Kent · England
Festival & event paella in Chilham, Kent
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Chilham. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, then served hot from the pan.
- Open days
- Sports club events
- Seasonal markets
Live festival paella catering in Chilham
How our festival paella catering works in Chilham
Paella in a bowl is perfect festival food, on the move or on a picnic rug. We are often asked to cater school fairs and fundraisers and community events and open days, with vegan paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella.
A fête near Chilham might be on a field with no mains power; tell us what’s available and we’ll plan around it. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, not reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
Chilham: your questions answered
How far is Chilham from London?
Roughly 49 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cook at venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We will follow the site rules.
How do you work out quantities?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a sensible margin. Accurate numbers help.
Can you cater for children?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
Can you cook in the rain?
We cook under cover, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We plan for rain with you in advance.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
Is the paella gluten-free?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
Do you do crew catering?
We can. We can cook for crew, volunteers or a hospitality area as well as, or instead of, a public stall.
What happens on the day
Serving is fast: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so even a long queue moves. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. Summer events in Chilham have daylight until about 9:15pm at midsummer and about 7:00pm by late September, so evening trading normally finishes in daylight in high summer. For winter markets, dark by about 3:50pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- Send us your event details and pitch information.
- We confirm menu, pitch needs and documents.
- We set up on time.
- We cook and serve throughout.
- We pack down and tidy the pitch.
Before we arrive
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
How to get a price
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
How we price festival paella catering
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Your choice of paellas
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Getting an accurate quote
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what to include:
- The courses you’d like
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- The address or venue name
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, use our quote form.
Chilham events: pitches and permissions
Chilham is about 5 miles south-west of Canterbury, in Kent. For festival paella catering in Chilham, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Chilham. Chilham is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook.
Events in parks such as Broadham Down need permission from the council or landowner, and we will send any documents they ask for. If you’re organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Chilham, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Events in and around the Kent Downs National Landscape, within about 5 miles of Chilham, often have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we’ll follow the site’s requirements.
We cater events across CT4. Whether your event is on The Street, The Square and Bagham Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Nearby, we also cater events in Mountain Street (1 mile south-west), Old Wives Lees (1 mile north), Godmersham (2 miles south), Shottenden (2 miles west) and Perrywood (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cater in Ashford (8 miles south-west), Canterbury (5 miles north-east), Sittingbourne (12 miles north-west), Folkestone (14 miles south-east), Whitstable (8 miles north) and Faversham (6 miles north-west).
Nearby you’ll also find Kent and Canterbury Hospital (5.3 miles east) and Chilham Castle (under half a mile west). Not far away are Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
- Pubs nearby include Woolpack Inn (under half a mile west)
About the dishes
Giant paella pans
It is the huge pan people come to see.
Vegan paella
Vegans get a hot, filling dish.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Working with your venue
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
What we need at the venue
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- Details of power, water and waste arrangements
- Vehicle access to the pitch at set-up and break-down
- Spacing from tents and other structures
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
On the menu in Chilham
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Tapas
- Churros
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Giant paella pans
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Crew sandwiches are easy but dull. A hot paella keeps crew going. Got a budget? Let us know, and we will put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why Chilham hosts choose us
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- We cover Chilham and the whole of Kent
See Our pricing Or The cost guide.
Places near Chilham
What else we do in Chilham
Diets, allergies and planning
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Ask traders about serving speed at peak times
- Plan for vegan and gluten-free visitors
- Put all trader information in one pack
- Ask for allergen information at each stall
We arrive at the agreed time and set up our pitch.
Crew, volunteer and VIP catering.
- 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