Kent · England
Live paella catering in Cross-at-Hand, Kent
Planning paella catering in Cross-at-Hand? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Retirement celebrations
- Company summer parties
- Milestone birthday parties
Planning an event in Cross-at-Hand?
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
About our paella catering in Cross-at-Hand
Watching it cook is part of the experience. People drift over as the sofrito sizzles and the rice turns gold, and the aroma does the rest. On the menu are chicken and chorizo paella, black rice and seafood paella, and we are frequently booked for naming days and family parties and garden parties and summer barbecues.
In a hamlet or village like Cross-at-Hand, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, with each paella cooked in its own pan and clearly labelled.
The process
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. Planning an evening event in Cross-at-Hand? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:00pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Preparing for the day
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Give us your final numbers and diets
Get a quote
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
A closer look at the menu
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It is the pan people photograph.
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Places near Cross-at-Hand
What else we do in Cross-at-Hand
What we need at the venue
Every venue is different, so we’ll ask about yours before we confirm. Generally, we look for:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
On the menu in Cross-at-Hand
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
How we price paella catering
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Timings and hours
- The number of people
- Your choice of paellas
Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Getting an accurate quote
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what to include:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Your date and when you want to eat
Send us the date, your venue or TN12 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just use our quote form.
Paella catering around Cross-at-Hand
Cross-at-Hand is about 5 miles south of Maidstone, in Kent. For paella catering in Cross-at-Hand, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Cross-at-Hand. We cater in all 922 towns and villages in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 24 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Stoneacre (4.6 miles north). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. The High Weald National Landscape is within about 7 miles of Cross-at-Hand, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
This part of Kent takes in TN12, so your event can be anywhere in it. That could mean an event in a garden on Staplehurst Road and Woodford Park or the roads around them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Rabbit's Cross (1 mile north), Devil's Den (1 mile east), Wanshurst Green (1 mile south-west), St Ann's Green (1 mile west) and Underling Green (1 mile west). Further out, we also cater in Maidstone (5 miles north), Ashford (14 miles east), Sittingbourne (13 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (13 miles west), Tonbridge (12 miles west) and Kings Hill (8 miles north-west).
A little further out are Sutton Valence Castle (2.8 miles north-east) and South East Romany Museum (1.8 miles south-west).
Cross-at-Hand: your questions answered
Which station should guests use for Cross-at-Hand?
Staplehurst station, about 1.2 miles south of the centre.
How far is Cross-at-Hand from London?
Roughly 35 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
How much space do you need?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. If in doubt, send a photo.
What areas do you cover?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Does paella work for big events?
Yes, that is what it is made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
What happens with live paella?
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 provide drinks?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
Planning for every diet
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To get it right:
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Put allergy details in writing
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we typically call guests over.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside.
For event organisers in Cross-at-Hand
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We’ll provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Why choose live paella in Cross-at-Hand?
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. The full price is confirmed before you book.
Why Cross-at-Hand hosts choose us
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- We cover Cross-at-Hand and the whole of Kent
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- 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