Medway · England
Paella Catering for Gillingham events
Something for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Gillingham.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Summer garden parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
Paella catering for Gillingham events
What paella catering costs
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Guest numbers
- Distance and access to the venue
- The paellas you choose
- Timings and hours
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. Everything is confirmed in writing.
What to tell us
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- What the venue already provides
- The courses you’d like
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Any dietary needs and allergies
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote.
Paella catering in Gillingham, made fresh on the day
Live paella works almost anywhere with a level, ventilated spot: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field in and around Gillingham. Popular choices include chicken and chorizo paella, paella Valenciana and vegetable paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater wedding breakfasts and evening food and naming days and family parties.
Busy roads and town-centre parking are the main things to plan for an event in Gillingham; the cooking itself only needs a level, ventilated spot. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
Planners, venues and businesses
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Gillingham? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Live paella or other catering?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. 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.
Why Gillingham hosts choose us
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Read How we price And What paella catering costs.
Other catering in Gillingham
Questions from Gillingham
We’re having a ceremony at Holy Trinity Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Is Gillingham close to London?
Roughly 30 miles from the centre of London.
Do you do starters?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
Do you do desserts?
Yes. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, because we use gas burners. Some venues have suitable spaces; we’ll check with you and the venue.
What happens with live paella?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve at the time you want.
How long do you need on site?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is generally the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Catering for every guest
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because every paella has its own pan. A few tips:
- Count adults and children separately
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue doesn’t provide them.
Live paella in Gillingham: local details
Gillingham is about 30 miles east of London, in Medway. From the centre of Gillingham to the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. We cover all 68 towns and villages in Medway, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 23 miles away.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Gillingham (Kent) station, about 1.5 miles north-west. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Holy Trinity Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 8 miles of Gillingham. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Paella catering in ME8, ME7, ME4 and ME5 is planned around your venue. That could mean an event in a garden on Leeds Square, London Road and Dorset Square. Main roads around Gillingham include the A2 and A231, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. Nearby, we also cater events in Twydall (1 mile east), Lower Twydall (1 mile north-east), Grange (1 mile north), Darland (1 mile south-west) and Hale (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Rochester (4 miles west), Strood (4 miles west), Lordswood (3 miles south-west), Hoo St Werburgh (4 miles north), Rochester Riverside (3 miles north-west) and Walderslade (3 miles south-west). As one of the bigger places in Medway, Gillingham has lots of places to hold an event.
A little further out are Medway Maritime Hospital (1.6 miles west) and Six Poor Travellers House (3.3 miles west). Open spaces near Gillingham include Blue Bell Hill and Bishop Saltings.
- Schools near Gillingham include The Robert Napier School (0.8 miles north-west) and The Robert Napier School (0.8 miles north-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Star pub (0.6 miles west)
- Local facilities include Chatham Free Library (1.9 miles west)
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
The process
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you’re free to enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first while the paella cooks. Evenings in Gillingham stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
How to prepare
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Gillingham? Tell us what you have in mind and we will come back with ideas and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Perfect for your event in Gillingham
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. People in Gillingham book us for events such as:
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Community events and fairs
- Staff parties and work lunches
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Ambley Wood? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
Comparing caterers
- The deadline for final numbers
- The venue requirements
- A clear list of what’s included
- Payment terms and deposit
What’s in the pans
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is the pan people photograph.
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
- 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