Kent · England
Festival Paella Catering for South Alkham events
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 South Alkham.
- Food and music festivals
- County and country shows
- Race days and sports events
Book festival paella catering in South Alkham
Dietary needs and planning tips
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Ask about peak-time capacity
- Plan for vegan and gluten-free visitors
- Schedule crew meals
- Put picnic tables near the traders
We clear the pitch and leave it as we found it.
Extra pans for busy periods.
Festival paella catering in South Alkham, made fresh on the day
We arrive with our equipment and follow the site rules, from arrival times to waste. Popular choices include seafood paella, churros and chicken and chorizo paella, and typical bookings are for country shows and farmers’ and Christmas markets.
A fête near South Alkham might be on a field with no mains power; tell us what’s available and we’ll plan around it. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
Nearby places to South Alkham
More for events in South Alkham
How we price festival paella catering
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Distance and access to the venue
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- How long we are needed on site
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We will send you a quote.
Details that help
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Where the event is
- The date and time of the event
- A picture of where we’d cook
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
The menu, dish by dish
Chicken & chorizo paella
Popular with families.
Giant paella pans
The huge pan is the star.
Paella compared with other options
For crew catering, sandwiches are easy but uninspiring. A hot paella keeps crew going. Larger events normally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why choose Love Paella in South Alkham
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- A clear, itemised quote
Take a look at How we price Or What paella catering costs.
Events we cater in South Alkham
It feeds crew and volunteers well on a long day.
These are some of the occasions we cater:
- Race days and sports events
- Village fêtes and summer fairs
- Charity and school events
- Open days and community events
If your event is in Sladden Wood, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we will supply our paperwork.
Questions to ask before you book
- Allergen information for each dish
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
South Alkham questions
Is South Alkham too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Can you cook near the sea around South Alkham?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and we will cook a separate pan.
Will there be enough food?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a sensible margin. Accurate numbers help.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
What happens if it rains?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
How far ahead should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Even if it is short notice, it’s worth asking.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
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.
Where we can cook in South Alkham
We’ll be honest if a space won’t work, and suggest an alternative. The main points are:
- Clear information on power, water and waste
- Room for our cooking and serving area
- Flat, firm ground
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Tapas
- Giant paella pans
- Churros
How it works
On the day, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so we time everything to your schedule. At midsummer, events in South Alkham stay light until about 9:15pm, which helps evening trading. Winter markets, dark by about 3:50pm, need a well-lit pitch.
- We check your dates.
- We agree what we will serve and where.
- We set up our burners and pans.
- The first pans are ready as visitors arrive.
- We serve, then clear the pitch at the end.
Preparing for the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Planning help
Community events around South Alkham
South Alkham is about 4 miles west of Dover, in Kent. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in South Alkham and the surrounding area. South Alkham is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 12 miles away.
For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as Church of St Anthony the Martyr, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola. For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Kearsney station, about 2.8 miles north-east. Within about 5 miles is the Kent Downs National Landscape, where events may have extra rules on vehicles and waste; we work to the site rules. The coast is within about 4 miles of South Alkham, so for seaside events we plan a sheltered pitch, and seafood paella sells well by the sea.
Here we cover the CT15 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. We can cater an event on streets such as Meggett Lane and Alkham Valley Road. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Alkham (1 mile north-east), Drellingore (1 mile south-west), Chalksole Green (1 mile north), Ewell Minnis (1 mile north-east) and Wolverton (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cater in Ashford (15 miles west), Canterbury (12 miles north-west), Dover (4 miles east), Folkestone (4 miles south-west), Deal (10 miles north-east) and Hythe (7 miles south-west).
A little further out are Folkestone Castle (3.2 miles south-west) and Crabble Corn Mill (3.1 miles east). Not far away are Dover Western Heights and Sugar Loaf Hill.
- 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