Kent · England
Live paella catering in Goodnestone, Kent
Paella for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Goodnestone.
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Naming days and family parties
Live paella catering in Goodnestone
Dishes our guests love
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together, and it is often the first pan to empty.
Paella catering in Goodnestone, cooked live
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. When it is ready, it’s served straight from the pan. On the menu are seafood paella, chicken and chorizo paella and paella Valenciana, and we are regularly asked to cater family celebrations and christenings and fairs, fêtes and festivals.
In a hamlet or village like Goodnestone, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. Timings are planned around your event, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
Catering an event in Goodnestone
Goodnestone is about 7 miles east of Canterbury, in Kent. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Goodnestone and nearby villages. Goodnestone is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 7 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Goodnestone Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For guests coming by train, Adisham station is about 1.5 miles away.
For paella catering in CT3, we plan around your venue and your guests. That could mean an event in a garden on The Street, Saddlers Hill and Fitzwalters Meadow or the roads around them. Nearby, we also cater events in Chillenden (1 mile south-east), Twitham (1 mile north), Well Head (1 mile north), Ratling (1 mile south-west) and Staple (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cater in Canterbury (7 miles west), Margate (11 miles north-east), Dover (8 miles south), Folkestone (12 miles south), Ramsgate (10 miles north-east) and Broadstairs (12 miles north-east).
A little further out are St Martins Hospital (5.7 miles west).
- Local pubs include The Fitzwalter Arms (within half a mile south-west)
How the day works
Serving is fast: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so large groups are fed quickly. When service is finished, we pack down. Evenings in Goodnestone stay light until about 9:15pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Plan cover in case of rain
Get a quote
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Organising for someone else?
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Goodnestone: your questions answered
Do you come out to small places like Goodnestone?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Which station should guests use for Goodnestone?
Adisham station, about 1.5 miles west of the centre.
Can you cater for children?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
What equipment do you bring?
All cooking kit comes with us. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
How many paellas should we have?
Generally two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we’ll suggest the mix.
What seafood can we have?
Tell us your preferences and we’ll suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium shellfish can be added.
How much paella per person?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
Can paella be the only main course?
Paella is a meal in itself. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Diets, allergies and planning
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Count adults and children separately
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
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.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue does not provide them.
Why choose live paella in Goodnestone?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre to your event in Goodnestone. 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.
What you get with us
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Drinks service on request
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
See How we price And The cost guide.
Nearby places to Goodnestone
Other catering in Goodnestone
Occasions we cook for in Goodnestone
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Big birthdays
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Retirement celebrations
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of the Holy Cross, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What your quote should include
- Travel and parking costs
- How long the team stays
- When payment is due
- How late numbers can change
Planning the cooking area
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- 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