Kent · England
Paella Catering in Abbey Gate
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Abbey Gate and across Kent.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
Planning an event in Abbey Gate?
How our paella catering works in Abbey Gate
There is something generous about paella: big pans, bright colours and a crispy base everyone wants a spoonful of. It makes the food an event in itself. We are often asked to cater anniversaries and engagement parties and wedding breakfasts and evening food, with vegetable paella, chicken and chorizo paella and paella Valenciana.
Somewhere as small as Abbey Gate, a garden or field is frequently the venue. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
For planners, venues and organisers
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
FAQs for Abbey Gate
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Paul's Church?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
What’s the nearest station to Abbey Gate for guests?
Maidstone East station, about 1.4 miles south of the centre.
How soon do we need to book?
The sooner the better. Peak dates go quickly, so contact us early.
Do you come to Abbey Gate?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Abbey Gate and the rest of Kent. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
How many different paellas?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
What does paella catering cost?
We quote for each event, so you only pay for what you need. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas and we’ll reply with a price.
What do you need at the venue?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
Live paella or other catering?
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why book with us
- A clear, itemised quote
- Fast service from the pan
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Drinks service on request
Take a look at Our pricing Or Our guide to catering costs.
Live paella in Abbey Gate: local details
Abbey Gate is about 1 mile north-west of Foley Park, in Kent. For paella catering in Abbey Gate, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Abbey Gate. Abbey Gate is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. We cook right across the region, from Abbey Gate to Canterbury (about 24 miles away).
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Tyland Barn? Public parks generally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. Nearby historic houses include Stoneacre (4.2 miles south-east). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. Abbey Gate is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Paella catering in ME14 and ME16 is planned around your venue and your guests. Streets in the area include Lock Lane, Grange Lane and Tyland Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Abbey Gate sits on or near the M20, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. Other places close to Abbey Gate for paella catering include Sandling (1 mile north), Ringlestone (1 mile south), Harbourland (1 mile east), Penenden Heath (1 mile south-east) and Foley Park (1 mile south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Sittingbourne (10 miles east), Sevenoaks (14 miles west), Gravesend (11 miles north-west), Tonbridge (12 miles south-west), Northfleet (12 miles north-west) and Minster (15 miles north-east).
Nearby you will also find Allington Castle (under half a mile south-west) and Fremlin Walk (1.6 miles south). The countryside around Abbey Gate includes Boxley Hills and Burham Down.
- Schools near Abbey Gate include The Maplesden Noakes School (1.3 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include The Yew Tree pub (less than half a mile east)
Towns and villages near Abbey Gate
Other catering in Abbey Gate
What affects the price in Abbey Gate
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Travel, parking and access
- How many guests are eating
- Whether you need crockery
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Getting an accurate quote
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- Which courses you have in mind
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan.
How it works
When the rice goes in, it’s left alone. That’s how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. The smell normally draws people over. Planning an evening event in Abbey Gate? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:00pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Get a quote
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Related guides
Diets, allergies and planning
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Here’s how:
- Confirm allergies by email
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Have seats for most of your guests
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
Tapas or canapés make a good start while the paella cooks.
What we need at the venue
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Menu ideas
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
DIY paella versus live catering
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
- 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