Clue: Meal deal might be used by him, if served up with drink shortly beforehand (4,3,5)
Answer: FISH AND CHIPS
Explanation: Definition: Meal
A charade of FI, a reversal ('served up' in a down light) of 'if', plus SHAND[y] ('drink') minus its last letter ('shortly') plus CHIPS (a carpenter, 'deal might be used by him'), with 'beforehand' indicating the order of the particles.