Greater London · England
Paella Catering for Blackfriars events
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Blackfriars.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Milestone birthday parties
Planning an event in Blackfriars?
Before you choose a spot
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
As a London location, Blackfriars 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.
Menu ideas
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
How our paella catering works in Blackfriars
Paella was made for feeding a crowd: cooked in the open in a big, shallow pan and shared straight from it. That is exactly what we bring to your event in Blackfriars. For christenings and family gatherings and engagement and anniversary parties, we will put together a menu of mixed paella, vegan paella and vegetable paella and more.
In Blackfriars, events range from terrace gardens to hired halls. Let us know where we can stop to unload, and whether there are steps or narrow passages. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
- Where
- Blackfriars (SE1, EC1M, EC1N)
- Region
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Also near Blackfriars
What else we do in Blackfriars
Catering an event in Blackfriars
Blackfriars is about 1 mile north-west of London, in Greater London. For paella catering in Blackfriars, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Blackfriars. We cover 764 places across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
Historic houses near Blackfriars include Dr Johnson's House (less than half a mile north-west) and Mansion House (0.6 miles east). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Mercers' School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
We cover events in every part of the SE1, EC1M and EC1N postcode area. Your event could be at a home on Oat Lane, Bear Lane and Shoe Lane or the roads around them. Main roads around Blackfriars include the A4 and A40, which makes travel to your event easy. For events just outside Blackfriars, we cover Temple (1 mile west), Temple Bar (1 mile west), Bankside (1 mile south-east), Smithfield (1 mile north) and Clare Market (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles south-west) and Stockwell (3 miles south).
Nearby you’ll also find St Brides Crypt Museum (less than half a mile north-west) and St Philip's Hospital (0.6 miles west). Not far away are Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
- Local schools include London Nautical School (0.5 miles south-west) and St Alban's Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles north-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Black Friar pub (less than half a mile south-east)
- Other local spots include Barts Health Archives (less than half a mile north-east) and County of London (0.6 miles east)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
FAQs for Blackfriars
What about parking in Blackfriars?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We will plan unloading around it.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Ann Blackfriars?
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 generally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
What happens with live paella?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
Will there be enough food?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
Can you feed a lot of people?
Very much so. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can, if you tell us in advance. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Do you cook it at the event?
It is. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, then serve straight from the pan.
How much is live paella catering?
We quote for each event, based on what you actually want. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas and we will reply with a price.
Occasions we cook for in Blackfriars
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Birthday celebrations
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Garden get-togethers
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Bernie Spain Gardens? Public parks normally 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
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- How late numbers can change
- VAT, if it applies
Diets, allergies and planning
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Put allergy details in writing
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, and that’s when we invite guests up.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside and suit guests who aren’t big rice eaters.
How the day works
Watching it cook is half the fun. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook. Planning an evening event in Blackfriars? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
Get a quote
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Planning help
About the dishes
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a proper main dish. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans, and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Working with your venue
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Events in public spaces, like parks, normally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Is live paella right for your event?
Food trucks and street-food vans serve one portion at a time. A big pan serves many guests fast, so everyone can eat at the same time. There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
Why us?
- Events in Blackfriars and across Greater London
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Sangria and bar staff available
Take a look at Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
- 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