Kent · England
Paella Catering in Deal
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Deal and the surrounding area.
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Live paella catering in Deal
About our paella catering in Deal
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. Typical bookings include garden parties and summer barbecues and anniversaries and engagement parties, serving vegetable paella, mixed paella and seafood paella.
In Deal, live paella normally means a garden, a hall with outdoor space or a hired venue. All of them work, provided we can park nearby and cook on level ground. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
Prices and what affects them
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- Waiting and bar staff
- The number of people
- Whether you need crockery
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What to tell us
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- What the venue already provides
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The venue or postcode
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
FAQs for Deal
How far is Deal from London?
About 67 miles from central London.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Saviour's?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Which areas do you serve?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Deal.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, on request. Let us know your halal numbers, and we’ll cook a separate pan.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
What is live paella catering?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you’re ready to eat.
Can you cook in the rain?
We need a covered spot, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We will agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Should I cook it myself?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a proper main dish. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s the pan people photograph.
What we need at the venue
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Planning for every diet
We take diets and allergies seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Make sure most guests can sit to eat
A short rest after cooking helps, and that is when we invite guests up.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue does not provide them.
Why choose live paella in Deal?
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked live and served hot. The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Why choose Love Paella in Deal
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- We cover Deal and the whole of Kent
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Take a look at How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
For event organisers in Deal
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
Organising a club, school or community event in Deal? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
Live paella in Deal: local details
Deal is about 14 miles east of Canterbury, in Kent. Give us the address of your event in Deal, and we will plan access and set-up before the day. We cater in 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Deal to Canterbury (14 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Deal station, about 0.5 miles north-east. If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Castle Community College, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Deal is within about a mile of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
This part of Kent takes in CT14, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. Local streets include London Road, Forelands Square and Herschell Square; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Deal is on the A258 and B2056, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. For events just outside Deal, we cover Mill Hill (1 mile west), Walmer (1 mile south), Sholden (1 mile north-west), Sholden Meadows (1 mile north-west) and Great Mongeham (1 mile west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Canterbury (14 miles west), Margate (11 miles north), Dover (7 miles south-west), Folkestone (13 miles south-west), Ramsgate (8 miles north) and Broadstairs (10 miles north).
Nearby you’ll also find Kent Museum of the Moving Image (0.6 miles north-east) and Deal Castle (0.5 miles east).
- Local schools include Deal Parochial Church of England Primary School (less than half a mile south-east)
- Local pubs include Brickmakers Arms (less than half a mile north-east)
How the day works
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Your guests are welcome to watch while it cooks. Evenings in Deal stay light until about 9:15pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Preparing for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Leave space around the cooking area
How to get a price
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can fill in our quote form.
Related guides
More for events in Deal
- 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