Kent · England
Festival Paella Catering in Dargate
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Dargate. We cook from scratch on site, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Sports clubs and race days
- School and charity events
- Farmers’ and Christmas markets
Festival paella catering for Dargate events
How the day works
On the day, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. Summer events in Dargate have daylight until about 9:15pm at midsummer and about 7:00pm by late September, so evening trading typically finishes in daylight in high summer. Winter markets, dark by about 3:50pm, need a well-lit pitch.
- Send us your event details and pitch information.
- We confirm menu, pitch needs and documents.
- We set up on time.
- We cook in full view and serve all event.
- We clear and leave the pitch clean.
Getting ready for the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Tell us when you want to eat
How to get a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. Just send us your details through our quote form.
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Festival paella catering in Dargate, made fresh on the day
Nothing draws a festival crowd like a giant paella. People follow the smell, and service from the pan is fast. We’re frequently asked to cater feeding crew and volunteers and seasonal markets, with giant-pan paella, churros and vegan paella.
Rural events near Dargate can be a long way from food outlets, so a hot-food stall is a big help. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
Paella compared with other options
Most street food is cooked one order at a time. Paella is cooked in big batches and served from the pan, keeping queues short. Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.
Why us?
- We cover Dargate and the whole of Kent
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Drinks service on request
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
What affects the price in Dargate
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- Your choice of paellas
- Guest numbers
- How many courses
- Parking and unloading
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Getting an accurate quote
To speed things up, tell us:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Where the event is
- Expected numbers
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
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 will do the cooking.
FAQs for Dargate
Can you cook near the sea around Dargate?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Could we have live paella in Mount Ephraim Gardens?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Do you come to Dargate?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, including Dargate. For a quote, use our quote form.
Do you provide drinks?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Do you need water?
Send pitch details and we’ll confirm.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
Yes, on request. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
How much is live paella catering?
Every event is quoted individually, based on what you actually want. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas and we’ll reply with a price.
Towns and villages near Dargate
Other catering in Dargate
Community events around Dargate
Dargate is about 4 miles south-west of Whitstable, in Kent. We bring festival paella catering to gardens, halls and venues around Dargate. Dargate is one of 922 places in Kent we cover.
Running a fête for a church like Church of St Michael? A paella pan draws people in. School fairs, for a school like Hernhill Church of England Primary School, are a natural fit for a paella stall. The coast is within about 4 miles of Dargate, so for seaside events we plan a sheltered pitch.
Anywhere in ME13, we can bring festival paella catering to you. Your event could be at a home on Butler's Hill and Plumpudding Lane or the roads around them. Other places close to Dargate for festival paella catering include Hernhill (1 mile south-west), Waterham (1 mile north), Highstreet (1 mile north-east), Slutshole (1 mile south-west) and Staplestreet (1 mile south-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Ashford (13 miles south), Canterbury (5 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (11 miles west), Whitstable (4 miles north-east), Faversham (4 miles west) and Herne Bay (8 miles north-east).
A little further out are Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital (4.5 miles north-east) and Tankerton Castle (4.2 miles north-east). Open spaces near Dargate include Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
- Local pubs include Red Lion pub (0.8 miles south-west)
Perfect for your event in Dargate
It brings theatre to the food court.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Country shows
- Sports clubs and race days
- Village fêtes and summer fairs
- Music and food festivals
Events in parks such as Mount Ephraim Gardens need permission from the council or landowner, and we’ll send any documents they ask for.
What to look for in a quote
- When payment is due
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
Working with your venue
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work to it.
About the dishes
Vegan paella
Vegan paella cooked separately.
Seafood paella
The seafood pan is a festival favourite.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Here’s how:
- Check every diet is covered by the line-up
- Book crew catering in advance
- Put picnic tables near the traders
- Ask about peak-time capacity
Pans cook in full view, and serve from the pan throughout the event.
Bowl food for easy eating on the move.
- 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