Food Truck Hire for Photoshoots: Radio Times x Gladiators
- Client
- Radio Times
- Photographer
- Lily Cobbold
- Location
- Sheffield Arena
- Date
- July 2026
- Type
- Editorial photoshoot
When Radio Times needed a backdrop to introduce four new Gladiators to the nation, photographer Lily Cobbold wanted something bold, playful and unmistakably British. Her answer was a food truck, and ours was the one that fitted, in every sense.
The brief
Lily was commissioned to shoot a Radio Times spread unveiling the newest Gladiators joining the BBC show. Her reference was the work of Martin Parr: saturated colour, hard flash, sharp shadows and the gloriously messy side of British leisure, from spilt ice cream to sauce-smeared napkins.
A food truck was the perfect stage for that look. But the shoot location had very tight access in and out, so the truck needed to be compact as well as photogenic. Lily found us online, and our small, easy-to-manoeuvre truck was exactly what the space allowed.
Branding: Buns of Steel
Lily rebranded the truck to suit the scene, renaming it "Buns of Steel", a nod to the Gladiators' famously sculpted physiques.
Normally, clients send us their artwork, our print partners produce the signage, and we deliver the truck fully branded. This booking came in with only days to spare, which wasn't enough time for our usual production run. So Lily arranged the printing herself, and we fitted the branding on site on the morning of the shoot. Tight deadline, same result.
On the day
Each Gladiator was called in one by one to pose in front of the truck with a mix of props: ketchup bottles, real hot dogs, a megaphone and a selection of cartoonish, circus-style extras. The result was fun, a little bit silly, and exactly the energy the spread needed.
What the photographer said
“Thank you so much for all your help! Honestly appreciate it, you were great and the cart looked amazing.”
Need a food truck for a photoshoot?
Whether it's a magazine spread, an ad campaign or a product shoot, our compact food truck fits where others can't, and we can brand it to suit any concept. We deliver anywhere in the UK and we're always on site on the day.