Kent · England
Paella Catering for Chilham events
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Chilham. We cook from scratch on site, then served hot from the pan.
- Big birthdays
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
Live paella catering in Chilham
What happens on the day
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we adjust the cooking so it is still served fresh. Evenings in Chilham stay light until about 9:15pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Give us a contact for the day
Getting a price
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Paella catering in Chilham, cooked live
Live paella works almost anywhere with a level, ventilated spot: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field. We’re frequently asked to cater office lunches and staff parties and birthday celebrations, serving vegan paella, chicken and chorizo paella and mixed paella.
In a rural place like Chilham, the setting does plenty of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. We plan the timings around your day, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
Nearby places to Chilham
Also in Chilham
Dishes our guests love
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Chilham: your questions answered
Is Chilham close to London?
About 49 miles from central London.
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Mary: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, in front of your guests.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Can paella be the only main course?
It can be. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
What is live paella catering?
We cook from scratch at your venue in big pans, in front of your guests, and serve straight from the pan.
Do you do starters?
Of course. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
Perfect for your event in Chilham
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, thanks to separate pans for each version. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Common bookings include:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Mary, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What your quote should include
- How long the team stays
- What happens if it rains
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Allergen information for each dish
Should I cook it myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
Planners, venues and businesses
Events in public spaces, like parks, typically need permission. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
What paella catering costs
The price comes down to a few factors:
- How many staff you need
- Distance and access to the venue
- How long we’re needed on site
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
What to tell us
You do not need every detail fixed to get a quote, but these help:
- Which courses you have in mind
- Where the event is
- The date and rough timings
- What the venue already provides
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning for every diet
We take diets and allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Confirm allergies by email
- Ensure each pan is labelled
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue does not provide them.
Live paella in Chilham: local details
Chilham is about 5 miles south-west of Canterbury, in Kent. From the centre of Chilham to the outskirts, we offer the same service: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. Chilham is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent where we cook.
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Chilham, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For guests coming by train, Chilham station is in Chilham itself. Chilham is within about 5 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
This part of Kent takes in CT4, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. From The Street, The Square and Bagham Road or anywhere nearby, we’ll bring the pans to you. Close by, we cover events in Mountain Street (1 mile south-west), Old Wives Lees (1 mile north), Godmersham (2 miles south), Shottenden (2 miles west) and Perrywood (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (8 miles south-west), Canterbury (5 miles north-east), Sittingbourne (12 miles north-west), Folkestone (14 miles south-east), Whitstable (8 miles north) and Faversham (6 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Kent and Canterbury Hospital (5.3 miles east) and Chilham Castle (less than half a mile west). Open spaces near Chilham include Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
- Nearby, you will find Woolpack Inn (under half a mile west)
Planning the cooking area
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
On the menu in Chilham
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- 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