Medway · England
Festival Paella Catering in Gillingham
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 Gillingham.
- Village fêtes and summer fairs
- Farmers’ and Christmas markets
- Community events and open days
Festival paella catering for Gillingham events
Festival paella catering in Gillingham, made fresh on the day
Organisers can book us as a stall or as caterers for staff, crew, volunteers or VIP areas. Whether it is music and food festivals and race days and sports events, we’ll put together a menu of chicken and chorizo paella, churros and seafood paella.
Markets, fairs and festivals happen across Gillingham. A paella stall draws a crowd and serves fast. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Community events around Gillingham
Gillingham is about 30 miles east of London, in Medway. Anywhere in ME8, we can cook for your guests. Gillingham is one of 68 places in Medway we cover. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 23 miles away.
School fairs, for a school like Featherby Junior School, are a natural fit for a paella stall. For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as Holy Trinity Church, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola. Events in and around the Kent Downs National Landscape, within about 8 miles of Gillingham, often have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we work to the site rules.
Anywhere in ME8, ME7, ME4 and ME5, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. We can cater an event on streets such as Leeds Square, London Road and Dorset Square. Gillingham sits on or near the A2 and A231, which makes travel to your event easy. Nearby, we also cater events in Twydall (1 mile east), Lower Twydall (1 mile north-east), Grange (1 mile north), Darland (1 mile south-west) and Hale (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Rochester (4 miles west), Strood (4 miles west), Lordswood (3 miles south-west), Hoo St Werburgh (4 miles north), Rochester Riverside (3 miles north-west) and Walderslade (3 miles south-west). Being one of Medway’s larger places, Gillingham has lots of places to hold an event.
Well-known places in the area include Medway Maritime Hospital (1.6 miles west) and Six Poor Travellers House (3.3 miles west). Open spaces near Gillingham include Blue Bell Hill and Bishop Saltings.
- Local schools include The Robert Napier School (0.8 miles north-west) and The Robert Napier School (0.8 miles north-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Star pub (0.6 miles west)
- Other local spots include Chatham Free Library (1.9 miles west)
Paella compared with other options
Burger and hot dog stalls are familiar but similar. A paella pan stands out. There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Gillingham
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
Take a look at Our pricing Or The cost guide.
FAQs for Gillingham
How far is Gillingham from London?
About 30 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Do you trade at school fairs around Gillingham?
Yes, with the school’s permission. Tell us the date and pitch details.
Do you cater in Gillingham?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Gillingham and the rest of Medway. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
Can you trade at our festival or fair?
Send us the details, and we will confirm availability and requirements.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
Yes, on request. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Can you cook halal paella?
We can. Let us know your halal numbers, and we’ll cook a separate pan.
When do you arrive?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance.
A closer look at the menu
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid.
Chicken & chorizo paella
A hearty, smoky pan.
Organising for someone else?
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
Organising a club, school or community event in Gillingham? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
Prices and what affects them
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- The paellas you choose
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- How many staff you need
- Timings and hours
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, along with staff, extras and travel. We quote for each event individually.
What we need to know
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- What the venue already provides
- The date and time of the event
- The venue or postcode
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. When you are ready, send us your details through our quote form.
More for events in Gillingham
Perfect for your event in Gillingham
It feeds crew and volunteers well.
Whatever you’re celebrating in Gillingham, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Seasonal markets
- Charity and school events
- Race days and sports events
- Village fêtes and summer fairs
Events in parks such as Ambley Wood need permission from the council or landowner, and we’ll send any documents they ask for.
What to look for in a quote
- The venue requirements
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Travel and parking costs
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
How the day works
Expect a friendly, organised team. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up the pans and burners, and get on with cooking and serving. At midsummer, events in Gillingham stay light until about 9:20pm, which helps evening trading. For winter markets, dark by about 3:50pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- First, we check the dates.
- We agree what we will serve and where.
- We set up our burners and pans.
- The first pans are ready as visitors arrive.
- We serve, then pack down.
Before we arrive
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Leave space around the cooking area
How to get a price
To get a price, use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Read more
Planning for every diet
We take diets and allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Check how many portions traders can serve
- Feed crew and volunteers at set times
- Put all trader information in one pack
- Ask traders about packaging and waste
Allergen information is available at the stall, and each pan is labelled.
Larger pans for peak times.
- 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