Greater London · England
Paella Catering for Bankside events
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Bankside. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Milestone birthday parties
- Anniversary celebrations
- Naming days and family parties
Paella catering near Bankside
Paella catering for your event in Bankside
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. Once it’s ready, we serve it hot from the pan. Typical bookings include summer garden parties and office lunches and staff parties, serving seafood paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegetable paella.
In Bankside, events range from terrace gardens to hired halls. Tell us how close we can park, and whether there are steps or narrow passages. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, not reheated, and served as soon as it’s ready.
- Area
- Bankside (SE1, EC4Y, EC4V)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Step by step
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you are free to enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first while the paella cooks. Evenings in Bankside stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- 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.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can use our quote form.
Related guides
Bankside: venues, travel and local tips
Bankside is about 1 mile north of London, in Greater London. For an event in Bankside, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Bankside. Bankside is one of 764 places in Greater London where we cook.
For guests coming by train, Bankside has its own station, London Blackfriars station. For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Mary Mounthaw, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Anywhere in SE1, EC4Y and EC4V, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Your event could be at a home on Bear Lane, Bush Lane and Swan Lane or the roads around them. Bankside is on the A201 and A300, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. We also cook at events in Blackfriars (1 mile north-west), Temple (1 mile north-west), Temple Bar (1 mile north-west), Waterloo (1 mile south-west) and Smithfield (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (5 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles west) and Stockwell (3 miles south).
A little further out are Gabriel's Wharf (within half a mile west) and County of London (0.6 miles north-east). The countryside around Bankside includes Ludgate Hill and Barnsbury Wood.
- Nearby schools include St Andrew's and St John's Church of England Primary School (within half a mile south-west) and The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overy (0.5 miles south-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find Founders Arms (less than half a mile west)
- Other local spots include Barts Health Archives (0.6 miles north)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Confirm allergies by email
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Make sure most guests can sit to eat
- Count adults and children separately
A short rest after cooking helps, and that is when we invite guests up.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
Events we cater in Bankside
It suits relaxed, sociable events, where guests can mingle while it cooks and then sit down to share.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
Nearby historic houses include Mansion House (0.6 miles north-east) and Dr Johnson's House (0.6 miles north-west). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
Comparing caterers
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- How bad weather is handled
- A clear list of what’s included
What we need at the venue
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but a few things matter:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Level ground for the pans and burners
As a London location, Bankside is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think.
What we offer
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
Paella compared with other options
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and it is entertaining too. Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Why Bankside hosts choose us
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- We cover Bankside and the whole of Greater London
- No hidden extras in your quote
Take a look at Our pricing Or The cost guide.
How we price paella catering
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Distance and access to the venue
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Guest numbers
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
Details that help
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but these help:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Where the event is
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- What the venue already provides
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Your questions about paella catering in Bankside
What about parking in Bankside?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We will work around it.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Mary Mounthaw?
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.
How soon do we need to book?
The sooner the better. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
Who clears up?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Do you cook inside?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Is it really cooked live?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook on the day, serving it hot from the pan.
How much space do you need?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. If in doubt, send a photo.
Can you feed a lot of people?
Yes, that is what it is made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
Working with your venue
Organising a club, school or community event in Bankside? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
If you’re organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It keeps things simple.
Nearby places to Bankside
More for events in Bankside
- 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