Greater London · England
Festival Paella Catering for Downe events
Planning festival paella catering in Downe? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Country shows
- Community events and open days
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
Live festival paella catering in Downe
Festival paella catering in Downe, cooked live
Festivals, fairs, markets and community events are all on our list. Whether it is charity and school events and feeding crew and volunteers, we will put together a menu of giant-pan paella, seafood paella and churros.
Events in Downe range from street parties and school fairs to markets and festivals. Organisers generally need council permission for public spaces, and we’ll send whatever the organiser needs. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
- Area
- Downe (BR6)
- County
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
What festival paella catering costs
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- How many guests are eating
- How many staff you need
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- The paellas you choose
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
What we need to know
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but these help:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The venue or postcode
- Which courses you have in mind
- A picture of where we’d cook
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. Just use our quote form.
Questions from Downe
Do you cater in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
Can you run a stall at a school fair in Downe?
Yes, if the school is happy for us to cook on site. Send us the date, pitch and expected numbers.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and meat eaters often go back for seconds. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
How much paella per person?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
Can you cater for children?
Children are welcome. Let us know numbers and ages, and we’ll plan a pan with them in mind.
What does festival paella catering cost?
We quote for each event, so you only pay for what you need. Tell us your date and numbers and we will reply with a price.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
What areas do you cover?
We cater across London and the South East, including Greater London. Find your area.
How the day works
Expect a friendly, organised team. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up the pans and burners, and get on with cooking and serving. At midsummer, events in Downe stay light until about 9:20pm, which helps evening trading. For winter markets, dark by about 3:55pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- We check your dates.
- We agree what we will serve and where.
- Burners and pans go up.
- Pans are cooking as gates open.
- We serve, then pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Space, weather and the venue
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- Trader information and site rules
- Room for our cooking and serving area
- Details of power, water and waste arrangements
Downe is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
On the menu in Downe
- Churros
- Tapas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Giant paella pans
- Vegan paella
Occasions we cook for in Downe
It covers several diets with one trader, which saves pitches.
Whatever you are celebrating in Downe, live paella can be the centrepiece. We frequently cook for:
- Food and music festivals
- School and charity events
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
- Open days and community events
School fairs, for a school like Downe Primary School, are a natural fit for a paella stall.
Before booking anyone
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- The deposit and payment dates
- Travel and parking costs
- Exactly what’s included in the price
Working with your venue
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Tell us what your venue needs and we’ll work to it.
Running an event in Downe
Downe is about 4 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. Events in Downe are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. We cook in 764 places across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Downe to London (13 miles away).
Running a fête for a church like St Mary's Church? A paella pan draws people in. For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Chelsfield station, about 2.6 miles north-east. Events in and around the Kent Downs National Landscape, within about 6 miles of Downe, frequently have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we work to the site rules.
Festival paella catering in BR6 is planned around your venue. Local streets include High Street, North End Lane and Belle Vue Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Close by, we cover events in Farthing Street (1 mile north-west), Hazelwood (1 mile east), Luxted (1 mile south), Leaves Green (1 mile west) and Single Street (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include London (13 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (15 miles north-west), Shoreditch (14 miles north-west) and Hoxton (15 miles north-west).
Nearby you’ll also find Crofton Roman Villa (2.7 miles north-east) and Princess Royal University Hospital (1.8 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Downe Bank Nature Reserve and Betsom's Hill.
- Local schools include Charles Darwin School (1.8 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include The Queens Head pub (within half a mile south)
Diets, allergies and planning
Nearly every event has some special diets. To cater well for them:
- Provide seating near the food
- Plan for vegan and gluten-free visitors
- Make allergen information visible at every stall
- Agree waste arrangements with traders
We keep our pitch tidy and safe throughout the day.
Tapas and churros can be added to a stall menu.
DIY paella versus live catering
Some hosts like to cook themselves. 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.
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.
Live paella or other catering?
Food that sits in a hot cabinet is not much to look at. Paella cooking in full view sells itself. Larger events generally cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Why Downe hosts choose us
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Drinks service on request
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
Read Our pricing Or What paella catering costs.
Nearby places to Downe
What else we do in Downe
- 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