Greater London · England
Festival Paella Catering in St John's Wood
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in St John's Wood. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, then served hot from the pan.
- Crew, volunteer and VIP catering
- Open days and community events
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
Festival paella catering near St John's Wood
Working with your venue
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we’ll keep everyone informed on the day.
Festival paella catering in St John's Wood, cooked live
Paella eats well from a bowl with a fork, standing up or sitting on the grass. On the menu are giant-pan paella, vegan paella and seafood paella, and we’re often booked for village fêtes and sports clubs and race days.
In St John's Wood, community events include street parties, school fairs and markets. Public spaces generally need council permission, and we’ll send whatever the organiser needs. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose, with no surprises on the day.
- Where
- St John's Wood (NW8, NW6, NW3)
- Region
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Prices and what affects them
There is nothing hidden: the price is based on:
- How long we’re needed on site
- How many guests are eating
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Waiting and bar staff
Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. Ask us for a quote.
What we need to know
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Try to include:
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- The address or venue name
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- A picture of where we’d cook
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
Where we can cook in St John's Wood
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- A pitch away from tents and structures
- Your arrangements for power, water and waste
- Vehicle access before and after the event
As a London location, St John's Wood is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Giant paella pans
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Churros
- Tapas
- Seafood paella
The process
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, and we agree where that is before the day. Summer events in St John's Wood have daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer and about 7:05pm by late September, so evening trading typically finishes in daylight in high summer. Winter markets, dark by about 3:55pm, need a well-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.
- At close, we pack down and tidy up.
Preparing for the day
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
Getting a price
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we will make suggestions. Start when you are ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Nearby places to St John's Wood
Other catering in St John's Wood
Should I cook it 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 enjoy the party, let us cook.
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 at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Fairs, fêtes and events in St John's Wood
St John's Wood is about 1 mile south of Hampstead, in Greater London. For festival paella catering in St John's Wood, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around St John's Wood. We cook in 764 places across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
If you are organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as George Eliot Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For visitors coming by rail, St John's Wood has its own station, South Hampstead station.
We cook at events all over NW8, NW6 and NW3. Your event could be at a home on The Lane, Hall Road and Hill Road. Main roads around St John's Wood include the A5205, which makes travel to your event easy. Neighbouring places where we cater events include South Hampstead (1 mile north), Swiss Cottage (1 mile north), Primrose Hill (1 mile north-east), Lisson Grove (1 mile south) and Haverstock (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cater in London (4 miles south-east), Kensington (3 miles south-west), St Pancras (3 miles east), Shoreditch (4 miles east), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east) and Hoxton (4 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include O2 Centre (0.9 miles north) and Sherlock Holmes Museum (1.1 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include The Long Water and Primrose Hill.
- Nearby schools include Quintin Kynaston Community Academy (less than half a mile north-west) and Arnold House School (under half a mile south-west)
- Local pubs include Cafe Med pub (less than half a mile north-west)
- Local facilities include Cecil Sharp House (1.1 miles east) and Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead (1.1 miles north)
Perfect for your event in St John's Wood
It feeds crew and volunteers well.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Charity and school events
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
- Community events and open days
- Sports clubs and race days
If your event is in Primrose Hill, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we will supply our paperwork.
What to look for in a quote
- Travel and parking costs
- Payment terms and deposit
- Allergen information for each dish
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
A closer look at the menu
Giant paella pans
A pan the size of a cartwheel, full of saffron rice.
Chicken & chorizo paella
Smoky and filling.
Live paella or other catering?
Not every trader covers vegans. A vegan paella pan sits alongside the others. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
What you get with us
- Catering across Greater London, including St John's Wood
- Drinks service on request
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- A clear, itemised quote
See How we price And The cost guide.
St John's Wood: your questions answered
Which station should guests use for St John's Wood?
St John's Wood has its own station: South Hampstead station.
What about parking in St John's Wood?
It can be, so tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway. We will plan unloading around it.
How do you work out quantities?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
Do you cater for young children?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is normally popular with children. Tell us how many are coming.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
How many paellas should we have?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
How long do you need on site?
We get there in good time to set up. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Will there be long queues?
Big batches and service from the pan keep things moving.
- 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