Kent · England
Paella Catering in Aylesford
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Aylesford and across Kent.
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Naming days and family parties
- Garden get-togethers
Planning an event in Aylesford?
How our paella catering works in Aylesford
Watching it cook is part of the experience. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. For office lunches and staff parties and anniversaries and engagement parties, we will put together a menu of vegetable paella, vegan paella and black rice.
Around Aylesford, events are frequently in gardens, local halls or nearby venues. If the road in is narrow, tell us so we can plan the van. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: the menu, the staff and any extras.
What’s in the pans
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a proper main dish. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan.
Perfect for your event in Aylesford
Live paella is food and a show in one. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Company summer parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Ditton Quarry? Public parks typically need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
What to look for in a quote
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Travel and parking costs
- How bad weather is handled
- The deposit and payment dates
Is live paella right for your event?
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Aylesford
- Fast service from the pan
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- A clear, itemised quote
Aylesford: your questions answered
Do you cater in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
Can you cook in Ditton Quarry?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can, if you tell us in advance. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in its own pan.
Will there be enough food?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
Should we have more than one paella?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We will help you decide the split.
How it works
Your timings come first. If things run behind, we adjust the cooking so it’s still served fresh. In Aylesford, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
It is easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Read more
Planners, venues and businesses
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep everyone informed on the day.
Paella catering around Aylesford
Aylesford is about 3 miles north-west of Maidstone, in Kent. Wherever your event is in the ME20 area, we’ll come to your venue or garden. We cater in 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 26 miles away.
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Aylesford Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. For guests coming by train, Aylesford station is in Aylesford itself. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 8 miles of Aylesford, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Here we cover the ME20 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Streets in the area include Station Road, High Street and Hall Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Nearby, we also cater events in Ditton (1 mile west), Allington (1 mile south-east), East Malling (2 miles west), Well Street (2 miles south-west) and Fant (2 miles south). Further out, we also cater in Maidstone (3 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (12 miles east), Dartford (15 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (12 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south-west) and Gravesend (10 miles north-west).
Well-known places in the area include Allington Castle (1.7 miles east) and Medway megaliths (1.7 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Burham Down and Blue Bell Hill.
- Nearby schools include Aylesford School (within half a mile west)
- Local pubs include The Chequers pub (within half a mile north-east)
Where we can cook in Aylesford
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
On the menu in Aylesford
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
Also near Aylesford
What else we do in Aylesford
Prices and what affects them
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- The number of people
- The length of service
- Travel, parking and access
- Your choice of paellas
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.
Getting an accurate quote
These details help us quote quickly:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The date and rough timings
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can use our quote form.
Planning for every diet
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Tell us what else is being served
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we normally call guests over.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
- 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