Kent · England
Live paella catering in Forstal, Kent
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Forstal.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Company summer parties
- Birthday celebrations
Live paella catering in Forstal
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
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. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
How our paella catering works in Forstal
Paella is generous food: huge pans, saffron colour and a toasted crust that everyone fights over. It turns a meal into an occasion. We are often asked to cater family celebrations and christenings and retirement and leaving parties, serving vegetable paella, mixed paella and black rice.
In a hamlet or village like Forstal, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. We plan the timings around your day, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
Forstal: your questions answered
Can you cook in Tyland Barn?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Which station should guests use for Forstal?
The closest is Aylesford station, roughly 1.2 miles away.
Do you cater for young children?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is generally popular with children. Tell us how many are coming.
What does paella catering cost?
We quote for each event, based on what you actually want. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas and we’ll reply with a price.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
Do you cater in Forstal?
We do. We cook at events in Forstal and across Kent. Send us your date to check availability.
Do we need to provide equipment?
All cooking kit comes with us. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
What if the weather’s bad?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Organising for someone else?
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Forstal? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
About the dishes
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It’s a striking addition to a seafood menu.
Live paella or other catering?
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked live and served hot. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. Everything is confirmed in writing.
What you get with us
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Drinks service on request
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Catering across Kent, including Forstal
See How we price And What paella catering costs.
Also in Forstal
What affects the price in Forstal
The price comes down to a few factors:
- The paellas you choose
- Guest numbers
- The length of service
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Details that help
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Anything your venue supplies
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Expected numbers
- Diets and allergies you know about
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
Forstal: venues, travel and local tips
Forstal is about 3 miles north-west of Maidstone, in Kent. Events in Forstal are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Forstal is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent where we cook. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 25 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as St Peter's Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For guests coming by train, Aylesford station is about 1.2 miles away. Forstal is within about 7 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
This part of Kent takes in ME20. Whether your event is on Beddow Way and Forstal Road or a nearby road, we will bring the pans to you. Nearby, we also cater events in Pratling Street (1 mile north-east), Eccles (1 mile north-west), New Hythe (2 miles west), Burham (2 miles north) and Larkfield (2 miles west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (3 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (11 miles east), Dartford (15 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (13 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (15 miles south-west) and Gravesend (10 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Medway megaliths (1 mile north) and Maidstone Hospital (2 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Boxley Hills and Burham Down.
- Nearby schools include Aylesford School (1.3 miles west)
- Pubs nearby include The Bush pub (0.5 miles west)
Step by step
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you can enjoy your event. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first while the paella cooks. Evenings in Forstal 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, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
How to prepare
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Give us a contact for the day
How to get a price
The quickest way to a quote is to send us your details through our quote form. Tell us about your event in Forstal, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Related guides
Dietary needs and planning tips
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Tell us what else is being served
- Put allergy details in writing
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and stay in touch with your venue about timings.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
Why choose paella catering in Forstal?
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, thanks to separate pans for each version. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Garden get-togethers
- Big birthdays
Parks such as Tyland Barn typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Questions to ask before you book
- Allergen information for each dish
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Who provides the crockery
- VAT, if it applies
- 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