Greater London · England
Paella Catering for Clerkenwell events
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Clerkenwell and Greater London, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Birthday celebrations
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Live paella catering in Clerkenwell
FAQs for Clerkenwell
Is parking a problem for events in Clerkenwell?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We’ll plan unloading around it.
What’s the nearest station to Clerkenwell for guests?
Farringdon station, in Clerkenwell itself.
Do you cook inside?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, while the rice is cooking.
Can you serve drinks?
Yes, sangria. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
How does live paella catering work?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
Do you offer halal options?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it is cooked separately.
Paella catering for your event in Clerkenwell
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. Typical bookings include engagement and anniversary parties and big birthdays, serving vegan paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegetable paella.
In a London neighbourhood like Clerkenwell, the cooking spot is typically a back garden, a courtyard or a venue’s terrace. Parking and loading are the main things to plan, so let us know about parking permits or a driveway. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and service is quick once it’s ready.
- Area
- Clerkenwell (N1, EC1V, WC1X)
- Region
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
How the day works
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you can enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first as the rice is cooking. Around midsummer it stays light in Clerkenwell until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
Get a quote
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Related guides
Working with your venue
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep everyone informed on the day.
Throwing a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Live paella in Clerkenwell: local details
Clerkenwell is about 2 miles north of London, in Greater London. From the centre of Clerkenwell to the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. We cook in 764 places in Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
For guests coming by train, Farringdon station is in Clerkenwell itself. For a christening or wedding at a church such as St James's Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
This part of Greater London takes in N1, EC1V and WC1X, so your event can be anywhere in it. We can cater an event on streets such as Long Lane, City Road and Noel Road. Clerkenwell is on the A1 and A5201, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. If your venue is just outside Clerkenwell, we also cover Farringdon (1 mile south), Angel (1 mile north), Smithfield (1 mile south), Holborn (1 mile south-west) and St Pancras (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Kensington (5 miles south-west), Walthamstow (5 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles south-west) and Stockwell (4 miles south).
Other landmarks nearby include County of London (0.9 miles south-east) and Museum of Funeral History (under half a mile west). Green spaces nearby include St. James's Park Lake and Ludgate Hill.
- Local schools include Tech City College (less than half a mile north-east) and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School (0.6 miles north-west)
- Nearby, you will find The Sekforde pub (within half a mile south)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Barts Health Archives (0.6 miles south)
Who books paella catering in Clerkenwell?
It suits relaxed, sociable events, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Clerkenwell book us for occasions like:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Garden get-togethers
Historic houses near Clerkenwell include Dr Johnson's House (0.8 miles south) and Mansion House (1.1 miles south-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Before you book anyone
- Staff numbers and hours
- When payment is due
- Whether VAT is included
- How bad weather is handled
DIY paella versus live catering
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
Where we can cook in Clerkenwell
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
As a London location, Clerkenwell is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
On the menu in Clerkenwell
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
Catering for every guest
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Try these:
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Send allergies to us in writing
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we usually call guests over.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
What affects the price in Clerkenwell
Each event is quoted on its own, based on a few main things:
- The paellas you choose
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- The number of people
- Timings and hours
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We will suggest options to suit your budget.
Details that help
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- A picture of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- The address or venue name
- The courses you’d like
- The date and time of the event
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we will suggest a menu. To start, fill in our quote form.
Live paella or other catering?
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Larger events normally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why choose Love Paella in Clerkenwell
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Drinks service on request
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
See Our pricing And The cost guide.
Also near Clerkenwell
Also in Clerkenwell
- 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