Kent · England
Live paella catering in Bockhanger, Kent
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Bockhanger: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Birthday celebrations
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
Paella catering near Bockhanger
How our paella catering works in Bockhanger
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked in the open in a big, shallow pan and shared straight from it. That’s what we bring to events in Bockhanger. Typical bookings include garden parties and summer barbecues and festivals, fairs and school events, with black rice, seafood paella and paella Valenciana.
In a smaller place like Bockhanger, a garden party is often the simplest option: no venue hire, and nobody stuck cooking. Let us know about access to the house. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and service is quick once it’s ready.
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It’s frequently the most popular pan at an event.
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Working with your venue
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep everyone informed on the day.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
The process
Serving is fast: we serve straight from the pan, so large groups are fed quickly. When service is finished, we pack down. Planning an evening event in Bockhanger? Sunset is around 8:45pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:00pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
Ask for a quote
Still deciding on the menu? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we will suggest a menu. Start when you’re ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
How we price paella catering
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Your choice of paellas
- Travel, parking and access
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
What we need to know
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- Which courses you have in mind
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Anything your venue supplies
- Any dietary needs and allergies
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. For a quote, use our quote form.
Towns and villages near Bockhanger
Also in Bockhanger
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Vans serve one order at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, so everyone can eat at the same time. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why Bockhanger hosts choose us
- A clear, itemised quote
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Catering across Kent, including Bockhanger
Diets, allergies and planning
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Put allergy details in writing
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we usually call guests over.
We can add sangria and bar staff for your own drinks.
Who books paella catering in Bockhanger?
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Company summer parties
- Big birthdays
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Parks such as Ashford Warren and Hoads Wood usually need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Comparing caterers
- The wet-weather plan
- What the price includes, item by item
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Space, access and power needs
Bockhanger: your questions answered
Could we have live paella in Ashford Warren and Hoads Wood?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
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.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
Yes, on request. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, if you need them. Tell us what your venue provides and we will include the rest in the quote.
Do you cover Bockhanger?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, and Bockhanger is within our area and the rest of Kent. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
Do you take everything away?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Planning live paella in Bockhanger
Bockhanger is about 2 miles north of Ashford, in Kent. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Bockhanger and nearby villages. We cover all 922 towns and villages in Kent. Our events stretch from Bockhanger to Canterbury (12 miles away).
Nearby historic houses include Godinton House (2.1 miles west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Mary, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Bockhanger is within about 3 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
For paella catering in TN24 and TN25, we plan around your venue. Local streets include Park Road, York Road and Tudor Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Other places close to Bockhanger for paella catering include Kennington (1 mile north-east), Potters Corner (1 mile north-west), Godinton (2 miles south-west), Ashford (2 miles south) and Boughton Lees (2 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Canterbury (12 miles north-east), Sittingbourne (14 miles north-west), Folkestone (14 miles south-east), Whitstable (15 miles north-east), Faversham (10 miles north) and Hythe (11 miles south-east).
Well-known places in the area include County Square (1.2 miles south) and William Harvey Hospital (2.2 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Hatch Park.
- Schools near Bockhanger include Towers School and Sixth Form Centre (0.6 miles north) and Towers School and Sixth Form Centre (0.6 miles north)
- Local pubs include The Rose Inn (0.5 miles north-east)
DIY paella versus live catering
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
- 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