Greater London · England
Festival & event paella in Poplar, Greater London
Love Paella cooks paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events across Poplar and Greater London, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Village fêtes
- Feeding crew and volunteers
- School fairs and fundraisers
Planning an event in Poplar?
Organising for someone else?
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Festival paella catering for your event in Poplar
Because paella is cooked in big batches, it handles lunchtime rushes well. Each portion takes seconds to serve. Whether it’s sports clubs and race days and agricultural and county shows, we can cook chicken and chorizo paella, vegan paella and giant-pan paella for your guests.
London street parties and fairs in Poplar need careful planning around road closures and access. Tell us the pitch details and timings. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
- Location
- Poplar (E14, SE16, E22)
- Region
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Nearby places to Poplar
More for events in Poplar
Running an event in Poplar
Poplar is about 2 miles south-west of Plaistow, in Greater London. Whether your event is in the middle of Poplar or on the outskirts, festival paella catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. Poplar is one of 764 places in Greater London we cover.
For visitors coming by rail, Poplar has its own station, Canary Wharf station. Events in parks such as Bartlett Park need permission from the council or landowner, and we’ll send any documents they ask for.
We cook at events all over the E14, SE16 and E22 postcode area and the streets around it. Local streets include Market Way, Castor Lane and Dockyard Lane; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. You’ll find Poplar on the A102 and A1261, so it’s easy for us to reach with the van and pans. If your venue is just outside Poplar, we also cover London Docklands (1 mile south), Canary Wharf (1 mile south-west), Heron Quays (1 mile south-west), Coldharbour (1 mile south-east) and Blackwall (1 mile east). We also cook in nearby towns such as London (3 miles west), City of Westminster (6 miles west), Marylebone (6 miles west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (5 miles west) and Shoreditch (3 miles north-west).
A little further out are Poplar Hospital (0.6 miles north-east) and Surrey Quays Shopping Centre (1.5 miles south-west). Open spaces near Poplar include Lavender Pond and St. James's Park Lake.
- Local schools include Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Primary School (under half a mile north) and Langdon Park Secondary School (0.6 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Ledger Building pub (less than half a mile west)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Holy Trinity (1.8 miles north-west)
The process
When we arrive, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. Evening events in Poplar have light until about 9:20pm at midsummer; after dark, we need a lit pitch.
- Tell us about the event and pitch.
- We send our menu, needs and paperwork.
- We set up on time.
- We cook in full view and serve all event.
- We clear and leave the pitch clean.
Getting ready for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
Ask for a quote
To get a price, fill in our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Related guides
FAQs for Poplar
Could we have live paella in Bartlett Park?
Only if the landowner, normally the council, allows it. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
Which station should guests use for Poplar?
Poplar has its own station: Canary Wharf station.
Will there be enough food?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Usually we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Where do you cater?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Poplar.
How long do you need on site?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance.
Do you cover Poplar?
Yes, we do. Poplar is one of the places we cover. Tell us your date and we will check availability.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, then serve straight from the pan.
How we price festival paella catering
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- The length of service
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Your choice of paellas
- The number of people
The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
What we need to know
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Which courses you have in mind
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Expected numbers
- A picture of where we’d cook
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will come back with a clear quote.
Where we can cook in Poplar
Every venue is different, so we will ask about yours before we confirm. Generally, we look for:
- Trader information and site rules
- Pitch space for cooking and serving
- Clear information on power, water and waste
As a London location, Poplar is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Giant paella pans
- Seafood paella
- Tapas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Churros
Perfect for your event in Poplar
It works at small fêtes and big festivals.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- VIP and hospitality areas
- County and country shows
- Festivals
- Open days and community events
Running a fête for a church like St Peter's Church? A paella pan draws people in.
What your quote should include
- Who provides the crockery
- How bad weather is handled
- What the price includes, item by item
- Whether travel is included
Live paella or other catering?
For crew catering, sandwiches are easy but uninspiring. A hot meal keeps crew happy. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Why Poplar hosts choose us
- A quote that spells everything out
- Events in Poplar and across Greater London
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Real theatre, not just catering
Take a look at How we price Or The cost guide.
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Plan seating near the food area
- Send traders one clear trader pack
- Make allergen information visible at every stall
- Ask traders about packaging and waste
Pans cook in full view, serving throughout the event.
Larger pans for peak times.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
- 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