Kent · England
Paella Catering in Chartham Hatch
Paella 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 Chartham Hatch.
- Birthday celebrations
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Summer garden parties
Paella catering for Chartham Hatch events
Paella catering for your event in Chartham Hatch
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and festival fields in and around Chartham Hatch. Whether it is weddings, from canapés to evening food and staff parties and work lunches, we can cook paella Valenciana, chicken and chorizo paella and vegan paella.
Somewhere as small as Chartham Hatch, a garden or field is frequently the venue. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we will plan for them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
Planning the cooking area
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Planning live paella in Chartham Hatch
Chartham Hatch is about 3 miles west of Canterbury, in Kent. Whether your event is in the middle of Chartham Hatch or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cater in all 922 towns and villages across Kent.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Mary, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as The Canterbury Academy, can book us as a food stall. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 7 miles of Chartham Hatch, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Anywhere in CT4, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Local streets include Town Lane, Nightingale Close and Bigbury Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Other places close to Chartham Hatch for paella catering include Chartham (1 mile south), Upper Harbledown (1 mile north-east), Shalmsford Street (1 mile south), Mystole (2 miles south) and Thanington (2 miles east). Further out, we also cater in Ashford (11 miles south-west), Canterbury (3 miles east), Dover (15 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (13 miles west), Folkestone (14 miles south-east) and Whitstable (6 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Rupert Bear Museum (2.8 miles east) and Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (2.9 miles east). Open spaces near Chartham Hatch include Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
- Local pubs include Royal Oak Public House (under half a mile south-west)
Live paella or other catering?
Food trucks and street-food vans serve one portion at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, so everyone can eat at the same time. The cost per head generally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
What you get with us
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- We cover Chartham Hatch and the whole of Kent
Read Our prices page And The cost guide.
How the day works
It is a relaxed, well-organised set-up. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up the pans and burners, and cook and serve without fuss. Around midsummer it stays light in Chartham Hatch until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:50pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
How to prepare
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
Getting a price
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Related guides
Prices and what affects them
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- Parking and unloading
- The paellas you choose
- Guest numbers
- Waiting and bar staff
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Details that help
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but these help:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The address or venue name
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a paella that stands on its own. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It is the pan people photograph.
Common questions in Chartham Hatch
Can you cook at venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We will work to whatever the site needs.
Which station should guests use for Chartham Hatch?
Chartham station, about 1 mile south of the centre.
Will there be enough food?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in its own pan.
What space do you need to cook?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Which paella is most popular?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Do you take everything away?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Planning for every diet
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Put allergy details in writing
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we generally call guests over.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside and suit guests who aren’t big rice eaters.
Towns and villages near Chartham Hatch
More for events in Chartham Hatch
Occasions we cook for in Chartham Hatch
Live paella is made for outdoor events: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Here are some of the events we cook for in Chartham Hatch and Kent:
- Milestone birthday parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Anniversary celebrations
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Chartham station, about 1 mile south.
What your quote should include
- How late numbers can change
- A clear list of what’s included
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- 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