Kent · England
Live paella catering in Cranbrook Common, Kent
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in Cranbrook Common.
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Milestone birthday parties
Paella catering for Cranbrook Common events
Planning live paella in Cranbrook Common
Cranbrook Common is about 10 miles south of Maidstone, in Kent. For an event in Cranbrook Common, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. We cook in 922 places across Kent. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 25 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Staplehurst station is about 3.5 miles away. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Cranbrook School, can book us as a food stall. The High Weald National Landscape is within about 3 miles of Cranbrook Common, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
We cook at events all over the TN17 postcode area. Nearby, we also cater events in Sissinghurst (1 mile south), Wilsley Pound (1 mile south-west), Knox Bridge (1 mile north), Wilsley Green (2 miles south-west) and Frittenden (2 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (10 miles north), Ashford (13 miles east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (13 miles west), Tonbridge (13 miles north-west), Kings Hill (12 miles north-west) and Foley Park (11 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Sissinghurst Castle (1 mile east) and Sissinghurst Castle (1 mile east).
- Local pubs include The Bull Public House (0.9 miles south)
Paella catering for your event in Cranbrook Common
One cooking area feeds a lot of people, very little goes to waste, and the food arrives hot. It is why live paella suits so many kinds of event. For birthday celebrations and fairs, fêtes and festivals, we can cook seafood paella, black rice and chicken and chorizo paella.
Somewhere like Cranbrook Common, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, with each paella cooked in its own pan.
Working with your venue
Throwing a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Cranbrook Common? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Places near Cranbrook Common
Other catering in Cranbrook Common
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Level ground for the pans and burners
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
Menu ideas
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Dietary needs and planning tips
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Here’s how:
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Tell us what else is being served
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
Paella is best eaten as soon as it’s ready, so we serve when guests are ready.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
How the day works
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, and we agree where that is before the day. In Cranbrook Common, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
How to get a price
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
What affects the price in Cranbrook Common
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Distance and access to the venue
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- The length of service
- How many courses
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Details that help
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Which courses you have in mind
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
A closer look at the menu
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Questions from Cranbrook Common
What’s the nearest station to Cranbrook Common for guests?
Staplehurst station, about 3.5 miles north of the centre.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of the Holy Trinity?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
What happens if it rains?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We’ll make a plan B with you.
When do you arrive?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance so the paella is ready when you want it.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
What seafood can we have?
Tell us your preferences and we will suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium options are available.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Who books paella catering in Cranbrook Common?
There is no kitchen needed, so it’s at home in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Community events and fairs
- Christenings and family gatherings
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of the Holy Trinity, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Questions to ask before booking
- When final numbers are due
- Space, access and power needs
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Staff numbers and hours
- 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