Greater London · England
Paella Catering in Barbican Estate
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Barbican Estate: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Big birthdays
- Anniversary celebrations
Paella catering near Barbican Estate
About our paella catering in Barbican Estate
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. On the menu are black rice, chicken and chorizo paella and vegetable paella, and we are regularly asked to cater anniversary celebrations and christenings and family gatherings.
London gardens are often long and narrow, but a level spot away from fences and trees is generally all we need. In Barbican Estate, the bigger question is parking near the house or venue. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: the menu, the staff and any extras, with no surprises on the day.
- Where
- Barbican Estate (EC1V, EC2A, EC1Y)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Prices and what affects them
These are the factors that matter most:
- How many courses
- Your choice of paellas
- Guest numbers
- Timings and hours
Larger events generally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Getting an accurate quote
For a quote, it helps to have:
- What the venue already provides
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Which courses you have in mind
- Diets and allergies you know about
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. Just fill in our quote form.
Questions from Barbican Estate
We are having a ceremony at St Giles-without-Cripplegate: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
What’s the nearest station to Barbican Estate for guests?
Barbican Estate has its own station: Moorgate station.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. See the sample menu.
What do you need at the venue?
Not a lot: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. If in doubt, send a photo.
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 vegetarian guests?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Which areas do you serve?
We cover London and the South East, Greater London included. See all areas.
When should we book?
Early, particularly for summer Saturdays. Ask about your date even if it’s soon.
Live paella or other catering?
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We will send you a quote.
Why book with us
- We cover Barbican Estate and the whole of Greater London
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
Read How we price And What paella catering costs.
What we need at the venue
We’ll be honest if a space won’t work, and help find another spot. The main points are:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
As a London location, Barbican Estate is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before you book.
On the menu in Barbican Estate
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Also near Barbican Estate
Other catering in Barbican Estate
DIY paella versus live catering
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a paella that stands on its own. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Live paella in Barbican Estate: local details
Barbican Estate is about 1 mile north of London, in Greater London. For an event in Barbican Estate, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Barbican Estate. We cover all 764 towns and villages in Greater London.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Giles-without-Cripplegate, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Nearby historic houses include Mansion House (0.5 miles south-east) and Dr Johnson's House (0.6 miles south-west). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one.
This part of Greater London takes in EC1V, EC2A and EC1Y. From Oat Lane, Shoe Lane and Long Lane or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Barbican Estate is on the A1 and A40, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. Other places close to Barbican Estate for paella catering include Finsbury (1 mile north), City of London (1 mile south), St Luke's (1 mile north), Bishopsgate (1 mile east) and Aldgate (1 mile south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as City of Westminster (3 miles west), Kensington (5 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west) and Brompton (3 miles south-west).
A little further out are Gabriel's Wharf (1 mile south-west) and County of London (less than half a mile south). Green spaces nearby include Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
- Nearby schools include Charterhouse Square School (under half a mile north-west) and Central Foundation Boys' School (0.6 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you will find The Jugged Hare pub (within half a mile north-east)
- Other local spots include Barts Health Archives (less than half a mile south-west)
Perfect for your event in Barbican Estate
Live paella is food and a show in one. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We often cook for:
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Summer garden parties
- Community events and fairs
- Big birthdays
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Prior Weston Primary School and Children's Centre, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Questions to ask before you book
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- How each diet is kept separate
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- The deadline for final numbers
What happens on the day
Service is quick: we serve straight from the pan, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. In Barbican Estate, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are normally served 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.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Getting ready for the day
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Get a quote
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Barbican Estate? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. To get in touch, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Tell us what else is being served
- Ensure each pan is labelled
- Count adults and children separately
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, and that’s when we invite guests up.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further.
- 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