City of London · England
Paella Catering for City of London events
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in City of London: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Summer garden parties
Planning an event in City of London?
Working with your venue
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep everyone informed on the day.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Paella catering in City of London, made fresh on the day
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We’ll recommend what fits your event. Popular choices include seafood paella, black rice and mixed paella, and typical bookings are for festivals, fairs and school events and garden parties and summer barbecues.
London gardens are often long and narrow, but a level spot away from fences and trees is usually all we need. In City of London, the bigger question is parking near the house or venue. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
- Area
- City of London (EC4V, EC1A, EC2M, EC2Y)
- Area hub
- City of London
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Cold buffets are easy but forgettable, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
Why City of London hosts choose us
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Take a look at Our pricing Or The cost guide.
Space, weather and the venue
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
As a London location, City of London is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before booking.
Menu ideas
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
DIY paella versus live catering
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.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
How we price paella catering
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Guest numbers
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What we need to know
You do not need every detail fixed to get a quote, but these help:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Any dietary needs and allergies
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Common questions in City of London
Could we have live paella in St Alphage Garden?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
What’s the nearest station to City of London for guests?
City of London has its own station: London Cannon Street station.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
Do you cover City of London?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including City of London. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
Is halal food available?
Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
What does paella catering cost?
Every event is quoted individually, based on what you actually want. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas and we will reply with a price.
Do you cater for young children?
Of course. Children often love a simple chicken paella. Tell us how many are coming.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Yes. Big pans feed a lot of people, and service from the pan is quick.
Places near City of London
Other catering in City of London
Catering for every guest
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To get it right:
- Mention any other courses or food
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Request clear labels at the serving table
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
What happens on the day
Once the rice is in, we do not stir it. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. The smell normally draws people over. Evenings in City of London stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, tell us 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.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Preparing for the day
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
Getting a price
To get a price, use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Planning help
Live paella in City of London: local details
City of London is about 1 mile north of London, in City of London. Wherever your event is in the EC4V area, we can bring the pans to you.
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like St Olave Old Jewry, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Parks such as St Alphage Garden usually need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Here we cover the EC4V, EC1A, EC2M and EC2Y postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. That could mean an event in a garden on Aldermanbury Square, Monkwell Square and Paternoster Square or the roads around them. City of London is on the A1 and A3, so it is easy for us to reach with the van and pans. Close by, we cover events in Barbican Estate (1 mile north), Bishopsgate (1 mile east), Finsbury (1 mile north), Aldgate (1 mile east) and St Luke's (1 mile north).
Well-known places in the area include County of London (within half a mile north) and London Bridge Hospital (0.6 miles south-east). The countryside around City of London includes St. James's Park Lake and Barnsbury Wood.
- Schools near City of London include Prior Weston Primary School and Children's Centre (0.5 miles north) and Central Foundation Boys' School (0.8 miles north)
- Nearby, you will find Golden Fleece pub (under half a mile south)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Barts Health Archives (within half a mile north-west)
Who books paella catering in City of London?
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
These are some of the occasions we cater around City of London:
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Garden get-togethers
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Naming days and family parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Fashion Retail Academy, can book us as a food stall.
What your quote should include
- When final numbers are due
- Staff numbers and hours
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- 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