Greater London · England
Festival & event paella in Ilford, Greater London
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 Ilford.
- Village fêtes
- County and country shows
- Music and food festivals
Festival paella catering near Ilford
Festival paella catering in Ilford, made fresh on the day
Organisers can book us as a stall or as caterers for staff, crew, volunteers or VIP areas. We’re frequently asked to cater farmers’ and Christmas markets and agricultural and county shows, with churros, chicken and chorizo paella and giant-pan paella.
Events in Ilford range from street parties and school fairs to markets and festivals. Public spaces normally need council permission, and we will provide what the organiser asks for. You’ll know exactly what’s included before booking: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
- Area
- Ilford (IG1, IG3, IG2, E12)
- County
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Running an event in Ilford
Ilford is about 4 miles east of Leyton, in Greater London. For an event in Ilford, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cater in all 764 towns and villages across Greater London. We cook right across the region, from Ilford to London (8 miles away).
For visitors coming by rail, Ilford station is in Ilford itself. For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as St Alban's Church, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola.
Wherever your event is in IG1, IG3, IG2 and E12, we can bring festival paella catering to you. Whether your event is on Station Road, Axon Place and Hainault Street or anywhere nearby, we’ll bring the pans to you. Ilford sits on or near the A118, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. Nearby, we also cater events in Cranbrook (1 mile north-west), Loxford (1 mile south), Seven Kings (1 mile north-east), Manor Park (1 mile south-west) and Little Ilford (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (8 miles south-west), City of Westminster (10 miles west), Marylebone (10 miles west), Kensington (13 miles west), St Pancras (9 miles west) and Shoreditch (7 miles west).
Well-known places in the area include East Ham (2.1 miles south-west) and Barking Community Hospital (1.8 miles south-east). The countryside around Ilford includes Hollow Pond and Ripple Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Ilford include The Ursuline Academy Ilford (less than half a mile north-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find Great Spoon of Ilford pub (within half a mile west)
The process
The paella is cooked in giant, shallow pans over gas burners. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, and we agree where that is before the day. Summer events in Ilford have daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer and about 7:05pm by late September, so evening trading normally finishes in daylight in high summer. Winter markets, dark by about 3:50pm, need a well-lit pitch.
- Send the event name, expected visitors and pitch size.
- We reply with our menu, prices for visitors and requirements.
- Paperwork goes over in good time.
- We time the first pans for the lunchtime rush.
- At close, we pack down and tidy up.
How to prepare
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Get a quote
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, use our quote form.
Read more
Why choose live paella in Ilford?
Burger and hot dog stalls are familiar but similar. A paella pan stands out. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Why book with us
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Catering across Greater London, including Ilford
- A clear, itemised quote
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
Take a look at Our prices page Or The cost guide.
FAQs for Ilford
Which station should guests use for Ilford?
Ilford station, in Ilford itself.
What about parking in Ilford?
It can be, so tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway. We’ll work around it.
Can you cater for children?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is usually popular with children. Include children in your numbers.
Can vegans eat at your stall?
Yes, always. A vegan paella pan sits alongside the meat and seafood pans.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. We’ll recommend a mix based on diets.
Do you take everything away?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Do you cover Ilford?
Yes, we do. Ilford is one of the places we cover. Send us your date to check availability.
How soon do we need to book?
As soon as you have a date. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
Before you choose a spot
We will agree the cooking spot with you before the day. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- The event’s site rules and timings
- Clearance from tents and gazebos
- Details of power, water and waste arrangements
Ilford is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before booking.
On the menu in Ilford
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Churros
- Vegan paella
- Tapas
- Giant paella pans
Other catering in Ilford
Events we cater in Ilford
It brings theatre to the food court.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Ilford book us for occasions like:
- Food and music festivals
- Open days and community events
- Country shows
- Race days and sports events
If your event is in South Park, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we will supply our paperwork.
Questions to ask before you book
- Who provides the crockery
- Whether VAT is included
- Payment terms and deposit
- Allergen information for each dish
For event organisers in Ilford
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.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we’ll work to it.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Give traders a single information pack
- Ask for allergen information at each stall
- Ask traders about serving speed at peak times
- Ask traders about packaging and waste
We clear the pitch and leave it as we found it.
Catering for crew and VIP areas.
A closer look at the menu
Vegan paella
Vegan visitors get a real meal.
Giant paella pans
A pan the size of a cartwheel, full of saffron rice, cooking in full view.
- 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