Kent · England
Paella Catering for Chart Sutton events
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Chart Sutton. We cook from scratch on site, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Big birthdays
- Anniversary celebrations
- Weddings and evening receptions
Live paella catering in Chart Sutton
How our paella catering works in Chart Sutton
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That is what we bring to events in Chart Sutton. Popular choices include paella Valenciana, mixed paella and vegetable paella, and we are often booked for garden get-togethers and weddings and evening receptions.
In a hamlet or village like Chart Sutton, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
Planning live paella in Chart Sutton
Chart Sutton is about 3 miles south-east of Maidstone, in Kent. For paella catering in Chart Sutton, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Chart Sutton. Chart Sutton is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. We cook right across the region, from Chart Sutton to Canterbury (22 miles away).
Historic houses near Chart Sutton include Stoneacre (2 miles north) and Leeds Castle (3.2 miles north-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Bearsted station, about 3.6 miles north. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 5 miles of Chart Sutton, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Anywhere in ME17, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. From Plough Wents Road, Amber Lane and Marsham Crescent or anywhere nearby, we will bring the pans to you. Close by, we cover events in Wierton (1 mile south-west), Five Wents (1 mile east), Warmlake (1 mile east), Langley (1 mile north-east) and Sutton Valence (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cater in Maidstone (3 miles north-west), Ashford (14 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (11 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south-west), Tonbridge (13 miles west) and Faversham (15 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include KIMS hospital (4.4 miles north) and The Dog Collar Museum (3.1 miles north-east).
- Local schools include Senacre Technology College (1.3 miles north) and Cornwallis Academy (2.4 miles west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Plough Inn (0.9 miles east)
Why choose live paella in Chart Sutton?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and typically costs more per head. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Why choose Love Paella in Chart Sutton
- Events in Chart Sutton and across Kent
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
Take a look at Our pricing And The cost guide.
Dietary needs and planning tips
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To make it work smoothly:
- Tell us what else is being served
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we typically call guests over.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
The process
Watching it cook is half the fun. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring while your guests chat. In Chart Sutton, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Give us a contact for the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
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 are ready: use our quote form.
Related guides
Organising for someone else?
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Venues frequently have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
Common questions in Chart Sutton
What’s the nearest station to Chart Sutton for guests?
The closest is Bearsted station, roughly 3.6 miles away.
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 will follow the site rules.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so it pays to ask early.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
When do you arrive?
We get there in good time to set up. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
Do you provide drinks?
Yes, sangria. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
Why choose paella catering in Chart Sutton?
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
We can help if you are planning any of the following:
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Naming days and family parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Milestone birthday parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Langley Park Primary Academy, can book us as a food stall.
What your quote should include
- What happens if it rains
- The deposit and payment dates
- Whether VAT is included
- Whether travel is included
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Nearby places to Chart Sutton
What else we do in Chart Sutton
Where we can cook in Chart Sutton
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
On the menu in Chart Sutton
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
What paella catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Your choice of paellas
- The length of service
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Whether you need crockery
Larger events typically cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
What we need to know
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- Anything your venue supplies
- Which courses you have in mind
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- The venue or postcode
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
- 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