Greater London · England
Paella Catering in Arkley
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Arkley. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Birthday celebrations
- Christenings and family gatherings
Book paella catering in Arkley
About the dishes
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a proper main dish. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is normally the most photographed pan.
Paella catering in Arkley, cooked live
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. We’re often asked to cater summer garden parties and company summer parties, serving paella Valenciana, vegan paella and black rice.
London gardens are often long and narrow, which is fine for live paella as long as there is a level spot clear of fences and trees. For an event in Arkley, tell us where we can park to unload. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, not reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
- Where
- Arkley (EN5, NW7)
- County
- Greater London
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Towns and villages near Arkley
What else we do in Arkley
Planners, venues and businesses
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep everyone informed on the day.
Step by step
Once the rice is in, we do not stir it. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. The smell normally draws people over. Planning an evening event in Arkley? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
How to get a price
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll make suggestions. To start, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To cater well for them:
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Confirm allergies by email
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
Any staff you book serve and clear, so you can enjoy your guests.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
What affects the price in Arkley
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Travel, parking and access
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- How long we are needed on site
- The number of people
The cost per head usually falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Details that help
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The courses you’d like
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Any dietary needs and allergies
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
Should I cook it myself?
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
Arkley is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
Your questions about paella catering in Arkley
We are having a ceremony at St Peter's Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Could we have live paella in Whitings Hill Open Space?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, generally the council. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria can be added, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Do you cover Arkley?
We do. We cook at events in Arkley and across Greater London. Tell us your date and we’ll check availability.
Do we need to provide equipment?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You just need a suitable spot and access.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
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.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, served while the paella cooks.
Paella catering around Arkley
Arkley is about 2 miles west of Barnet, in Greater London. Events in Arkley are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. We cater in all 764 towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Arkley to London (12 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Elstree & Borehamwood station, about 2.1 miles west. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Whitings Hill Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
This part of Greater London takes in EN5 and NW7. Streets in the area include Well Road, Glebe Lane and Brett Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Being close to the A411, Arkley is simple for us to get to. Close by, we cover events in Rowley Green (1 mile north-west), High Barnet (1 mile north-east), Hadley (1 mile north-east), Totteridge (2 miles south-east) and Mill Hill (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover London (12 miles south-east), City of Westminster (10 miles south), Marylebone (10 miles south), Kensington (10 miles south), St Pancras (10 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (11 miles south-east).
Nearby you will also find Hertfordshire Scout Museum (1.9 miles north-west) and Barnet General Hospital (0.7 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Glebe Lane Pastures and Darland's Lake.
- Local schools include Queen Elizabeth's School (0.9 miles north-east) and Susi Earnshaw Theatre School (1.4 miles east)
- Pubs nearby include The Arkley pub (0.6 miles north-east)
- Local facilities include Barnet Urban District (1.3 miles east)
Paella compared with other options
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why book with us
- Drinks service on request
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Events in Arkley and across Greater London
Read How we price And The cost guide.
- 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