Kent · England
Festival & event paella in Thurnham, Kent
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Thurnham.
- Charity and school events
- Music and food festivals
- Summer fairs and fêtes
Book festival paella catering in Thurnham
Festival paella catering for your event in Thurnham
The pans are part of the attraction. People stop, watch and come back to eat. We cook giant-pan paella, vegan paella and churros, and we are often booked for open days and seasonal markets.
For a village fête or field event near Thurnham, a paella stall brings a hot, filling meal to a rural site. Ground conditions and access matter, so tell us about them. The paella is served straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and a queue moves quickly.
How it works
Here’s how the day typically runs: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and we serve straight from the pan when you are ready to eat. Summer events in Thurnham have daylight until about 9:15pm at midsummer and about 7:00pm by late September, which helps evening trading. For winter markets, dark by about 3:50pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- We check your dates.
- We agree menu and pitch.
- Burners and pans go up.
- The first pans are ready as visitors arrive.
- We serve, then pack down.
Before we arrive
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
How to get a price
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, use our quote form.
Related guides
Planners, venues and businesses
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Diets, allergies and planning
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Feed crew and volunteers at set times
- Put picnic tables near the traders
- Check how many portions traders can serve
- Give traders a single information pack
We arrive at the agreed time and set up our pitch, following your trader pack.
Churros and tapas can join the menu.
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 be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is 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.
Prices and what affects them
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- The paellas you choose
- Whether you need crockery
- How many staff you need
- The number of people
Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What we need to know
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- A picture of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
Send us the date, your venue or ME14 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, use our quote form.
Community events around Thurnham
Thurnham is about 3 miles north-east of Maidstone, in Kent. Give us the address of your event in Thurnham, and we’ll plan the journey and set-up. We cook in 922 places across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Thurnham to Canterbury (about 21 miles away).
For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Bearsted station, about 1.1 miles south-west. If your event is in White Horse Wood, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we’ll supply our paperwork. Events in and around the Kent Downs National Landscape, within about 3 miles of Thurnham, frequently have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we work to the site rules.
This part of Kent takes in ME14, so your event can be anywhere in it. Streets in the area include Thurnham Lane, Aldington Lane and Pilgrims Way, and we can cook for an event on any of them. We also cook at events in Detling (1 mile north-west), Bearsted (1 mile south-west), Weavering (2 miles south-west), Grove Green (2 miles west) and Harbourland (2 miles west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (3 miles south-west), Sittingbourne (7 miles north-east), Gravesend (13 miles north-west), Tonbridge (15 miles south-west), Faversham (13 miles east) and Northfleet (14 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Allington Castle (3.3 miles west) and KIMS hospital (1.4 miles west). Not far away are Detling Hill.
- Pubs nearby include Black Horse Public House (less than half a mile north-east)
Perfect for your event in Thurnham
It handles peak times well, because it’s served from big pans.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in Thurnham and nearby. Popular bookings include:
- Food and music festivals
- Farmers’ and Christmas markets
- School fairs and fundraisers
- Agricultural and county shows
If you’re organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Valley Park School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Comparing caterers
- How long the team stays
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- When final numbers are due
- How bad weather is handled
Thurnham questions
Is Thurnham close to London?
About 33 miles from central London, and well within our area.
What’s the nearest station to Thurnham for guests?
Bearsted station, about 1.1 miles south-west of the centre.
What about pudding?
We do. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana, or you can serve your own cake.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we take the right care.
Do you have vegan options at events?
Yes. A vegan paella pan sits alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria, yes. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
Can you cook indoors?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Live paella or other catering?
Some traders struggle with vegan and gluten-free options. A vegan paella pan sits alongside the others. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
What you get with us
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
Take a look at Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Also near Thurnham
Other catering in Thurnham
Dishes our guests love
Giant paella pans
A pan the size of a cartwheel, full of saffron rice, cooking in full view.
Vegan paella
A proper vegan main, in its own pan.
- 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