Kent · England
Paella Catering for Fant events
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 Fant.
- Summer garden parties
- Anniversary celebrations
- Retirement and leaving parties
Planning an event in Fant?
Paella compared with other options
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Larger events usually cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why Fant hosts choose us
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Read Our pricing Or Our guide to catering costs.
How our paella catering works in Fant
Two or three pans side by side cover every guest: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Each is cooked separately, so diets are easy to manage. Typical bookings include weddings and evening receptions and big birthdays, with vegan paella, vegetable paella and seafood paella.
Around Fant, events are frequently in gardens, local halls or nearby venues. If access is tight, we will plan around it. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
The process
A typical event goes like this: we arrive, set up and start cooking, your guests watch the rice cook, and we serve straight from the pan at the agreed time. Planning an evening event in Fant? 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.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
Getting a price
It is easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
Read more
What else we do in Fant
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a paella that stands on its own. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Paella catering around Fant
Fant is about 2 miles west of Maidstone, in Kent. Whether your event is in the middle of Fant or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. We cater in 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 26 miles away.
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Jubilee Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is East Farleigh station, about 0.8 miles south. Fant is within about 7 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
This part of Kent takes in ME16 and ME15, so your event can be anywhere in it. Local streets include Fant Lane, Glebe Lane and Burns Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Being close to the A26, Fant is simple for us to get to with everything for your event. Other places close to Fant for paella catering include East Farleigh (1 mile south), Kettle Corner (1 mile south-west), Dean Street (1 mile south), Barming Heath (1 mile west) and Hoppers Corner (1 mile south-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Sittingbourne (12 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (13 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (13 miles south-west), Gravesend (12 miles north-west), Tonbridge (10 miles south-west) and Northfleet (13 miles north-west).
Well-known places in the area include Kent Fire Brigade Museum (1.2 miles south-east) and Fremlin Walk (1.4 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Boxley Hills and Burham Down.
- Local schools include Oakwood Park Grammar School (0.5 miles north-east) and St Augustine Academy (0.5 miles north-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Bull Inn (0.9 miles west)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
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’ll do the cooking.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
For planners, venues and organisers
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you are a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Events in public spaces, like parks, normally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Common questions in Fant
Is Fant close to London?
Roughly 30 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
Do you cater in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We will work to whatever the site needs.
When do you arrive?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance.
How many different paellas?
Usually two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we’ll suggest the mix.
What does paella catering cost?
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. Tell us your date and numbers and we’ll reply with a price.
Can you cook indoors?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, since the burners are gas. Some venues have suitable spaces; we’ll check with you and the venue.
How do you work out quantities?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Tell us what else is being served. Our guide to portions explains more.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
How we price paella catering
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- The paellas you choose
- The length of service
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Distance and access to the venue
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Getting an accurate quote
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but these help:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The date and time of the event
- Where the event is
- A picture of where we’d cook
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, use our quote form.
What we need at the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
What we offer
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Planning for every diet
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Tell us what else is being served
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
After service, we pack down our cooking area.
We can add sangria and bar staff to serve drinks you provide.
- 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