Greater London · England
Festival & event paella in Wanstead, Greater London
Paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Wanstead: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Open days
- School fairs and fundraisers
- VIP and hospitality areas
Live festival paella catering in Wanstead
What happens on the day
The paella is cooked in giant, shallow pans over gas burners. We need a level, ventilated spot, and we agree where that is before the day. Summer events in Wanstead have daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer and about 7:05pm by late September, which helps evening trading. Winter markets, dark by about 3:50pm, need a well-lit pitch.
- First, we check the dates.
- We agree what we will serve and where.
- Burners and pans go up.
- Pans are cooking as gates open.
- We serve, then clear the pitch at the end.
Preparing for the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Give us a contact for the day
How to get a price
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Planning help
Festival paella catering for your event in Wanstead
Paella eats well from a bowl with a fork, on the move or on a picnic rug. We’re frequently asked to cater festivals and county and country shows, serving chicken and chorizo paella, churros and giant-pan paella.
In Wanstead, community events include street parties, school fairs and markets. Public spaces usually need council permission, and we will send whatever the organiser needs. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
- Area
- Wanstead (E11, E18)
- County
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Questions from Wanstead
Is parking a problem for events in Wanstead?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We will work around it.
What’s the nearest station to Wanstead for guests?
Leytonstone High Road station, about 1.4 miles south-west of the centre.
Is there a vegan option?
Yes. A vegan paella pan sits alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes, always. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we can plan it carefully.
Can you bring crockery?
We can. Let us know what you have, and we will quote for the rest.
How long do you need on site?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
How much is live paella catering?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Perfect for your event in Wanstead
It covers several diets with one trader, which saves pitches.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Wanstead, people book us for occasions like:
- Feeding crew and volunteers
- Country shows
- School and charity events
- Sports clubs and race days
For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as Wanstead United Reformed Church, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola.
What your quote should include
- Allergen information for each dish
- Whether VAT is included
- What the price includes, item by item
- Who provides the crockery
For planners, venues and organisers
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Wanstead? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Towns and villages near Wanstead
What else we do in Wanstead
Prices and what affects them
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Your choice of paellas
- The length of service
- How many staff you need
The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Details that help
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Where the event is
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Roughly how many adults and children
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you’re ready, use our quote form.
Paella compared with other options
Hot-cabinet food lacks theatre. A giant pan cooking in view sells itself. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, along with staff, extras and travel. We quote for each event individually.
What you get with us
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
Take a look at Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
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:
- Make allergen information visible at every stall
- Make sure the line-up includes vegan and gluten-free options
- Check how many portions traders can serve
- Feed crew and volunteers at set times
We cook in full view of visitors, serving throughout the event.
Churros and tapas can join the menu.
Event catering near Wanstead
Wanstead is about 2 miles south of Woodford, in Greater London. Events in Wanstead are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cater in 764 places across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for London, about 8 miles away.
For visitors coming by rail, Leytonstone High Road station is about 1.4 miles away. If you’re organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Wanstead Church School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
We cater events across the E11 and E18 postcode area and the streets around it. From High Street, Grove Park and The Avenue or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. With the A1008 close by, Wanstead is simple for us to get to. For events just outside Wanstead, we cover Snaresbrook (1 mile north-west), Redbridge (1 mile east), Bushwood Area of Leytonstone (1 mile south-west), Aldersbrook (1 mile south) and South Woodford (1 mile north). Further out, we also cater in London (8 miles south-west), City of Westminster (9 miles south-west), Marylebone (9 miles south-west), Kensington (11 miles south-west), St Pancras (7 miles south-west) and Shoreditch (6 miles south-west).
A little further out are Cann Hall (1.6 miles south-west) and Wanstead Hospital (0.5 miles north). The countryside around Wanstead includes Hollow Pond and Ainslie Wood.
- Nearby schools include Wanstead High School (within half a mile south-east) and Forest School (1 mile north-west)
- Pubs nearby include The George pub (less than half a mile south-west)
A closer look at the menu
Giant paella pans
It is the huge pan people come to see.
Seafood paella
A seafood pan with prawns and mussels.
- 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