Medway · England
Festival Paella Catering for Chatham events
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events for events in Chatham and across Medway.
- Food and music festivals
- County and country shows
- Summer fairs and fêtes
Planning an event in Chatham?
Festival paella catering for your event in Chatham
Paella in a bowl is perfect festival food, standing up or sitting on the grass. Whether it is agricultural and county shows and summer fairs and fêtes, we’ll put together a menu of giant-pan paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella for your guests.
In Chatham, a paella stall gives organisers one trader for many diets. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
DIY paella versus live catering
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
Working with your venue
If you are organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Where we can cook in Chatham
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- A level pitch on firm ground
- Trader information and site rules
- Access for unloading at set-up
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Tapas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Giant paella pans
- Churros
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
Perfect for your event in Chatham
A paella stall draws people into the food area and serves them fast.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Chatham, people book us for events such as:
- Crew, volunteer and VIP catering
- School fairs and fundraisers
- Food and music festivals
- Open days
If your event is in Darland Banks, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we’ll supply our paperwork.
What to look for in a quote
- When payment is due
- The deadline for final numbers
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
The process
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. Your guests will smell it before they see it. At midsummer, events in Chatham stay light until about 9:20pm, so evening trading generally finishes in daylight in high summer. For winter markets, dark by about 3:50pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- It starts with your event details and pitch information.
- We confirm our menu, pitch needs and documents.
- We set up at the agreed time.
- We cook in front of the crowd and serve from the pan all event.
- We pack down and leave the pitch tidy.
Before we arrive
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
Ask for a quote
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
Planning help
Why choose live paella in Chatham?
Burger stalls are common. Paella adds something different. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why us?
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Fast service from the pan
Read Our prices page And The cost guide.
Running an event in Chatham
Chatham is about 29 miles east of London, in Medway. For festival paella catering in Chatham, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. We cook in all 68 towns and villages in Medway. We cook right across the region, from Chatham to Canterbury (24 miles away).
If you’re organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Wayfield Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as Christ the King, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola. Within about 8 miles is the Kent Downs National Landscape, where events may have extra rules on vehicles and waste; we work to the site rules.
Here we cover the ME5, ME4, ME7 and ME1 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Local streets include Luton High Street, Market Place and High Street; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. With the A2 and A229 close by, Chatham is easy for us to reach with everything for your event. If your venue is just outside Chatham, we also cover Luton (1 mile north), Hale (1 mile north-east), Darland (1 mile east), Capstone (1 mile east) and Walderslade (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Rochester (3 miles north-west), Rainham (3 miles east), Strood (3 miles north-west), Park Wood (3 miles east), Twydall (3 miles north-east) and Hoo St Werburgh (5 miles north). Being one of Medway’s larger places, Chatham has plenty of venues and gardens for events.
Well-known places in the area include Medway Maritime Hospital (1.7 miles north) and Six Poor Travellers House (2.5 miles north-west). Not far away are Blue Bell Hill and Burham Down.
- Local schools include Walderslade Girls' School (within half a mile south-west) and Walderslade Girls' School (less than half a mile south-west)
- Local pubs include The Huntsman pub (0.9 miles north-west)
- Other local spots include Chatham Free Library (1.6 miles north) and City of Rochester-upon-Medway (2.9 miles north-west)
Dietary needs and planning tips
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Send traders one clear trader pack
- Put picnic tables near the traders
- Ask traders about packaging and waste
- Plan for vegan and gluten-free visitors
If crew or volunteer meals are booked, they’re served at the agreed times.
Bowls and forks for eating on the go.
Chatham questions
Can you cook in Darland Banks?
Only if the landowner, usually the council, allows it. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
Do you cater in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Is halal food available?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and we will cook a separate pan.
Can we book you as a trader?
Send us the event details, dates and pitch information, and we will check availability.
Can you cook in the rain?
Rain doesn’t stop us, as long as there’s a ventilated cover. We’ll talk it through before the day.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Do you do desserts?
Yes. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana, or you can serve your own cake.
Do you do crew catering?
Yes. Crew, volunteer and VIP catering is available, with or without a public stall.
What festival paella catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- How many guests are eating
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Timings and hours
Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
What we need to know
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Expected numbers
- Where the event is
- The courses you’d like
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Tell us about your event in Chatham, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Also in Chatham
- Cooked live in giant pans at your event
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options
- Paella, tapas, canapés and desserts
- Sangria, bar staff, crockery and waiting staff