Kent · England
Festival Paella Catering for Highsted events
We cook paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Highsted and nearby, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Crew, volunteer and VIP catering
- Open days and community events
- Charity and school events
Live festival paella catering in Highsted
Is live paella right for your event?
Hot-cabinet food lacks theatre. Paella cooking in full view sells itself. Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
Why Highsted hosts choose us
- A clear, itemised quote
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
Take a look at Our pricing And The cost guide.
Festival paella catering in Highsted, made fresh on the day
One paella stall covers many diets: meat, seafood and vegan pans side by side. That simplifies your food line-up. We’re often asked to cater open days and community events and farmers’ and Christmas markets, with vegan paella, chicken and chorizo paella and giant-pan paella.
At a field event near Highsted, power and water may be limited; tell us what’s available and we’ll plan around it. Timings are planned around your event, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
What’s in the pans
Vegan paella
Vegan visitors get a real meal.
Seafood paella
A seafood pan with prawns and mussels.
Towns and villages near Highsted
More for events in Highsted
Questions from Highsted
Can you cook at venues 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.
Do you come out to small places like Highsted?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cater for crew and volunteers?
Yes, at set times to suit your schedule. Send us numbers and times.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
Do you do vegan paella?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
Is it really cooked live?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
How do you work out quantities?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Tell us what else is being served. Our guide to portions explains more.
Community events around Highsted
Highsted is about 2 miles south of Sittingbourne, in Kent. Across the ME9 area, we will come to your venue or garden. We cater in all 922 towns and villages across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 15 miles away.
For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as Church of St Nicholas, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola. For visitors coming by rail, Sittingbourne station is about 1.6 miles away. Events in and around the Kent Downs National Landscape, within about 6 miles of Highsted, often have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we work to the site rules.
For festival paella catering in ME9, we plan around your venue and your guests. Whether your event is on Stockers Hill and Highsted Road or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. If your venue is just outside Highsted, we also cover Rodmersham Green (1 mile east), Rodmersham (1 mile east), Tunstall (1 mile west), Bapchild (1 mile east) and Dungate (1 mile south). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (10 miles west), Ashford (13 miles south-east), Canterbury (15 miles east), Whitstable (13 miles east), Faversham (6 miles east) and Minster (7 miles north).
A little further out are Sittingbourne and Milton Urban District (2.2 miles north) and Sittingbourne Heritage Museum (1.4 miles north).
- Schools near Highsted include Fulston Manor School (1 mile north)
What festival paella catering costs
These are the factors that matter most:
- The length of service
- The number of people
- Your choice of paellas
- Starters, canapés and desserts
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Getting an accurate quote
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- The date and rough timings
- The courses you’d like
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The address or venue name
To get a price, fill in our quote form. Tell us about your event in Highsted, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Occasions we cook for in Highsted
One trader, many diets.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Highsted, people book us for occasions like:
- Sports club events
- Festivals
- Open days
- Village fêtes
If you’re organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Rodmersham School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
What your quote should include
- When payment is due
- Staff numbers and hours
- The deadline for final numbers
- Who provides the crockery
How the day works
Watching it cook is half the fun. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook. For an evening event in Highsted, sunset is about 8:50pm in late May and 9:15pm in late June; after that, the pitch needs good lighting.
- Send us your event details and pitch information.
- We send our menu, needs and paperwork.
- We arrive and set up at the agreed time.
- We cook and serve throughout.
- We clear and leave the pitch clean.
How to prepare
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Getting a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, use our quote form.
Related guides
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Pitch space for cooking and serving
- Firm, level ground
- Clearance from tents and gazebos
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think.
What we offer
- Giant paella pans
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Churros
- Tapas
DIY paella versus live catering
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
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.
Diets, allergies and planning
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Make allergen information visible at every stall
- Book crew catering in advance
- Plan seating near the food area
- Give traders a single information pack
Pans cook in full view, and serve from the pan throughout the event.
Extra pans for busy periods.
- 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