Kent · England
Paella Catering in Ashbank
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Ashbank: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests.
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Book paella catering in Ashbank
Paella catering in Ashbank, cooked live
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. When it is ready, it’s served straight from the pan. Whether it’s community events and fairs and retirement celebrations, we’ll put together a menu of seafood paella, mixed paella and paella Valenciana.
In a rural place like Ashbank, the setting does a lot of the work: a giant pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: the menu, the staff and any extras.
Prices and what affects them
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- Guest numbers
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Travel, parking and access
- How many staff you need
Larger events typically cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
What to tell us
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- The date and rough timings
- A picture of the space, if you can
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can send us your details through our quote form.
Your questions about paella catering in Ashbank
Do you cater in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
Is Ashbank close to London?
Roughly 35 miles from the centre of London.
Who clears up?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
How much space do you need?
Not a lot: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. Send us a photo if you are not sure.
Can you do sangria?
Sangria can be added, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
What seafood can we have?
We will talk through seafood options when we plan your menu.
Do you do starters?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
Events we cater in Ashbank
There’s no kitchen needed, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
These are some of the occasions we cater in Ashbank and Kent:
- Garden get-togethers
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Anniversary celebrations
- Company summer parties
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Hollingbourne station, about 1.1 miles north-east.
Questions to ask before booking
- Space, access and power needs
- What happens if it rains
- If the price includes VAT
- How long the team stays
Catering for every guest
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Put allergy details in writing
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we normally call guests over.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside and suit guests who aren’t big rice eaters.
Catering an event in Ashbank
Ashbank is about 4 miles east of Maidstone, in Kent. Events in Ashbank are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. Ashbank is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent we cover. We cook right across the region, from Ashbank to Canterbury (20 miles away).
Historic houses near Ashbank include Leeds Castle (0.6 miles east) and Stoneacre (1.7 miles west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Nicholas's Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 2 miles of Ashbank, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
This part of Kent takes in ME17, so your event can be anywhere in it. Your event could be at a home on George Lane and Wykeham Grove or the roads around them. If your venue is just outside Ashbank, we also cover Leeds (1 mile south-west), Broomfield (1 mile south-east), Eyhorne Street (1 mile north-east), Chegworth (1 mile east) and Hollingbourne (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (4 miles west), Ashford (13 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (8 miles north-east), Tonbridge (15 miles west), Faversham (12 miles east) and Minster (14 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include KIMS hospital (3.6 miles north-west) and The Dog Collar Museum (0.6 miles east). The countryside around Ashbank includes Detling Hill.
- Pubs nearby include The George Inn (under half a mile south-west)
Planning the cooking area
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but a few things matter:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
On the menu in Ashbank
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
What happens on the day
We work to your timings. If things run behind, we hold the paella at the right stage so it is still served fresh. In Ashbank, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:50pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Give us a contact for the day
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
How to get a price
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, use our quote form.
Planning help
Towns and villages near Ashbank
More for events in Ashbank
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Ashbank
- A quote that spells everything out
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Catering across Kent, including Ashbank
For event organisers in Ashbank
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
- 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