Old Skool Bus Events shortlisted in TWO categories of the Festival Supplier Awards 2026

Kate Packham with chefs Libby and Nik

Old Skool Bus Events has today announced that they are finalists in the prestigious Festival Supplier Awards 2026. 

Taking place on Thursday 29th January at the De Vere Connaught Rooms in central London, the awards celebrate outdoor events and all the fantastic suppliers and production teams who deliver them.

The company is shortlisted in the Best New Product/Service of the year category, AND the Best Support Service – Crew Catering category for its work on Glastonbury Festival 2025.

Director, Kate Packham, has worked in event management for 25 years, everything from running a corporate event company, organising parties and weddings, to on site roles in festivals including Boomtown, Shambala, Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Pride, and Secret Garden Party. 

However she only started the original business ‘The Old Skool Bus & Kitchen’ in lockdown 2020 with two friends, using the food truck for charity projects! Fast forward three years and separating from her original partners, she relaunched as ‘Old Skool Bus Events - Kitchen & Bar’.

The business operates in two main event sectors, event catering locally in Sussex with food trucks for private parties, weddings and corporate events, and also, the main one, in the UK festival industry.

Kate told That's Business: “We're absolutely blown away that in just 18 months of relaunching our ‘Old Skool Bus Events - Kitchen & Bar’ that we would be shortlisted in TWO award categories in the UK Festival Supplier Awards!”

She added: “We regularly trade with our food truck, named ‘Bella’, at festivals and outdoor events, however it's within the crew catering services that we have progressed the most. This year we were the first crew caterer to open on site at Glastonbury’s Worthy Farm, and we were the last to close eight weeks later. We served over 40,000 meals in those 56 consecutive days of dishing up breakfast, lunch and dinner to the incredible, hard working crew!”

Kate qualified in Nutrition & Health Coaching in February 2025, to put her in a much more knowledgeable position to develop sustainable and nourishing menus for crew and artists on site, who need to feel energised to work hard and perform well. Kate also claims that they have totally restructured the new business in terms of standards and policies, staff welfare, sustainability, inclusivity, and in Spring 2025 she recruited a whole new selection of awesome chefs and staff.

The Festival Supplier Awards are now in their eleventh year and are a firm favourite in the festival and outdoor event industry’s calendar, providing an opportunity for companies to showcase innovation, expertise and dedication within the sector.

Michelle Tayton, event director of the Festival Supplier Awards comments: “Once again, we’ve been amazed and pleased by both the volume and calibre of entries for the Festival Supplier Awards. Our finalists really highlight the creativity, capability and capacity that exists within the outdoor event industry. Making the shortlist is an achievement in itself and Old Skool Bus Events has been recognised for its hard work and ability to deliver.”

With a focus on delivery, customer service and sustainable initiatives, the awards are judged by an esteemed panel of high-profile industry experts. 

These include Roger Hooker, Hooked on Events; Elle McMahon, The Ticket Crowd; Jake Vernum, Production Manager; Tess Wilson, IMG; Ben Hardy, REM Events; Jess Noakes, LS Events; Ben Craddock, London Marathon Events; Catherine Bishop, Stable Events; Mark Currie, Royal Highland Show; Kat Brown, Engine No.4; Neil Levene, CarFest; Kim Bickell, CSG Events; Paul Dunstan, Ryder Cup; Frankie Tee, EnTEEtainment; Harry Guthrie, HG Event Production; Joe Nichols, NW Live; Jess Shields, Far and Beyond; Kate Middleton, Bray Leino Events and Rik Weightman, Live Nation.

The award ceremony and dinner will be held at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, London on Thursday 29 January.