Greater London · England
Festival Paella Catering in Chinatown
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events makes the food a highlight of your event in Chinatown.
- Seasonal markets
- Village fêtes
- Food and music festivals
Book festival paella catering in Chinatown
How our festival paella catering works in Chinatown
We arrive with our equipment and follow the site rules, from arrival times to waste. Typical bookings include open days and festivals, serving churros, seafood paella and giant-pan paella.
London street parties and fairs in Chinatown need careful planning around road closures and access. Tell us the pitch details and timings. The paella is served straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and a queue moves quickly.
- Area
- Chinatown (W1F, W1D, W1T)
- County
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quote
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Who books festival paella catering in Chinatown?
It adds theatre to a food line-up.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Chinatown book us for events such as:
- Race days and sports events
- Country shows
- Open days and community events
- Music and food festivals
For visitors coming by rail, Tottenham Court Road station is in Chinatown itself.
What your quote should include
- How bad weather is handled
- Space, access and power needs
- Whether travel is included
- When final numbers are due
Why choose live paella in Chinatown?
Most street food is cooked one order at a time. Paella is batch-cooked and served fast, keeping queues short. There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
What you get with us
- A quote that spells everything out
- We cover Chinatown and the whole of Greater London
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
Take a look at How we price And The cost guide.
Prices and what affects them
There are no hidden charges: the quote reflects:
- Distance and access to the venue
- How many courses
- The paellas you choose
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Details that help
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- The venue or postcode
- The courses you’d like
- A picture of the space, if you can
- Diets and allergies you know about
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Agree waste arrangements with traders
- Ask about peak-time capacity
- Ask for allergen information at each stall
- Plan seating near the food area
If crew or volunteer meals are booked, they’re served at the agreed times.
Vegan paella alongside the rest.
Common questions in Chinatown
Which station should guests use for Chinatown?
Chinatown has its own station: Tottenham Court Road station.
What about parking in Chinatown?
It can be, so tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway. We’ll plan unloading around it.
Do you cater in Chinatown?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Chinatown is within our area. For a quote, use our quote form.
What does festival paella catering cost?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Can you cater for crew and volunteers?
Yes. We can cook for crew, volunteers or a hospitality area as well as, or instead of, a public stall.
What do you need at the venue?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Do you do vegan paella?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
Organising for someone else?
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Running an event in Chinatown
Chinatown is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Across the W1F area, we can bring the pans to you. Chinatown is one of 764 places in Greater London we cover.
If your event is in St Anne's Churchyard, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we will supply our paperwork. If you are organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Soho Parish CofE Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
We cater events across the W1F, W1D and W1T postcode area. Local streets include Duck Lane, Drury Lane and Bruton Lane; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. You’ll find Chinatown on the A4 and A301, so it is easy for us to reach with the van and pans. Nearby, we also cater events in Soho (1 mile north), St James's (1 mile south), West End (1 mile north-east), Seven Dials (1 mile north-east) and St Giles (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Kensington (3 miles west), Shoreditch (3 miles north-east), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hoxton (3 miles north-east), Whitechapel (3 miles east) and Hampstead (4 miles north-west).
A little further out are St James Workhouse (less than half a mile north-west) and Leverian collection (under half a mile south-east). Green spaces nearby include Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
- Schools near Chinatown include LITE Regal International School (0.6 miles west) and Harris Westminster Sixth Form (0.8 miles south)
- Nearby, you will find Waxy O'Connor's pub (within half a mile south-west)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include London Library (under half a mile south-west) and Westminster St James (less than half a mile south-west)
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
What happens on the day
Serving is fast: we serve straight from the pan, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. At midsummer, events in Chinatown stay light until about 9:20pm, which helps evening trading. For winter markets, dark by about 3:55pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- Send the event name, expected visitors and pitch size.
- We reply with our menu, prices for visitors and requirements.
- We send the documents the event asks for.
- We time the first pans for the lunchtime rush.
- At close, we pack down and tidy up.
Preparing for the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
How to get a price
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Places near Chinatown
Other catering in Chinatown
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so we need a suitable spot. Here’s what we look for:
- Flat, firm ground
- Spacing from tents and other structures
- Trader information and site rules
As a London location, Chinatown is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Giant paella pans
- Churros
- Tapas
- Seafood paella
- 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