Greater London · England
Paella Catering in Downe
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 Downe.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Birthday celebrations
Live paella catering in Downe
How our paella catering works in Downe
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We will suggest what suits your event. On the menu are black rice, seafood paella and paella Valenciana, and we’re often booked for family celebrations and christenings and milestone birthday parties.
London gardens are often long and narrow, which is fine for live paella as long as there is a level spot clear of fences and trees. For an event in Downe, tell us where we can park to unload. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, not reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
- Where
- Downe (BR6)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
What paella catering costs
These are the factors that matter most:
- How many staff you need
- Timings and hours
- How many guests are eating
- Distance and access to the venue
Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you only pay for what you want.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Anything your venue supplies
- The date and time of the event
- Roughly how many adults and children
Still deciding on the menu? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. Start when you’re ready: fill in our quote form.
About the dishes
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Why choose live paella in Downe?
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Why choose Love Paella in Downe
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Take a look at Our prices page And The cost guide.
Planning the cooking area
We’ll agree the cooking spot with you before the day. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
Downe is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
Dietary needs and planning tips
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can enjoy your guests.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
Towns and villages near Downe
More for events in Downe
Events we cater in Downe
People book live paella because it’s food and entertainment at once. The pans become a focal point, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
Whatever the occasion, paella can be the star of the food. We frequently cook for:
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Parks such as South Park typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Comparing caterers
- The venue requirements
- How late numbers can change
- Travel and parking costs
- Allergen information for each dish
What happens on the day
When the rice goes in, it’s left alone. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. The smell generally draws people over. Planning an evening event in Downe? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Preparing for the day
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Downe: your questions answered
We’re having a ceremony at St Mary's Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
What about parking in Downe?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We will plan unloading around it.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Is the paella gluten-free?
Yes, on request. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
What happens if it rains?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
How many paellas should we have?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We will help you decide the split.
Is halal food available?
Yes, we do. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes, always. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, where your guests can watch.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
Downe: venues, travel and local tips
Downe is about 4 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. For paella catering in Downe, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Downe. Downe is one of 764 places in Greater London where we cook. You can also see our page for London, about 13 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Downe Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Mary's Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Downe is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, 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 Greater London takes in BR6, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. Local streets include High Street, North End Lane and Belle Vue Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. If your venue is just outside Downe, we also cover Farthing Street (1 mile north-west), Hazelwood (1 mile east), Luxted (1 mile south), Leaves Green (1 mile west) and Single Street (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover London (13 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (15 miles north-west), Shoreditch (14 miles north-west) and Hoxton (15 miles north-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Crofton Roman Villa (2.7 miles north-east) and Princess Royal University Hospital (1.8 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Downe Bank Nature Reserve and Betsom's Hill.
- Local schools include Charles Darwin School (1.8 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include The Queens Head pub (under half a mile south)
- 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