Greater London · England
Festival & event paella in Shirley, Greater London
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events makes the food a highlight of your event in Shirley.
- School fairs and fundraisers
- Food and music festivals
- Farmers’ and Christmas markets
Planning an event in Shirley?
Event catering near Shirley
Shirley is about 2 miles north-east of Croydon, in Greater London. We bring festival paella catering to homes, gardens and venues in Shirley and nearby villages. Shirley is one of 764 places in Greater London where we cook. Our events stretch from Shirley to London (8 miles away).
Running a fête for a church like St George The Martyr Church? A paella pan draws people in. Events in parks such as Ashburton Park need permission from the council or landowner, and we’ll send any documents they ask for.
This part of Greater London takes in CR0, SE25 and CR9. Local streets include Poppy Lane, Homer Road and Craven Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Shirley sits on or near the A232, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. If your venue is just outside Shirley, we also cover Monks Orchard (1 mile north), Shirley Oaks (1 mile west), Addiscombe (1 mile west), Ashburton (1 mile north-west) and Woodside (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cater in London (8 miles north), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north-west), Kensington (10 miles north-west), St Pancras (10 miles north) and Shoreditch (10 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include National Psychosis Unit (1 mile east) and Addiscombe (1.2 miles west). Open spaces near Shirley include Duppas Hill and Bramley Bank.
- Local schools include Orchard Way Primary School (0.6 miles east)
- Nearby, you will find The Cricketers pub (less than half a mile west)
Festival paella catering in Shirley, cooked live
Festivals, fairs, markets and community events are all on our list. Typical bookings include country shows and food and music festivals, serving vegan paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella.
In Shirley, street events mean planning access and closures. Tell us the pitch details and timings. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
- Location
- Shirley (CR0, SE25, CR9)
- Region
- Greater London
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Places near Shirley
Also in Shirley
DIY paella versus live catering
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
What we need at the venue
We’ll be honest if a space won’t work, and suggest an alternative. What matters most:
- Your trader pack and site rules
- A pitch away from tents and structures
- A pitch big enough for the pans, burners and serving table
Shirley is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before booking.
On the menu in Shirley
- Giant paella pans
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Churros
- Tapas
Is live paella right for your event?
Crew sandwiches are easy but dull. A hot paella keeps crew going. Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why book with us
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Catering across Greater London, including Shirley
- A quote that spells everything out
See Our prices page Or The cost guide.
What festival paella catering costs
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- The number of people
- Timings and hours
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Parking and unloading
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Details that help
To speed things up, tell us:
- The courses you’d like
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Expected numbers
- The address or venue name
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. When you are ready, send us your details through our quote form.
Events we cater in Shirley
Crew love a hot meal on a long day.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Village fêtes
- School fairs and fundraisers
- Feeding crew and volunteers
- Food and music festivals
For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Elmers End station, about 1.2 miles north.
Questions to ask before you book
- When payment is due
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- How each diet is kept separate
The menu, dish by dish
Chicken & chorizo paella
A crowd-pleaser for meat eaters.
Giant paella pans
It’s the huge pan people come to see.
FAQs for Shirley
What’s the nearest station to Shirley for guests?
Elmers End station, about 1.2 miles north of the centre.
What about parking in Shirley?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We’ll work around it.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
If you need them, yes. Proper crockery or quality disposables are available.
Do you need power?
Let us know what the pitch has and we’ll confirm our needs.
How much is live paella catering?
Every event is quoted individually, based on what you actually want. Tell us your date and numbers and we will reply with a price.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
When should we book?
The sooner the better. Popular dates book up first, so get in touch early.
What areas do you cover?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Step by step
Expect a friendly, organised team. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up the pans and burners, and cook and serve without fuss. Evening events in Shirley have light until about 9:20pm at midsummer; after dark, we need a lit pitch.
- Tell us about the event, the crowd and the pitch.
- You get our stall menu and what we need on site.
- Paperwork goes over in good time.
- We time the first pans for the lunchtime rush.
- When trading ends, the pitch is cleared and left clean.
Before we arrive
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Getting a price
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Check how many portions traders can serve
- Plan seating near the food area
- Plan for vegan and gluten-free visitors
- Send traders one clear trader pack
Allergen details are available at the stall.
Vegan paella alongside the rest.
- 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