transported to site. This reduces the amount of construction work required in busy public areas and provides a practical alternative to building permanent food stalls entirely on site.

The steel structure also allows the serving points, equipment and stock to be secured inside once trading has finished.