Kent · England
Festival Paella Catering for Marlpit Hill events
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Marlpit Hill. We cook from scratch on site, then served hot from the pan.
- VIP and hospitality areas
- Open days and community events
- Country shows
Planning an event in Marlpit Hill?
Before you choose a spot
We will be honest if a space won’t work, and help find another spot. The main points are:
- Vehicle access to the pitch at set-up and break-down
- The event’s site rules and timings
- Clear information on power, water and waste
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
What we offer
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Giant paella pans
- Vegan paella
- Tapas
- Churros
About our festival paella catering in Marlpit Hill
Because paella is cooked in big batches, it handles lunchtime rushes well. Portions are served in seconds. Typical bookings include country shows and crew, volunteer and VIP catering, serving seafood paella, churros and chicken and chorizo paella.
A fête near Marlpit Hill might be on a field with no mains power; tell us what’s available and we’ll plan around it. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
Running an event in Marlpit Hill
Marlpit Hill is about 7 miles north-east of East Grinstead, in Kent. Whether your event is in the middle of Marlpit Hill or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cook in 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for London, about 21 miles away.
Running a fête for a church like Church of St Peter and St Paul? A paella pan draws people in. For visitors coming by rail, Edenbridge station is in Marlpit Hill itself. Events in and around the High Weald National Landscape, within about 8 miles of Marlpit Hill, frequently have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we work to the site rules.
Here we cover the TN8 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. From Pit Lane, Main Road and Meadow Lane or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. For events just outside Marlpit Hill, we cover Mowshurst (1 mile east), Edenbridge (1 mile south), Troy Town (1 mile west), Pootings (1 mile north-east) and Four Elms (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Sevenoaks (7 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (10 miles south-east), Tonbridge (9 miles east), Swanley (14 miles north), Kings Hill (15 miles east) and Paddock Wood (14 miles east).
Well-known places in the area include Haxted Watermill Museum (1.9 miles south-west) and Hever Castle (2.8 miles south-east).
- Nearby, you’ll find The Swan pub (within half a mile north-west)
Organising for someone else?
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We’ll provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
Nearby places to Marlpit Hill
Also in Marlpit Hill
Why choose festival paella catering in Marlpit Hill?
It copes with peak times, thanks to big-batch cooking.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Race days and sports events
- Agricultural and county shows
- Seasonal markets
- Food and music festivals
School fairs, for a school like Edenbridge Primary School, are a natural fit for a paella stall.
Questions to ask before you book
- Who provides the crockery
- How late numbers can change
- VAT, if it applies
- The wet-weather plan
Should I cook it myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
What’s in the pans
Giant paella pans
Huge pans of golden rice, cooking in full view.
Chicken & chorizo paella
A hearty, smoky pan, popular with families.
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Ask for allergen information at each stall
- Check traders’ packaging and waste plans
- Give traders a single information pack
- Put picnic tables near the traders
We keep our pitch tidy and safe.
Churros and tapas can join the menu.
How it works
The cooking is part of the entertainment. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring. For an evening event in Marlpit Hill, sunset is about 8:50pm in late May and 9:20pm in late June; after that, the pitch needs good lighting.
- Organisers send us the event details, dates and pitch information.
- We confirm what we will serve, our pitch needs and any paperwork.
- On the day, we arrive and set up our pitch.
- The paella cooks in full view, and we serve from the pan through the event.
- At the end, we clear our pitch.
How to prepare
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Get a quote
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
Read more
Prices and what affects them
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- How many guests are eating
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Parking and unloading
- Timings and hours
Larger events typically cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Getting an accurate quote
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The date and time of the event
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
Marlpit Hill: your questions answered
Is Marlpit Hill close to London?
About 21 miles from central London.
Do you trade at school fairs around Marlpit Hill?
Yes, with the school’s permission. Send us the date, pitch and expected numbers.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, in front of your guests.
How soon do we need to book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so contact us early.
Is halal food available?
Yes, we do. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Generally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. Some venues have suitable spaces; we will check with you and the venue.
How much space do you need?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
How long do you need on site?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
- 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