Medway · England
Live paella catering in Chatham Waterfront, Medway
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Chatham Waterfront: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Company summer parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Planning an event in Chatham Waterfront?
FAQs for Chatham Waterfront
How far is Chatham Waterfront from London?
Roughly 28 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
What’s the nearest station to Chatham Waterfront for guests?
Chatham Waterfront has its own station: Chatham station.
Do you bring everything you need?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You provide a suitable spot and access.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Two or three is usual: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Our menu lists the options.
How many different paellas?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
Does paella work for big events?
It’s ideal. Big pans feed plenty of people, and service from the pan is quick.
How does live paella catering work?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook while everyone watches, and serve at the time you want.
Paella catering in Chatham Waterfront, made fresh on the day
Keep it simple, or go all out: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We’ll recommend what fits your event. We cook chicken and chorizo paella, black rice and paella Valenciana, and we are regularly asked to cater fairs, fêtes and festivals and engagement and anniversary parties.
There may be a hall or club near Chatham Waterfront if your garden is small; live paella can work at any of them, given permission and outdoor space. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, not reheated.
How the day works
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Guests normally gather round to watch as the paella takes shape. In Chatham Waterfront, the sun sets at about 9:20pm 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.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Getting a price
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Related guides
What paella catering costs
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- Guest numbers
- Waiting and bar staff
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- How long we are needed on site
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Details that help
To check availability and price, we need:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- The date and time of the event
- What the venue already provides
- The venue or postcode
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will come back with a clear quote.
Why choose paella catering in Chatham Waterfront?
People book live paella because it is food and entertainment at once. The pans become a focal point, and the food is hot and generous.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in Chatham Waterfront and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Milestone birthday parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Thinking of a picnic-style party in The Paddock? Public parks typically need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
Comparing caterers
- Payment terms and deposit
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Who provides the crockery
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
Dishes our guests love
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Where we can cook in Chatham Waterfront
No two venues are the same, so we will ask about yours before we confirm. In general, we need:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Popular choices
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Catering for every guest
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we time it carefully. If timings shift, we adapt.
Tapas or canapés make a good start while the paella cooks.
Paella catering around Chatham Waterfront
Chatham Waterfront is about 1 mile east of Rochester, in Medway. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Chatham Waterfront and nearby villages. Chatham Waterfront is one of 68 towns and villages in Medway where we cook. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 25 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Brompton-Westbrook Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For guests coming by train, Chatham Waterfront has its own station, Chatham station.
Anywhere in ME4, ME1 and ME7, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. From New Road, Old Road and Ship Lane or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. You’ll find Chatham Waterfront on the A231, so it is easy for us to reach with the van and pans. For events just outside Chatham Waterfront, we cover Brompton (1 mile north-east), Rochester Riverside (1 mile north-west), Luton (1 mile south-east), Frindsbury (1 mile north-west) and Chatham (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Rainham (4 miles south-east), Park Wood (4 miles south-east), Lordswood (3 miles south), Twydall (3 miles east), Hoo St Werburgh (3 miles north-east) and Wigmore (4 miles south-east).
A little further out are Pentagon Shopping Centre (less than half a mile south-east) and Six Poor Travellers House (0.9 miles west). Not far away are Gad's Hill and Ranscombe Farm.
- Nearby schools include Fort Pitt Grammar School (0.5 miles south-west) and St John Fisher RC Comprehensive School (0.5 miles south-west)
- Local pubs include King's Arms (within half a mile west)
- Local facilities include Former Ordnance Store At Chatham Gun Wharf (within half a mile north) and City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1.2 miles north-west)
DIY paella versus live catering
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Places near Chatham Waterfront
Other catering in Chatham Waterfront
Paella compared with other options
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. The cost per head usually falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why us?
- A clear, itemised quote
- Fast service from the pan
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Read Our prices page And What paella 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