Greater London · England
Paella Catering in Downham
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Downham and Greater London, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Community events and fairs
- Company summer parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
Live paella catering in Downham
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Paella catering in Downham, made fresh on the day
One cooking area feeds a lot of people, very little goes to waste, and the food is served hot. That is why it works for so many events. For anniversaries and engagement parties and weddings and evening receptions, we can cook paella Valenciana, vegetable paella and black rice.
From a terraced garden to a hired hall, events in Downham come in all shapes. Tell us how close we can park and about any steps. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
- Location
- Downham (BR1, SE6, SE12)
- Region
- Greater London
- Diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Step by step
Service is quick: we serve straight from the pan, so large groups are fed quickly. When service is finished, we pack down. Around midsummer it stays light in Downham until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Getting a price
Still deciding on the menu? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. To start, fill in our quote form.
Read more
What affects the price in Downham
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Guest numbers
- How many staff you need
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
Details that help
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Diets and allergies you know about
- The date and rough timings
- Roughly how many adults and children
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, use our quote form.
Planning for every diet
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Let us know about other food at the event
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further.
Where we can cook in Downham
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
As a London location, Downham is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Popular choices
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
Towns and villages near Downham
More for events in Downham
Dishes our guests love
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, cooked until the rice is golden. It is the pan people photograph.
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
Your questions about paella catering in Downham
Is parking a problem for events in Downham?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We will plan unloading around it.
Can you cook in Downham Fields?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Ask them first, and we will send any information they need.
What do you need at the venue?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Can you supply plates?
We can. Tell us what your venue provides and we’ll include the rest in the quote.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, and it is a popular combination. Tapas go out first, then the paella.
Do you cater for young children?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Let us know numbers and ages, and we will plan for them.
Do you cover Downham?
We do. Downham is one of the places we cover. Send us your date to check availability.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
Paella catering around Downham
Downham is about 2 miles north of Bromley, in Greater London. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Downham. We cook in all 764 towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is London, about 7 miles away.
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like St Barnabas, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Historic houses near Downham include Bromley Palace (1.7 miles south-east) and Eltham Palace (2.4 miles north-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Wherever your event is in BR1, SE6 and SE12, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. We can cater an event on streets such as Shaw Road, Arcus Road and Brook Lane. Nearby, we also cater events in Plaistow (1 mile south), Grove Park (1 mile north-east), Sundridge (1 mile south-east), Chinbrook (1 mile east) and Bellingham (1 mile west). We also cook in nearby towns such as London (7 miles north-west), City of Westminster (9 miles north-west), Marylebone (9 miles north-west), Kensington (10 miles north-west), St Pancras (9 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Municipal Borough of Bromley (1.8 miles south) and Prefab Museum (0.7 miles north-west). Open spaces near Downham include Summer Hill and Downham Woodland Walk.
- Schools near Downham include Bonus Pastor Catholic College (under half a mile west) and Holy Trinity College Bromley (1.4 miles south-east)
Paella compared with other options
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, because each paella has its own pan. It is served quickly from the pan, so queues move. Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why us?
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Fast service from the pan
- Sangria and bar staff available
Take a look at How we price And Our guide to catering costs.
Why choose paella catering in Downham?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it’s cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
In Downham and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Some of the most common are:
- Naming days and family parties
- Anniversary celebrations
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Leaving dos and retirements
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Rangefield Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
What to look for in a quote
- The deadline for final numbers
- Travel and parking costs
- Whether VAT is included
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- 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