Greater London · England
Live paella catering in Avery Hill, Greater London
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Avery Hill. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Big birthdays
Live paella catering in Avery Hill
How our paella catering works in Avery Hill
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. We’re frequently asked to cater wedding breakfasts and evening food and milestone birthday parties, with vegan paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella.
From a terraced garden to a hired hall, events in Avery Hill come in all shapes. Tell us how close we can park, and whether there are steps or narrow passages. We plan the timings around your day, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
- Where
- Avery Hill (SE9, DA15, DA16)
- County
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
DIY paella versus live catering
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
What happens on the day
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Guests normally gather round to watch as the paella takes shape. In Avery Hill, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Getting ready for the day
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Give us a contact for the day
Ask for a quote
It is easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will send a clear, itemised quote.
Planning help
Planners, venues and businesses
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Venues frequently have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
Catering an event in Avery Hill
Avery Hill is about 1 mile north-east of Eltham, in Greater London. Across the SE9 area, we can cook for your guests. Avery Hill is one of 764 places in Greater London where we cook. Our events stretch from Avery Hill to London (8 miles away).
Historic houses near Avery Hill include Eltham Palace (1.2 miles west) and Danson House (1.9 miles east). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Stationers' Crown Woods Academy, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
For paella catering in SE9, DA15 and DA16, we plan around your venue and your guests. Streets in the area include Bexley Road, Glenure Road and Perpins Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. With the A210 close by, Avery Hill is simple for us to get to. For events just outside Avery Hill, we cover Blackfen (1 mile east), Eltham (1 mile south-west), New Eltham (1 mile south), Falconwood (1 mile north-east) and Well Hall (1 mile west). We also cook in nearby towns such as London (8 miles north-west), City of Westminster (11 miles north-west), Marylebone (11 miles north-west), Kensington (12 miles west), St Pancras (10 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Greenwich Castle (3.8 miles north-west) and Metropolitan Police Museum (1.7 miles south-east). Not far away are Summer Hill and The Tarn.
- Schools near Avery Hill include Alderwood Primary School (0.5 miles south-east)
Also near Avery Hill
What else we do in Avery Hill
Before you choose a spot
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. Here’s what we look for:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
Avery Hill is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think before booking.
Popular choices
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Avery Hill questions
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of Holy Trinity?
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 Avery Hill for guests?
Falconwood station, about 0.6 miles north of the centre.
How long does the paella take?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We will agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you.
What areas do you cover?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Avery Hill.
Do you take everything away?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Which paellas suit our guests?
That depends on who’s coming. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Do you do starters?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
Will there be enough food?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
Who books paella catering in Avery Hill?
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Here are some of the events we cook for around Avery Hill:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Company summer parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Summer garden parties
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Shoulder of Mutton Green? Public parks usually need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
What your quote should include
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- When payment is due
- Allergen information for each dish
- Exactly what’s included in the price
Diets, allergies and planning
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Here’s how:
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we serve when guests are ready.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
What paella catering costs
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Guest numbers
- How many courses
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Waiting and bar staff
Live paella often compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
What we need to know
For a quote, it helps to have:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The address or venue name
- The date and rough timings
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can use our quote form.
A closer look at the menu
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together, and it’s often the first pan to empty.
- 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