Kent · England
Live paella catering in Calcott, Kent
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Calcott: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, right in front of your guests.
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Retirement and leaving parties
Paella catering for Calcott events
Catering for every guest
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Confirm allergies by email
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
We can add sangria and bar staff for your own drinks.
About our paella catering in Calcott
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. Typical bookings include anniversary celebrations and staff parties and work lunches, serving vegetable paella, seafood paella and black rice.
In a hamlet or village like Calcott, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
DIY paella versus live catering
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
What we offer
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
Calcott: your questions answered
Is Calcott too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
What about events near the coast?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
What is live paella catering?
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.
What areas do you cover?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Do you do vegan paella?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
What does paella catering cost?
We quote for each event, based on what you actually want. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas for a clear quote.
What space do you need to cook?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. Send us a picture if you are not sure.
Is the paella cooked on site?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook on the day, then serve straight from the pan.
Who books paella catering in Calcott?
People book live paella because it’s food and entertainment at once. The pans become a focal point, and the food is hot and generous.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Calcott, people book us for events such as:
- Community events and fairs
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Anniversary celebrations
- Big birthdays
Parks such as Curtis Wood typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Comparing caterers
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Payment terms and deposit
- A clear list of what’s included
Places near Calcott
What else we do in Calcott
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is typically the most photographed pan.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan.
Calcott: venues, travel and local tips
Calcott is about 3 miles south of Herne Bay, in Kent. Give us the address of your event in Calcott, and we’ll plan access and set-up. We cater in 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Sturry Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For guests coming by train, Sturry station is about 1.5 miles away. Calcott is within about 4 miles of the sea, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Anywhere in CT3, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Other places close to Calcott for paella catering include Hicks Forstal (1 mile north-east), Broad Oak (1 mile south), Sturry (1 mile south), Herne Common (1 mile north) and Westbere (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cater in Canterbury (3 miles south-west), Margate (12 miles east), Dover (15 miles south-east), Ramsgate (13 miles east), Broadstairs (14 miles east) and Whitstable (4 miles north-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Canterbury Castle (3.8 miles south-west) and St Martins Hospital (3.2 miles south). Green spaces nearby include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
- Local schools include Spires Academy (1.5 miles south-east) and Frank Montgomery School (1.5 miles south-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find Royal Oak Public House (0.9 miles south-west)
What happens on the day
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Your guests are welcome to watch while it cooks. In Calcott, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:50pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
Ask for a quote
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
Related guides
For planners, venues and organisers
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
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. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
What you get with us
- Fast service from the pan
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- A clear, itemised quote
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
See How we price And The cost guide.
- 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