Greater London · England
Paella Catering for Barkingside events
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Barkingside and the surrounding area.
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Summer garden parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
Paella catering near Barkingside
About our paella catering in Barkingside
The cooking is half the fun. People drift over as the sofrito sizzles and the rice turns gold, and the smell does the rest. We are often asked to cater garden get-togethers and wedding breakfasts and evening food, with black rice, paella Valenciana and mixed paella.
London gardens are often long and narrow, which is fine for live paella as long as there’s a level spot clear of fences and trees. In Barkingside, the bigger question is parking near the house or venue. The paella is served straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
- Area
- Barkingside (IG6, IG2, IG5)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Diets, allergies and planning
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Confirm allergies by email
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
Should I cook it myself?
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Who books paella catering in Barkingside?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. People in Barkingside book us for occasions like:
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Milestone birthday parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Seven Kings station, about 1.6 miles south.
Comparing caterers
- Space, access and power needs
- Allergen information for each dish
- How long the team stays
- What happens if it rains
Live paella in Barkingside: local details
Barkingside is about 3 miles south-east of Woodford, in Greater London. For paella catering in Barkingside, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Barkingside. We cook in 764 places across Greater London. Our nearest city page is London, about 10 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Avanti Court Primary School, can book us as a food stall. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Children's Church And Lych Gate At Barnardo's, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
We cater events across the IG6, IG2 and IG5 postcode area. Whether your event is on Bute Road, Duke Road and Oaks Lane or a nearby road, we can cook there. Close by, we cover events in Newbury Park (1 mile south), Gants Hill (1 mile south-west), Seven Kings (1 mile south-east) and Redbridge (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cater in London (10 miles south-west), City of Westminster (11 miles south-west), Marylebone (11 miles south-west), Kensington (14 miles south-west), St Pancras (10 miles south-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-west).
Nearby you’ll also find Waltham Holy Cross Urban District (1.2 miles north-east) and King George Hospital (1.2 miles east). The countryside around Barkingside includes Hollow Pond and Hainault Lodge.
- Nearby schools include Ilford County High School (0.5 miles north-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The New Fairlop Oak pub (0.6 miles north)
Before you choose a spot
We’ll be honest if a space won’t work, and help find another spot. What matters most:
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
As a London location, Barkingside is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: 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.
What we offer
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
Barkingside: your questions answered
Which station should guests use for Barkingside?
Seven Kings station, about 1.6 miles south of the centre.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Children's Church And Lych Gate At Barnardo's?
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 many paellas should we have?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll help you decide the split.
Do you take everything away?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Can paella be the only main course?
Paella is a meal in itself. Tapas and desserts can be added if you like.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, and it’s a popular combination. Tapas first, paella to follow.
How does live paella catering work?
We cook from scratch at your venue in big pans, in front of your guests, and serve straight from the pan.
Do you do desserts?
Yes. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana.
The process
On the day, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so the timing is planned around your event. In Barkingside, 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. In December it’s dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Tell us when you want to eat
Get a quote
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Is live paella right for your event?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, because each paella has its own pan. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What you get with us
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- We cover Barkingside and the whole of Greater London
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Take a look at How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
The menu, dish by dish
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a paella that stands on its own. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.
For planners, venues and organisers
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Towns and villages near Barkingside
Also in Barkingside
- 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