Live paella catering, cooked fresh at your event · London and the South East
Crowds walking between food stalls at an outdoor food festival

Medway · England

Festival & event paella in Strood, Medway

From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events turns food into part of your event in Strood.

  • Music and food festivals
  • Summer fairs and fêtes
  • Community events and open days

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Live festival paella catering in Strood

How our festival paella catering works in Strood

A paella stall covers several diets at once: separate meat, seafood and vegan pans. That simplifies your food line-up. On the menu are seafood paella, giant-pan paella and chicken and chorizo paella, and typical bookings are for crew, volunteer and VIP catering and school fairs and fundraisers.

Community events in Strood frequently rely on a few good food stalls. Paella covers meat, seafood and vegan in one pitch. We plan the timings around your day, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.

A giant pan of seafood paella with mussels and prawns cooking over a burner
Where
Strood (ME2, ME1, ME3)
Region
Medway
Special diets
Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
Extras
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
Quote
Ask us for a quote
Page updated
23 October 2026

Planning the cooking area

We will agree the cooking spot with you before the day. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:

  • Access for unloading at set-up
  • The event’s site rules and timings
  • A pitch away from tents and structures

Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly.

Popular choices

  • Vegan paella
  • Giant paella pans
  • Seafood paella
  • Chicken & chorizo paella
  • Tapas
  • Churros

Browse the menu

The menu, dish by dish

Giant paella pans

It’s the huge pan people come to see.

Chicken & chorizo paella

Smoky and filling, popular with families.

Who books festival paella catering in Strood?

Organisers book paella because it draws people into the food area and serves them fast.

Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:

  • Sports clubs and race days
  • School and charity events
  • Country shows
  • Feeding crew and volunteers

For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Strood station, about 1 mile east.

What your quote should include

  • Travel and parking costs
  • What the caterer needs from your venue
  • How bad weather is handled
  • The deposit and payment dates

How to compare caterers

What festival paella catering costs

There’s nothing hidden: the price is based on:

  • Parking and unloading
  • The length of service
  • How many courses
  • Your choice of paellas

Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.

Getting an accurate quote

You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:

  • Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
  • Roughly how many adults and children
  • A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
  • The venue or postcode

Send us the date, your venue or ME2 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.

Organising for someone else?

For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.

For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.

Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?

Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.

If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it is in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.

Strood questions

Can you run a stall at a school fair in Strood?

Yes, with the school’s permission. Send us the date, pitch and expected numbers.

Can you cook in Rede Common?

Only if the landowner, normally the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.

How many different paellas?

Typically two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we’ll suggest the mix.

Can the paella be cooked in a hall?

Normally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. Some venues have suitable spaces; we’ll check with you and the venue.

Do you come to Strood?

Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Strood. To check your date, fill in our quote form.

Can we book you as a trader?

Tell us about your event, and we’ll reply with our availability and what we need.

Can you provide dessert?

Yes. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana, or you can serve your own cake.

Do you offer halal options?

We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.

Community events around Strood

Strood is about 3 miles north-west of Chatham, in Medway. Tell us where your event in Strood will be, and we will plan the journey and set-up. We cover 68 places across Medway. We cook right across the region, from Strood to London (about 26 miles away).

If your event is in Rede Common, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we’ll supply our paperwork. School fairs, for a school like Elaine Primary School, are a natural fit for a paella stall.

Wherever your event is in ME2, ME1 and ME3, we can bring festival paella catering to you. Whether your event is on Ash Road, Gun Lane and Pine Road or anywhere nearby, we’ll bring the pans to you. Main roads around Strood include the A2 and A226, which makes travel to your event easy. If your venue is just outside Strood, we also cover Rochester (1 mile east), Borstal (1 mile south), Cuxton (2 miles south-west), Lower Bush (2 miles south-west) and Upper Bush (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Gillingham (4 miles east), Chatham (3 miles south-east), Rainham (6 miles east), Luton (3 miles south-east), Park Wood (6 miles south-east) and Lordswood (5 miles south-east). Strood is among the bigger towns we cover in Medway, with plenty of venues for events.

Other landmarks nearby include Six Poor Travellers House (1.2 miles east) and French Hospital (1.2 miles east). Open spaces near Strood include Rede Common and Gad's Hill.

  • Schools near Strood include Strood Academy (0.6 miles north-west) and Temple School (1.2 miles north-east)
  • Local pubs include Crispin And Crispianus Public House (0.6 miles east)
  • Other local spots include City of Rochester-upon-Medway (0.9 miles east)
Map of Strood © OpenStreetMap contributors

Diets, allergies and planning

Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Here’s how:

  • Check traders’ packaging and waste plans
  • Make allergen information visible at every stall
  • Put picnic tables near the traders
  • Check how many portions traders can serve

Allergen information is available at the stall.

Crew, volunteer and VIP catering.

Step by step

When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. Evening events in Strood have light until about 9:20pm at midsummer; after that, the pitch needs good lighting.

  1. Send us your event details and pitch information.
  2. We send our menu, needs and paperwork.
  3. We set up on time.
  4. We cook in full view and serve all event.
  5. We pack down and tidy the pitch.

Preparing for the day

  • Make sure we can park close by to unload
  • Check the venue allows live cooking
  • Confirm numbers and diets before the day

How to get a price

Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.

Get a quote

Read more

  • 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

See the menu · How it works · Get a quote