Kent · England
Live paella catering in Aycliffe, Kent
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Aycliffe.
- Birthday celebrations
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Anniversary celebrations
Live paella catering in Aycliffe
Why live cooking beats a buffet
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Why us?
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Drinks service on request
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
Take a look at Our pricing Or The cost guide.
Paella catering for your event in Aycliffe
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked in the open in a big, shallow pan and shared straight from it. That is what we bring to events in Aycliffe. For fairs, fêtes and festivals and wedding breakfasts and evening food, we can cook vegetable paella, paella Valenciana and chicken and chorizo paella.
In a hamlet or village like Aycliffe, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you contact us. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
Aycliffe: venues, travel and local tips
Aycliffe is about 1 mile south of Tower Hamlets, in Kent. For paella catering in Aycliffe, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cover 922 places in Kent. Our events stretch from Aycliffe to Canterbury (15 miles away).
Parks such as Western Heights LNR normally need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Aycliffe Community Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Aycliffe is within about 2 miles of the sea, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
We cater events across the CT17 and CT15 postcode area and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Manor Road, Mount Road and Rugby Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Other places close to Aycliffe for paella catering include Maxton (1 mile north), Farthingloe (1 mile north-west), Church Hougham (2 miles west), Dover (2 miles north) and River (2 miles north). Larger places within reach include Canterbury (15 miles north-west), Folkestone (6 miles west), Deal (8 miles north-east), Hythe (10 miles west), Walmer (8 miles north-east) and Hawkinge (6 miles west).
A little further out are Royal Victoria Hospital (1.3 miles north-east) and Old Town Gaol (1.3 miles north-east). The countryside around Aycliffe includes Dover Western Heights.
- Nearby schools include Astor College for the Arts (1 mile north)
- Nearby, you’ll find Crown & Sceptre pub (0.7 miles north)
Working with your venue
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep everyone informed on the day.
Organising a club, school or community event in Aycliffe? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Planning for every diet
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Tell us how many children are coming
Any staff you book serve and clear, so you can relax.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
What’s in the pans
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It is the pan people photograph.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, not seafood. It’s a favourite with guests who don’t eat fish.
Step by step
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. The smell normally draws people over. Around midsummer it stays light in Aycliffe until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, 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.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
How to prepare
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Let us know the timings for the day
Ask for a quote
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
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Places near Aycliffe
More for events in Aycliffe
Occasions we cook for in Aycliffe
People book live paella because it is food and entertainment at once. The pans become a focal point, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
In Aycliffe and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Some of the most common are:
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
For guests coming by train, Dover Priory station is about 1.1 miles away.
What to look for in a quote
- A clear list of what’s included
- When final numbers are due
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Payment terms and deposit
What affects the price in Aycliffe
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Parking and unloading
- How long we are needed on site
- How many courses
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
What to tell us
These details help us quote quickly:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The date and time of the event
- Which courses you have in mind
- A picture of where we’d cook
To get a price, fill in our quote form. Tell us about your event in Aycliffe, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Aycliffe: your questions answered
Is Aycliffe too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Aycliffe Church Centre?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
When do you arrive?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We’ll agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you so the paella is ready when you want it.
Do you provide drinks?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
How do you work out quantities?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Two or three is usual: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
How many different paellas?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll help you decide the split.
- 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
